Using drama for learning scientific concepts

Drama when used appropriately can help to expand the awareness of children, enable them to understand reality and science concepts through fantasy, and allow them to see the meaning below the surface of actions. Drama does not convey Information about science to pupils, it helps them to use and see what they already know. Instead of throwing science concepts at students and expecting them to understand straight away, drama enables them to focus on a particular incident, observe a particular experiment, laugh at a particular joke and through the reality of the situation really understand the meaning behind the science. It enables pupils to experience events in a physical way helping them to conceptualise and increase their learning. Drama enriches the experience of learning science and learning all about the ocean. The main aim of this presentation was to share with participants the experience of a group of student-teachers who used drama as a medium for teaching and learning scientific concepts. The presentation included three main parts. In the first part the presenters provided a rationale for using drama in the teaching of scientific concepts and making individuals more aware of issues dealing with oceanography. In the second part a small group of student-teachers shared their experience of using drama to communicate science concepts with pupils in the classroom; and finally the session ended with the interactive engagement of all the participants in a small drama workshop were it was possible for the participants to try out first hand theories and experiences discussed in the first and second part of the session. This session sought to offer participants new ideas and alternative methods of teaching oceanography with enthusiasm, humour and enjoyment.peer-reviewe

From her story, to our story: Digital storytelling as public engagement around abortion rights advocacy in Ireland

Despite the divisive nature of abortion within the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, where access to safe, legal abortion is severely restricted, effecting legislative reform demands widespread public support. In light of a building pro-choice counter-voice, this work contributes to a growing body of HCI research that takes an activist approach to design. We report findings from four design workshops with 31 pro-choice stakeholders across Ireland in which we positioned an exploratory protosite, HerStoryTold, to engender critical conversations around the use of sensitive abortion narratives as a tool for engagement. Our analysis shows how digital storytelling can help reject false narratives and raise awareness of the realities of abortion laws. It suggests design directions to curate narratives that provoke empathy, foster polyvocality, and ultimately expand the engaged community. Furthermore, this research calls for designers to actively support community mobilization through providing 'stepping stones' to activism

Improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Latin America: reflections from an International Congress

In February 2014, an international congress on Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) took place in Cuenca, Ecuador. Its objective was to share evidence on effective ASRH intervention projects and programs in Latin America, and to link this evidence to ASRH policy and program development. Over 800 people participated in the three-day event and sixty-six presentations were presented. This paper summarizes the key points of the Congress and of the Community Embedded Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents (CERCA) project. It aims at guiding future ASRH research and policy in Latin America. 1. Context matters. Individual behaviors are strongly influenced by the social context in which they occur, through determinants at the individual, relational, family, community and societal levels. Gender norms/attitudes and ease of communication are two key determinants. 2. Innovative action. There is limited and patchy evidence of effective approaches to reach adolescents with the health interventions they need at scale. Yet, there exist several promising and innovative examples of providing comprehensive sexuality education through conventional approaches and using new media, improving access to health services, and reaching adolescents as well as families and community members using community-based interventions were presented at the Congress. 3. Better measurement. Evaluation designs and indicators chosen to measure the effect and impact of interventions are not always sensitive to subtle and incremental changes. This can create a gap between measured effectiveness and the impact perceived by the targeted populations. Thus, one conclusion is that we need more evidence to better determine the factors impeding progress in ASRH in Latin American, to innovate and respond flexibly to changing social dynamics and cultural practices, and to better measure the impact of existing intervention strategies. Yet, this Congress offered a starting point from which to build a multi-agency and multi-country effort to generate specific evidence on ASRH with the aim of guiding policy and program decision-making. In a region that contains substantial barriers of access to ASRH education and services, and some of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world, the participants agreed that there is no time to lose