Human-Centred Blended Citizens. A study of Digital Citizenship through Drama Pedagogy

Abstract

This research investigates how drama pedagogy fosters responsible digital citizenship in NSW secondary schools. Existing digital citizenship frameworks often emphasise technical proficiency or rules-based compliance (ISTE, 2016; Ribble, 2015), neglecting the socio-emotional competencies essential for navigating the physical and digital worlds. To address this gap, I introduce the concept of the ‘blended citizen,’ an individual who engages responsibly across both spaces and practises empathy, ethical awareness, and critical reflection.

Conducted across four NSW high schools, this comparative case study draws on Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed (1979) as a pedagogical framework, enabling students to examine the social and ethical dimensions of their online and offline actions through drama. Using techniques such as Forum and Image Theatre, students engaged critically and collaboratively to deepen their understanding of responsible citizenship in a blended world (Neelands, 1992).

The findings reveal that drama pedagogy provides a distinctive platform for experiential learning, encouraging students to reflect on digital identities, relationships, and the consequences of their online actions. These practices cultivate empathy, foster democratic participation, and promote collaborative problem-solving (O'Connor & Freebody, 2022). Findings also demonstrate how drama enables both students and teachers to explore identity and social interaction, strengthening ethical digital behaviours, wellbeing, and critical awareness through sustained reflection and engagement.

This research contributes to both digital citizenship and drama education by advocating for an integrated approach that balances technical skills with socio-emotional learning. It recommends that NSW educational policies expand beyond current frameworks and restrictions to create opportunities that strengthen the human-centred competencies essential for raising and educating responsible blended citizens.