DEDI’s newly published Civic Edutainment Manual introduces the concept of “Edutainment” to the Civic Education field by presenting 5 different methodologies: role-playing, practice-based learning, drama, debates and creative expression
With the aim of introducing the concept of “Edutainment” to the Civic Education field and documenting the efforts of Egyptian actors in that field, the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI), in affiliation with Networking for Arab Civic Education (NACE) created the “Civic Edutainment Manual”. “Civic Edutainment”, as a new term, can be defined as the implementation of civic education methods through entertaining means and engaging activities. It does not only increase participants’ involvement and enhance their abilities to use their skills and experiences in the educational process, it also addresses deeper levels of consciousness that result in more impactful and transformative learning experiences.
DEDI initiated the “Civic Edutainment Manual” to document the best practices in the field of Civic Education, that adopt entertainment and art as a way of learning. The documentation was done, based on participatory bases through a series of interviews and workshops with Egyptian organizations and practitioners. The ultimate objective of the manual is raising the awareness of the concept “Civic Edutainment” and encouraging CE practitioners to adopt it for more interactive and experiential learning experiences in CE field
As the “Civic Edutainment Manual” is based on the experiences and lessons learned from actors working on Civic Education in Egypt, the first chapter released in March 2019 highlighted five methodologies, and their applications by five Egyptian organizations, providing a theoretical background for each method, and practical tips for each application. The five methodologies are, Role-playing (by Tahrir Lounge), Practice-based learning (by Lazord Fellowship at Gerhart Center), Drama (by Greenish), Debates (by Think Tank Development Solutions), and Creative expression (by Arab Digital Expression Foundation).
The Civic Edutainment Manual is composed of three main components:
1-A written documentation of five different Edutainment methodologies and their practices in the Egyptian context. Revolving around the concept of Edutainment, the researcher spotted the light on selected set of organizations that focus on these methods, interviewing their team, and linking their experiences to the theoretical background of each method
- To view the English version of the Civic Edutainment Manual, please press here
- To view the Arabic Version, Please press here
2-A short video promoting the featured methodologies and giving an introduction for the manual. In addition to five videos featuring the full interview of each organization for further details.
- To view the Video, please press here
3-An interactive booklet with brief introduction for each methodology, along with practical tips.
The Launch event of the Civic Edutainment Manual was held on Wednesday 13th March at DEDI’s premises in Zamalek Cairo. The event started with a welcome speech by Dr. Hans Nielsen, the Director of the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute, followed by brief insights by the lead author of the study and representatives from the five featured organizations. Finally, the attendees had a vibrant discussion on the following steps for the Civic Edutainment Manual and how to capitalize on the existing efforts. The event was attended by the Egypt-based members of NACE, the most prominent Egyptian actors at the Civic Education field and DEDI Civic Education projects’ alumni and partners.
