1.2.4 Assessment

The goal of student assessment in Drama is to enhance learning and foster further student growth in the objectives of the program. Learning experience can be observed and evaluated through drama. Thus, the emphasis is on a developmental process, only one part of which is the external or public form that the drama experience takes.

Drama experience provide a way of checking children’s understanding of concepts covered. As students act, play, write etc., it will be obvious what parts of the concept are understood and what are not. Besides, misconceptions which are needed to be corrected are revealed, in this way.

Student assessment should be a continuous process which follows the progress of a student over a significant period of time.

A teacher should assess students in conjunction with instruction and not outside or apart from the learning experience. The foundational and specific learning objectives determine the instructional strategies employed and the choice of assessment techniques.

In order to assess the progress of individual students toward achievement of the objectives of the program, teachers should employ a variety of assessment techniques. Suggested methods include teacher observations, student reflections, presentations, written assignments and other assignments. The following are descriptions of these five methods of assessing student progress.

Teacher Observations
Teacher observations are essential components of the evaluation process in Drama. The teacher might focus on a small number of students each day or limit the recording of observations to those behaviors that stand out on a particular day as indicating individual student growth, particular competence or areas requiring more work. There are several methods of recording observations: Anecdotal records, Checklists, Rating Scales.

Student Reflections
Student reflection is an extremely valuable element of student assessment. Because much of the learning in drama is internal and personal, and because students are often inexperienced in using dramatic art to express their intentions, not all learning will be evident in dramatic presentations. Individual student comments in discussions, interviews and written reflections can assist the teacher in assessing the student's understanding of dramatic art form and the meanings the group has been exploring.

Presentations
The assessment of performances and presentations makes up a portion of overall student evaluation in Drama. Performances often provide the teacher with examples of a student's progress in understanding the elements of drama and demonstrating a variety of acting and technical drama skills.

Written Assignments
From time to time in Drama, students may be asked to complete written assignments related to the work at hand. These assignments can be graded as they would in any other class; these grades become a part of the overall assessment of the student's progress. Written assignments that might be given include:
  writing in role,
  play reviews,
  character analyses,

Other Assignments
Depending on the interests of the students and the approach taken by the teacher, various types of assignments could be evaluated as part of overall student assessment. These assignments could be assessed according to criteria established by the teacher and information recorded on checklists or rating scales and might include:
  video or sound tapes,
  set designs or models,
  costume designs.


  1.3 Types of Drama

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  Play Readings

The participants will read aloud, taking on various roles so that they can "try on" styles and learn plays through active participation. Scene analysis is also part of the class work: "what makes a scene work?", "how does a play work?", "how do the relationships of the characters deepen the dramatic situation and propel the play forward?". "What is happening on the deepest levels at any given dramatic moment?"

  Play Writings

Classes are structured around the core acting questions posed by the method. In a workshop environment the student-actor or writer is encouraged, through a series of writing exercises, to develop an understanding of text from the playwright’s point of view.

Particular emphasis is placed on developing character and story telling skills. The scenes and short plays which result from the course will be presented in staged readings.

  Story Telling

Children's imaginations are the most powerful and energetic learning tools. How to use the power of the story form in order to teach any content more engagingly and meaningfully?

The story form is a cultural universal; everyone everywhere enjoys stories. It reflects a basic and powerful form in which people make sense of the world and experience. Indeed some people claim that the story form reflects a fundamental structure of our minds. Whatever the case, it is clear that children are readily and powerfully engaged.

The basic model is quite compact, designed as a set of questions, the answers to which will provide a lesson or unit plan. The purpose is to shape the lesson or unit to use the engaging power of the story form and to ensure that the most important meanings inherent in the content are communicated.

  Role Playing

Small groups of students use their imagination in cooperative efforts to role play processes in subject. Each student in the group 'plays' the 'part' of one part of the process. The other groups then watch as each group acts out their version of the process. Purposes of role play are;

Reinforce knowledge level information on processes in subject, several times for each child in real world situations.

Encourage cooperative efforts between students.

Engage the students in whole body learning, using all their senses and imagination, in order to better integrate the information into themselves.