A creative drama resource for teachers and others working with youth!
Assessment
Click on any of these titles (or scroll down the page) to learn more about assessment.
DID I MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
HOW DO I ASSESS LEARNING?
MEANS OF EVALUATION
ASSESSMENT: DID I MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Possibly one of the most difficult parts of bringing drama into your classroom
is being able to assess student learning. Traditional instruction often
relies on memorization and written tests. Since drama is so much more
than facts and figures, assessing dramatic work is a bit different, and
often a challenge to the teacher. The place to start is to consider what,
exactly, you are seeking to evaluate.
Creative drama assessment means assessing:
| Specific curricular goals: | Goals that are important for you to meet in your subject area (e.g. knowing seven elements on the periodic table). |
| Performance objectives: | Objectives that are set out by the state you are in for creative drama and/or your subject area (e.g. students will use pantomime to communicate an idea). |
|
Connecting concepts, themes, and processes: |
Assuring that students understand and can apply what they have learned (e.g. incorporating equality expressed in the dramatic activity in the classroom). |
| Development of product: | Making sure that students are using classroom and experiential learning in the assessment product (e.g. using a computer program to produce mock legal documents for The Three Little Pigs). |
HOW DO I ASSESS LEARNING?
The National Center for Education Statistics has made an effort to stabilize
assessment of the arts in education. Their rubric consists of three main
areas of evaluation: process, content, and assessment tasks.
PROCESSES
Processes include creating, performing, and responding.
CONTENT
Content refers to knowledge and understanding, and skills.
ASSESSMENT TASKS
Assessment tasks include paper-and-pencil tasks, and performance tasks.
-From Focus on NAEP, vol. 2, no. 4.
MEANS OF EVALUATION
Traditional testing does function as a way of assessing learning, however
it may limit your gaining knowledge of how much the student has actually
learned. Aside from performing, there are several types and styles of
assessment available. I recommend using more than one style to accommodate
different learning styles. Some popular ones that you may be aware of
already are:
Student Self-Evaluation
Students fill out a form, or keep a daily journal of their progression from their perspective. These provide excellent evidence of your teaching effectiveness. Some basic areas of inquiry could include: The part I liked best, The most difficult part, An interesting fact I learned, and My suggestion for next time. These areas can become as specific as you wish. You may even want different forms for different lessons.Student Portfolio
Students create products and maintain a portfolio. The portfolio not only provides an excellent sample for parents and board members, but also results in a final product for grading and a file for the students' future use. Portfolios could include responses, journal entries, lists of books read, samples of work, comments from peers, self-evaluations, student products, pictures, and parent/guardian comments. The possibilities are endless!Student Product
Students create products in small groups or individually. These hands on activities can offer a culmination of key concepts. By presenting them to the class, or putting them on display, learning is reinforced. Products could include written scenes, scripts, bulletin boards, collections, collages, narratives, costumes, databases, debates, diaries, experiments, flow charts, geometric puzzles, illustrations, letters, mobiles, news reports, puppet shows, original songs, stories, video productions, worksheets, and the list goes on!Learning/Skills Rubric
A chart denoting skills/concepts as they are achieved. The advantages of using a rubric (besides it being quick and relatively easy) are that student involvement is acknowledged, learners can monitor their achievement visually, and learning goals are specifically stated. The rubric(s) can be filled out by the teacher, student, peers, or by all. Rubrics can be created by hand or computer generated.
This page is an extension of www.cre8tivedrama.com.
It was created by Gordon
Hensley and is intended for educational use only. Content and images
from this site are under copyright and may not be used without expressed
permission. All rights reserved. ©