Block 1: Week 3

  Richard Courtney explains that drama is a powerful way to develop intelligence because it combines thinking, feeling, and action in one process.  He argues that learners do not only gain knowledge through memorising facts, but through active involvement and experience. Drama encourages imagination, which allows learners to explore ideas beyond what is immediately given. Through role-play, learners are able to understand different perspectives, which strengthens their thinking and social awareness. Drama improves language development, as learners speak, listen, and communicate meaning in creative ways. It also supports problem-solving skills because learners must respond to situations and make decisions during dramatic activities. Emotional engagement is important, as it helps learners connect deeply with what they are learning and remember it better. Drama creates a safe space where learners' experiment, take risks, and learn from mistakes without fear of failure. Overall, Courtney shows that drama stimulates intelligence by developing creativity, critical thinking communication, and social understanding together.

Gagne's learning outcomes in class activities: Gagne identifies different types of learning gain knowledge and skills (Gagne,1985). One important outcome is verbal information, which is the ability to recall and express knowledge using language. This was shown when we jotted down what we were wondering after the play activities, because we had to organise and communicate our thoughts clearly. It was also present when we learned other people's childhood games and shared them as we had to listen, remember, and explain ideas. Another outcome is intellectual skills, which involve understanding, reasoning, and applying knowledge to new situations (Gagne,1985). This was evident when we worked in groups of four during childhood games, as we had to follow rules, solve problems, and think about how games work. It was also shown when we wrote our own game and explained how we as teachers would teach it and what its benefits are, because we had to apply what we learned in a practical way. The third outcome is motor skills, which focus on physical movement and coordination (Gagne, Briggs & Wager, 1992). This was clearly seen in activities like " Head, Shoulders, knees and Toes," Participating in childhood games, creating a statue to represent what childhood sounds like, where we used our bodies to express meaning. These activities show that play-based learning involves thinking, communication, and physical action all at once, making learning more effective and engaging.