Dramatizing Public Relations Classes @ JCU Brisbane

"I enjoyed learning Public Relations campaigns with Dennis Guild. His teaching technique is very unique and interactive. Role plays motivate students to learn and give them the necessary tools to be a successful Public Relations practitioner."
BBUS - Hospitality Management student Viviana Veqa from Colombia

"Role plays in PR are preferred by students as it is fun and helps students understand Key PR concepts. We as foreign students enjoy the interactive team activity that helps better understand theory and having fun at the same time."
BBUS student Hemming Sun (Gino) from China

"Dennis Guild's Public Relations class was highly effective because he got the whole class to interact with one another; also the role play he had us perform was totally different from a "normal presentation" and no matter how shy you were or bad at presenting or the strong language barrier, everyone got to enjoy our groups performance. This has motivated all students which then helped in the development of the assignment and to understand the subject."
BBUS - Accounting student Ayumi Ono (Elle) from Japan

James Cook University Brisbane (JCU Brisbane) has introduced a thespian form of work-integrated learning.

Dramatizing the curriculum (DTC) has proven to be an effective teaching method that engages students in the classroom.

Students have found being engaged in the performance of pseudo Public Relations (PR) role plays assists their comprehension of relevant concepts and real life situations.

JCU Brisbane PR lecturer Dennis Guild has found the DTC teaching technique particularly effective with students from a non English speaking background (NESB).

"International students (NESB) often have difficulty expressing themselves in writing - let alone understand what a key PR concept might entail."

"But when given the task of a role play to perform our students excel, display amazing talent, and comprehension of the task at hand."

"For example, everyone has seen a TV press conference and may have some understanding of how this works. However, for the students to actually act out the press conference (e.g. Prime Minister and Ministers on one side and TV, radio and print media on the other side - add a topic like climate change) brings further comprehension and fun - and this is what student-centred learning is all about," he said.

Indeed there's a new push to integrate drama right across the school curriculum as identified on a recent ABC 7.30 report program.

Australian actress Cate Blanchett has joined forces with Sydney University academics, where drama is a teaching tool, as part of an innovative program to integrate drama across the school curriculum to improve learning.

Professor Robyn Ewing (School of Education, Sydney University) argues that it has been demonstrated repeatedly that engaging students in their own learning instead of being taught to, or taught at - makes a huge difference.

"Drama can have a similar impact in social studies, history, geography, maths, science, etc and you only have to look at the engagement of students to see the kind of learning we want across the curriculum," she said.

Actress Cate Blanchett agrees adding that it is often a left-of-field approach that will open up the important questions that are going to develop the students' personalities and their love of learning.

"If you can bring a book alive, if you can ignite a sense of wonderment in a student's education, then that is something meaningful," she said.

Lecturer Dennis Guild concurs with Ms Blanchett's sentiments declaring that it's a joy to witness the engagement, learning, and fun the students are experiencing as they perform the role plays.  

"It is evident that student role plays assists students knowledge of PR concepts, a literal understanding, while smiles on their faces prove the exercise was enjoyable and worthwhile."

"Role plays have been utilised in English as a second language (ESL) classes for a number of years, however it is wonderful the likes of our very own Cate Blanchett is supporting the further academic study of Professor Robyn Ewing in dramatizing the syllabus," he said. 

"Indeed JCU Brisbane core principles demand that effective teaching is inspiring, motivating and research-informed."