Telenovelas of Memory. A Didactic Experience

Abstract

This paper is about the design and implementation of the course "Tele novelas de la memoria", which was offered at the Universidad de los Andes (Bogot -Colombia) as part of the general education courses designed for students of all disciplines.The course aimed to lead students to a critical, selfreflective media analysis and consumption, based on approaches and concepts from cultural studies on the one hand and cultural memory studies on the other, and to contribute to the development of a critical historical consciousness.For this purpose, theo retical concepts were first worked out, on the basis of which the students developed an analysis tool.Then, they used this tool to examine telenovelas that deal with recent Colombian history, exploring and critiquing their own perceptions, expectations, and attitudes.The results enabled the students and their teacher not only to analyze telenovelas as a medium for conveying history, but also to understand individual approaches to the contents seen on screen.