Wands or Quills? Lessons in Pedagogy from Harry Potter

Authors

  • Melissa Carol Johnson Virginia Commonwealth University

Keywords:

Teaching and learning, active learning, critical thinking

Abstract

This essay is grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning and will focus specifically on the ways in which the Harry Potter books highlight the diversity of learning and teaching styles; privilege active experiential learning and problem solving over passive rote learning; and emphasize the benefits of collaboration over competition. Through analysis of the teaching styles and pedagogy of Professors Binns, Umbridge, Snape, Lupin, and Sprout, I illustrate that a pedagogical approach such as active learning is only successful when coupled with a supportive, non-threatening, cooperative learning environment in which critical thinking and risk-taking are encouraged and rewarded.

Author Biography

Melissa Carol Johnson, Virginia Commonwealth University

Assistant Professor and Chair-Elect Department of Focused Inquiry University College Virginia Commonwealth University
Repeated pictures of Shakespeare in the style of Andy Warhol's pop art

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Published

2015-12-28

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 2 (2015): Summer/Fall 2015

Section

Articles

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