Dancing on Zoom: Introducing the Principles of Creative Movement into Distance Learning in Primary School

International Journal of Education & the Arts. 1310 South 6th Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 402-472-9958; Fax: 402-472-2837; Web site: http://www.ijea.org

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21

Foreign Countries; Creative Activities; Grade 4; Elementary School Students; COVID-19; Pandemics; School Closing; Videoconferencing; Student Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Online Courses; Workshops; Motion; Dance; Program Effectiveness; Instructional Materials; Experience; Interaction; Interpersonal Relationship

1529-8094

This paper presents a pilot study of creative movement workshops that enriched the school life of fourth graders at a primary school in Slovenia during the closure of educational institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involved a dancer who met with students via the Zoom platform for four months, preparing, leading, and facilitating dance activities based on current curriculum content. Using qualitative analysis, we present the views of students, parents, a teacher and a dancer on the integration of arts to online teaching and learning. The creative movement workshops exhibited the importance of including opportunities for movement within online curriculum for students, as they spent most of their time sitting in front of screens. The workshops created opportunities for social interaction where other forms of online instruction otherwise reduced social contact. Finally, the movement and dance activities contributed to a better understanding of some learning content.

As Provided

2023

EJ1366717