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:

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.