In Favour of 21st Century Intercultural Education

Systematic Teacher-Student Role-reversal in the Theoretical Training of Dance Students in Higher Education

Abstract

In the present article I present some activities carried out with a multinational group of ballet artist and dancer and coach students in theoretical subjects, e.g. Hungarian Culture or Dance in Home Country. The students regularly shared their newly constructed knowledge with their peers and instructor through products created on various digital platforms. In line with novel intercultural teaching methodology, building trust by offering choices in topics or presentation forms was a key element. The long-term goals were to provide students with a sense of belonging to a universal human culture through practical experiences and extracurricular activities related to intercultural themes (e.g., traditional dances, music, cuisine, sights). The use of ICT tools, which are today indispensable, has provided opportunities for creativity. The present article is a best practice report on the experiences gained while teaching groups of students from senior grades, systematically reversing the roles of educator and student in class. The results of the student-instructor role reversal are: maximum student engagement, development of collaboration, research skills, critical thinking and creativity, and application of skills through cultural information exchange.