Classroom Video

The following video shows a role playing exercise I conduct in my classes to begin illustrating how research is, as Kenneth Burke terms it, an "unending conversation." To demonstrate the conversational aspect of research, I have students pretend they are in a saloon and role play different occupations from the Wild West. After we have gone through an improv scene, I acknowledge the students' trust in doing a role playing situation in front of others. I then illustrate how this activity relates to our class, helping students realize the analogy between the scene and research. This video represents only 5 minutes from the activity. The role playing scene itself lasts about 7 minutes, and the analogy discussion lasts between 7-10 minutes.