Innovation through Improvisation: Musical Tools for Teaching Across Disciplines
Abstract: This interactive workshop explores improvisation as a pedagogical tool for fostering connection, trust, and collaboration among students across disciplines, with particular relevance for first class meetings, international classrooms, and newly formed project groups. Drawing on principles from music and performative practices, the workshop demonstrates how simple improvisational tools can support inclusive, learner-centered teaching in higher education. The session is focused on emphasizing the relevance of improvisation beyond the performing arts. Improvisation is presented as a transferable competence linked to adaptability, active listening, co-creation, and communication skills that are increasingly essential in contemporary innovative teaching and learning environments. Participants are invited to reflect on how improvisational thinking already operates in everyday academic practice, often implicitly. The main part of the workshop consists of a sequence of short, hands-on exercises based on rhythm, voice, movement, and collective sound-making. These activities are designed to “break the ice”, lower communication barriers, and encourage spontaneous interaction in a safe and playful setting. The exercises require no musical background and are easily transferable to different teaching contexts and class sizes. This is a highly interactive workshop combining short theoretical input, group exercises, performative activities, and reflective discussion.
Expected outcomes: The participants will recognize improvisation as a transferable pedagogical approach that can support communication, collaboration, and engagement in higher education beyond the performing arts; they will understand the role of improvisational thinking in teaching practice, particularly in situations that require adaptability, active listening, and spontaneous interaction; they will also gain practical tools for breaking the ice and lowering communication barriers among students from different disciplinary and cultural backgrounds and reflect critically on how improvisation can foster trust, co-creation, and collaborative learning in contemporary higher education contexts.
Target participants: Academic staff from all disciplines and educational fields, PhD students, educational developers, and teaching support staff interested in active learning, student engagement, and innovative teaching methods.
Expected number of participants: 20 persons
Duration: 90 minutes
Workshop facilitators: Prof. dr. Ira Prodanov, Assistant Ivana Nožica, MA, University of Novi Sad
