How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

8 Chapter One: Introduction to the Use of Radio Drama for Social Development
Fundamentals of Learning
Writing a radio serial for social development does not require experience as a
teacher. It does require, however, an understanding of the following
fundamentals of learning, especially adult learning, since most dramas for
social change are created for adult audiences.
1. Relevance. People, particularly adults, learn best when they see that the
information offered is relevant to their own lives. This makes the choice
of characters for an Enter-Educate drama significant. Listeners who
identify themselves with role-model characters in the drama are more
likely to be motivated to learn and to change. (The section on “Social
Learning Theory” in the Prologue discusses the importance of role
models, while Chapter 5 reviews the range of characters from which a
writer may choose.)
2. Appropriate pacing. Instruction is most effective when it is delivered at a
pace appropriate to the learners, keeping them involved and stimulated
without overwhelming them. Determining the correct pacing requires an
intimate knowledge of the audience and a real understanding of the
information to be taught. (See the section on “Persuasion Theory” in the
Prologue for more on matching the message to the audience.) Careful
evaluation of audience reaction to the pilot programs can help radio
writers ensure that the pace with which information is delivered is
appropriate to the audience. (Testing of pilot programs is discussed in
Chapter 10.)
3. Incremental learning. Learning is almost always incremental, that is,
certain basic steps are mastered before more complex steps can be
understood and practiced. For example, it is impossible to sew two pieces
of fabric together without first learning how to thread a needle. Similarly,
it is impossible to control the spread of malaria without understanding,
first, that a certain type of mosquito carries the disease and, second, how
to control the mosquitos. In motivating changes in individual behavior
and social norms, it is important to understand current levels of
knowledge and attitudes in the community. Only with this
understanding will the writer know what style of program to create,
where to focus the instruction, and how to adjust that focus as the serial
drama progresses.
The writer should understand the Steps to Behavior Change, that is,
the steps that a person or a community takes while moving from
ignorance of a new behavior to full acceptance and advocacy of it. (These
steps and how the writer can make the best use of them are discussed in
the Prologue.)
4. Distributed learning. Different people learn in different ways. Some
learn from direct instruction, while others learn better by observing and
copying the behavior of peers. Some absorb information after only one
exposure, while others need to hear and see it a number of times before
fully accepting it. “Distributed learning” is the term educators use to
describe the process of presenting the same information in several
different ways over time (de Fossard et al. 1993). Allowing for