Educational drama : a tool for promoting marketing learning?

Educational drama, which is an experiential form of learning, can be distinguished from more conventional role play approaches to learning because the participants play themselves in an improvised dramatic setting. Prior qualitative studies have suggested that educational drama creates real enthusiasm among participants and that participants believe that it is a very effective learning tool. This study adopted a quantitative approach, to complement prior qualitative studies, by seeking to measure the benefits of learning through educational drama as perceived by participants on a marketing course. Additionally, the quantitative approach provided the opportunity to see whether any demographic differences in attitudes towards educational drama could be measured. In a study conducted with final year marketing students at an Australian university, it was found that educational drama is regarded as a highly effective form of learning by all demographic groups and students who have prior full-time work experience have particularly favourable attitudes towards this learning method.