The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) present unique challenges and opportunities in education. As AI transforms learning, teaching, and assessment, educators must seek innovative methodologies to navigate these changes effectively. In my PhD exploration and introduction of Speculative Drama, it offers a promising approach to address these challenges by fostering creativity, critical thinking, andcollaborative inquiry among students and educators. This blog explores how Speculative Drama can be harnessed to enhance education in the age of AI.
Understanding Speculative Drama
Speculative Drama is an arts-based research methodology that blends elements of speculative fiction, philosophy, and drama. It invites participants to engage in imaginative and participatory practices, exploring possible futures through the lens of speculative and posthuman theories. Unlike traditional drama or process drama, Speculative Drama encourages participants to speculate on the future and navigate complex issues by imagining alternative realities.
Speculative Drama operates within a “flat ontology” framework, where human and non-human entities, including AI, are seen as interconnected and co-evolving. This approach allows for a holistic exploration of how AI impacts education, encompassing ethical, social, and practical dimensions. By engaging in speculative scenarios, participants can consider how different elements of the educational ecosystem interact, challenging hierarchical structures and promoting a more inclusive understanding of knowledge and learning.
Enhancing Learning through Speculative Drama
AI-driven learning technologies, such as adaptive learning systems and intelligent tutoring, offer personalised education experiences. However, they also raise concerns about data privacy, equity, and the potential for dehumanising the learning process. Speculative Drama addresses these concerns by promoting active student engagement and critical reflection.
Cultivating Critical Thinking
In a Speculative Drama workshop, students might explore scenarios where AI tutors have replaced human teachers. Through role-playing and collaborative storytelling, they can critically examine the benefits and drawbacks of such a future. This process encourages students to question the implications of AI in education and consider ethical issues, such as the potential biases in AI algorithms and the impact on teacher-student relationships.
This exploration is deeply rooted in the philosophical tradition of critical theory, which aims to challenge and critique societal structures. By speculating on AI’s role in education, students engage in a form of praxis—reflection and action aimed at transforming their understanding and the world around them. They learn to recognise and question power dynamics and to envision more equitable and just educational futures. This also paves the way for students to understand and design their own educational experiences.
Fostering Creativity and Imagination
AI technologies excel at processing information and providing data-driven insights, but they often lack the creative and imaginative capacities that are uniquely human. Speculative Drama nurtures these capacities by allowing students to imagine and enact diverse futures. This imaginative exploration can inspire innovative solutions to current educational challenges and prepare students for a future where creativity is a vital skill.
Drawing from the philosophical traditions of existentialism and phenomenology, Speculative Drama encourages students to explore the human condition and the essence of being. By engaging in imaginative exercises, students confront fundamental questions about their existence and their relationship with technology. This process fosters a sense of agency and empowerment, enabling students to shape their own narratives and futures.
Building Collaborative Skills
AI tools often facilitate individualised learning, which can lead to isolated learning experiences. Speculative Drama, on the other hand, emphasises collaboration and co-creation. Students work together to develop narratives and perform scenarios, fostering a sense of community and teamwork. This collaborative process mirrors the interconnected nature of AI technologies and prepares students to work effectively in diverse and interdisciplinary teams.
The philosophical underpinnings of this collaborative approach can be traced to the work of philosophers like John Dewey, who emphasised the importance of community and democratic engagement in education. By participating in Speculative Drama, students experience the power of collective inquiry and the value of diverse perspectives, aligning with Dewey’s vision of education as a means of fostering democratic society.
Transforming Teaching with Speculative Drama
Teachers face the challenge of integrating AI into their pedagogical practices while maintaining theirrole as facilitators of holistic education. Speculative Drama provides a dynamic framework for teachers to explore and adapt to these changes.
Professional Development and Reflective Practice
Through Speculative Drama, teachers can engage in professional development workshops that explore the future of education with AI. By participating in speculative scenarios, teachers reflect on their teaching practices and consider how AI can be integrated in a way that enhances, rather than diminishes, their pedagogical goals. This reflective practice helps teachers develop a nuanced understanding of AI’s role in education and identify strategies to leverage its benefits.
This approach aligns with the concept of reflective practice articulated by Donald Schön, who emphasised the importance of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. Speculative Drama provides a structured yet flexible space for teachers to engage in these reflective practices, allowing them to critically examine their experiences and assumptions about AI in education and to develop new, innovative pedagogical strategies.
Innovating Pedagogical Approaches
Speculative Drama encourages teachers to experiment with new pedagogical approaches that incorporate AI. For instance, a teacher might design a lesson where students use AI tools to gather data on a topic and then create a speculative narrative based on their findings. This approach combines data-driven inquiry with creative expression, demonstrating how AI can be used to enrich the learning experience rather than replace traditional methods.
This experimental approach is informed by the philosophy of pragmatism, particularly the ideas of William James and John Dewey, who advocated for experiential learning and the continuous testing of ideas in practice. By integrating AI and Speculative Drama, teachers create a dynamic learning environment where students actively engage with and reflect on their experiences, leading to deeper understanding and meaningful learning.
Enhancing Emotional and Social Learning
AI technologies can sometimes overlook the emotional and social aspects of learning. Speculative Drama addresses this gap by integrating these elements into its methodology. Teachers can use Speculative Drama to create scenarios that explore the emotional impacts of AI in education, such as the feelings of students interacting with AI tutors. This focus on emotional and social learning helps ensure that AI integration in education supports the development of well-rounded individuals.
Drawing on the philosophical insights of Lev Vygotsky and the concept of social constructivism, Speculative Drama emphasises the importance of social interaction and emotional engagement in learning. By creating emotionally resonant and socially meaningful scenarios, teachers can help students develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for navigating the complexities of the AI-driven world.
Rethinking Assessment with Speculative Drama
AI is transforming assessment by enabling real-time feedback, personalised evaluations, and data-driven insights. However, these advancements also pose challenges, such as the risk of reducing assessment to mere data points. Speculative Drama offers an alternative approach that emphasises holistic and formative assessment practices.
Formative and Dialogic Assessment
Speculative Drama promotes formative assessment by engaging students in ongoing dialogue about their learning experiences. In a Speculative Drama scenario, students can reflect on their performance, discuss their insights with peers, and receive feedback from their teachers. This process fosters a deeper understanding of their learning journey and encourages continuous improvement.
This approach is grounded in the philosophy of dialogic education, as articulated by thinkers like Mikhail Bakhtin and Paulo Freire. Dialogic assessment emphasises the importance of dialogue and interaction in the learning process, viewing assessment as a collaborative and reflective practice rather than a one-way transmission of judgments. Speculative Drama thus creates a space for meaningful, dialogic interactions that support deeper learning and personal growth.
Assessing Creativity and Critical Thinking
Traditional assessments pose its challenges through creativity and critical thinking. Speculative Drama provides a platform to assess these skills through performance and narrative creation. Teachers can evaluate students based on their ability to generate imaginative ideas, critically analyse scenarios, and collaborate effectively. This approach ensures that assessment practices align with the skills needed in an AI-driven future.
The philosophical foundations of this approach can be linked to the work of educational theorists like Howard Gardner, who proposed the theory of multiple intelligences. By recognising and valuing diverse forms of intelligence, Speculative Drama allows for a more comprehensive and nuanced assessment of students’ abilities.
Ethical and Responsible AI Use
Speculative Drama also serves as a tool for assessing students’ understanding of ethical and responsible AI use. Through speculative scenarios, students can explore the ethical implications of AI in education and propose solutions to potential issues. This assessment method helps develop students’ ethical reasoning and prepares them to navigate the complexities of AI in their future careers.
This focus on ethics is informed by the philosophical tradition of virtue ethics, particularly the ideas of Aristotle and contemporary ethicists like Alasdair MacIntyre. By engaging in Speculative Drama, students can explore and develop virtuous dispositions, such as empathy, justice, and responsibility, which are essential for ethical decision-making in the context of AI.
As AI continues to shape the landscape of education, methodologies like Speculative Drama are crucial for addressing the associated challenges. By fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, Speculative Drama empowers students and teachers to navigate the complexities of AI integration in learning, teaching, and assessment. This innovative approach not only enhances educational practices but also prepares individuals to thrive in an AI-driven world. Embracing Speculative Drama in education ensures that the future of learning remains imaginative, inclusive, and ethically grounded.
(This article was written as a summary to my PhD on “An Exploration of How Speculative Drama can be Engaged to Understand Children and Young People’s Future Worldviews on Climate Change” and can be accessed here – https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.258 )