Shakespeare and Virtual Reality

Teaching Shakespeare through performance has a long history, and active methods of teaching and learning are a logical complement to the teaching of performance. Virtual reality ought to be the logical extension of such active learning, providing an unrivalled immersive experience of performance that overcomes historical and geographical boundaries. But what are the key advantages and disadvantages of virtual reality, especially as it pertains to Shakespeare? And more interestingly, what can Shakespeare do for VR (rather than vice versa)? This Element, the first on its topic, explores the ways that virtual reality can be used in the classroom and the ways that it might radically change how students experience and think about Shakespeare in performance.

Teaching Shakespeare through Collaborative Writing and Performance in a Norwegian Primary School ESL Classroom: An Interview with Ellen Marie Kvaale

This interview outlines the experience of Ellen Marie Kvaale, primary school teacher in Hoberg Primary School, in Stange, Norway. She discusses her innovative three-year project introducing three of William Shakespeare’s plays to 5th, 6th, and 7th -grade ESL students. Her project successfully employed challenging pedagogical methods that resulted in student performances, as well as student publications. The project was designed to develop their written and communicative skills in English with students producing multimodal written texts and collaborating on all levels of scene writing, performance design, and production. Building on her project, Ellen Marie also held workshops at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences for pre-service teachers in which her primary school students participated. Her experience demonstrates the value and efficacy of using Shakespeare and his texts in ESL Primary School classrooms through active and interactive approaches, including performance, music, and collaborative writing that effectively engaged the four basic language skills.