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STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT PROGRAM SUMMARY FORM AY 2006-2007 Degree and Program Name: BA, Theatre Arts (Dept. of Theatre Arts) Submitted By: Christopher J. Mitchell, John T. Oertling Please complete a separate worksheet for each academic program (major, minor) at each level (undergraduate, graduate) in your department. Worksheets are due to CASA this year by June 15, 2007. Worksheets should be sent electronically to [email protected] and should also be submitted to your college dean. For information about assessment or help with your assessment plans, visit the Assessment webpage at http://www.eiu.edu/~assess/ or contact Karla Sanders in CASA at 581-6056. PART ONE What are the learning objectives? How, where, and when are they assessed? What are the expectations? What are the results? 1. In the area of technical theatre: a. Students will be able to read, draft, and understand basic theatre drawings b. Students will be able to construct the basic elements used in contemporary stage design c. Students will develop a working knowledge of the tools used in the contemporary theatre d. Students will have an understanding of the basic principles of light e. Students will have an understanding of how to hang, focus, and maintain lighting instruments commonly used in the theatre f. Students will have an understanding of the control of light in the theatre g. Students will have an 1. In the area of technical theatre: As per discussion with Karla Sanders, an all-faculty discussion regarding systematic collection of assessment data in the curriculum is to take place in the fall of this year. Assessment methods of peer institution THA programs will be studied as well. This affects all listed below. a-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 2257, “Graphics for the Performing Arts”; THA 3357, “Scenic Design”; and THA 3434, “Basic Theatrical Design.” Design concentrators also prepare a portfolio in their upperclass years for the purposes of demonstrating to professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. that these skills have been mastered. a-2. Assessment through the 1. In the area of technical theatre: Expectations for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to datacollection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. The expectation in all areas listed is that students will be able to demonstrate the technical skills acquired in the curriculum within the department’s production program. The production program supports the curriculum of the department. The production of plays is akin to the laboratory experience for the sciences. Students put into practice those skills learned in the classroom. They will be able to continue this 1. In the area of technical theatre: Results for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to data-collection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. The results are that upperdivision students demonstrate superior skills in the area of technical production, both within the department’s production program and, following completion of the program, in professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. Committee/ person responsible? How are results shared? 1. In the area of technical theatre: This section will be completed in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. understanding of the relationship between designers and director h. Students will have a basic understanding of how garments are constructed i. Students will have an understanding of fashion as it relates to theatrical performance production program. Each season the department produces 4 faculty-directed plays, a touring production of a play for children, and 2 to 6 studentdirected plays. These represent the widest possible genres, periods, and styles. In doing set construction work on these productions, students evidence mastery of these abilities. b-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 2211, “Stagecraft”; THA 2002, “Hands-on Theatre: Scenic/Lighting I”; and THA 2004, “Hands-on Theatre: Scenic/Lighting II.” b-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as a-2 above. c-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Same courses as in b-1 above. c-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as a-2 above. d-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 3360, “Stage Lighting” as well as THA 2002/2004 listed in b-1 above. d-2. Assessment through the production program. Within the production program described in a-2 above, students evidence mastery of these abilities in doing lights-related work (hanging, gelling, focusing, programming of cues, etc.) on the productions. Design concentrators prepare a portfolio in their upperclass years for the application upon completion of the program in professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. purposes of demonstrating to professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. that these skills have been mastered. e-1. Assesment through the curriculum. Same as d-1 above. e-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as d-2 above. f-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Same as d-1 above. f-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as d-2 above. g-1. Assessment through the curriculum. All technical courses listed above as well as those listed in h-1 and i-2 below deal with this concern. g-2. Assessment through the production program. Within the production program described in a-2 above, students evidence mastery of this ability in the course of technical work on the productions of all types considered in this document. h-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 2210, “Introduction to Costuming”; THA 2001, “Hands-on Theatre: Costume I”; and THA 2003, “Hands-on Theatre: Costume II.” h-2. Assessment through the production program. Within the production program described in a-2 above, students evidence mastery of this ability in doing costume construction work on the productions. i-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 3358, “Design and History of Costume” as well as THA 2001/2003 mentioned in h-1 above. Design concentrators prepare a portfolio in their upperclass years for the purposes of demonstrating to professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. that these skills have been mastered. i-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as h-2 above. 2. In the area of performance: a. Students will understand basic acting technique. b. Students will understand the importance of movement in performance. c. Students will understand period style and movement as it relates to performance. d. Students will have a knowledge of the history of acting and the development of contemporary acting techniques. e. Students will understand the workings of the human voice. f. Students will understand the role of director in the contemporary theatre. g. Students will be able to analyze play scripts for production. h. Students will develop the ability to communicate with other artists in the field. 2. In the area of performance: As per discussion with Karla Sanders, an all-faculty discussion regarding systematic collection of assessment data in the curriculum is to take place in the fall of this year. Assessment methods of peer institution THA programs will be studied as well. This affects all listed below. a-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 2244, “Basic Acting”; THA 3344, “Scene and Character Study”; THA 3345, “Topics in Acting”; and THA 3348, “Auditioning.” a-2. Assessment through the production program. Each season the department produces 4 faculty-directed plays, a touring production of a play for children, and 2 to 6 studentdirected plays. These represent the widest possible genres, periods, and styles. 2. In the area of performance: Expectations for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to datacollection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. Students demonstrate the ability to perform in a wide variety of plays, styles, and genres, utilizing the skills learned in the THA curriculum by applying them throughout a rigorous departmental production schedule. They will be able to continue this application upon completion of the program in professional theatres, graduate schools, etc. 2. In the area of performance: Results for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to data-collection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. a. Upper-level students are more “castable,” can participate actively in the rehearsal and performance process, and contribute in a positive manner to productions they participate in. b. Students understand the physiology and kinetics involved in human movement. c. Students understand the application of movement and manners as it relates to historical periods. d. Students understand the 2. In the area of performance: This section will be completed in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. b-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 1134, “Stage Movement.” b-2. Assessment through the production program. The students demonstrate their movement ability in performances. c-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 3345, “Topics in Acting”; and THA 3347, “Topics in Theatre Movement.” c-2. Assessment through the production program. In each season, the department usually includes one play of a classical nature to support this. d-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take the four acting classes mentioned in a-1 above, as well as THA 3751, “Theatre History I,”; THA 3752, “Theatre History II”; THA 3753, “Development of American Theatre and Drama”; and THA 3756, “Twentieth-Century Theatre.” d-2. Assessment through the production program. They would apply the skills acquired in the courses mentioned in d-1 above in the production season and in scenes produced by the directing class. e-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 3334, “Performing Voice.” e-2. Assessment through the production program. Students demonstrate effective use of voice in performances. f-1. Assessment through the application of acting techniques as they relate to historical periods. e. Students understand the dynamics of the human voice as it relates to performance. f. By serving as both actor and student director (and, in some cases, assistant director and/or stage manager), students actively learn the function of the director in the contemporary theatre. g. Since the play script is the basis for all performance, students evidence an integration of script analysis skills acquired in every aspect of the theatre curriculum, as well as in rehearsal and performance. h. Since effective communications (using a discipline-appropriate vocabulary) among theatre artists is at the very heart of all performance, students evidence mastery of this ability through successful participation in all aspects of the THA curriculum, as well as in rehearsal and performance. 3. In the area of history and literature: a. Students will have an understanding of the major periods of drama and their relationship to the contemporary theatre b. Students will have an understanding of the principal writers and critics of a given period and the contemporary view of their works c. Students will be able to curriculum. Students take THA 3445, “Directing” and THA 4400, “Advanced Directing Studies.” f-2. Assessment through the production program. Students participating as performers learn the role of director in production. g-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 2258, “Script Analysis” as well as the theatre history/literature sequence mentioned in d-1 above. g-2. Assessment through the production program. Students’ work as actors in production enable them to demonstrate effective analysis of scripts for performance. h-1. Assessment through the curriculum. All theatre classes in the curriculum encourage the ability to communicate in writing and orally. h-2. Assessment through the production program. Students demonstrate these communicative skills in field communication in production. 3. In the area of history and literature: As per discussion with Karla Sanders, an all-faculty discussion regarding systematic collection of assessment data in the curriculum is to take place in the fall of this year. Assessment methods of peer institution THA programs will be studied as well. This affects all listed below. a-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Students take THA 3. In the area of history and literature: Expectations for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to datacollection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. For all areas listed in column one, students are expected to demonstrate their mastery of 3. In the area of history and literature: Results for performance goals listed in column one appear below. Specific expectations matched to data-collection methods will be appended in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. Within the curriculum, students produce scholarlyquality papers and defend 3. In the area of history and literature: This section will be completed in the wake of discussions mentioned in column two. read, understand, and analyze play scripts d. Students will have an awareness of the significant plays, criticism, and theories of the major periods in theatre history 2258, “Script Analysis”; THA 3751, “Theatre History I”; THA 3752, “Theatre History II”; THA 3756, “Twentieth-Century Theatre”; THA 3753, “Development of American Theatre and Drama”; and THA 3755, “Survey of AfricanAmerican Theatre.” a-2. Assessment through the production program. Each season the department produces 4 faculty-directed plays, a touring production of a play for children, and 2 to 6 studentdirected plays. These represent the widest possible genres, periods, and styles. In doing performance work, technical work, or dramaturgy on these productions, students demonstrate the understanding cited in column one. b-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Same as a-1 above. b-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as a-2 above. c-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Same as a-1 above. c-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as a-2 above. d-1. Assessment through the curriculum. Same as a-1 above. d-2. Assessment through the production program. Same as a-2 above. these abilities in written form, through traditional research and analytic papers, as well as in oral argument. They are also expected to demonstrate this mastery through production work (performance, technical, or dramaturgical) in the department’s production program and beyond (professional theatres, graduate schools, etc.). (Continue objectives as needed. Cells will expand to accommodate your text.) arguments orally at a high level of scholarly ability. (This prepares them for study in the history/literature area at the graduate level if they so desire.) Some of the papers produced are showcased in our annual Symposium for Undergraduate Research. Also, in the course of production work (here and beyond), students demonstrate mastery of the abilities cited in column one. PART TWO Describe what your program’s assessment accomplishments since your last report was submitted. Discuss ways in which you have responded to the CASA Director’s comments on last year’s report or simply describe what assessment work was initiated, continued, or completed. As per discussions with Karla Sanders initiated prior to the completion of this year’s report, the chair and faculty of THA will work collaboratively with the CASA director on an ongoing basis in order to precisely identify the qualitative instruments (and their connected expectations and results) for assessment in the various components of the THA curriculum. PART THREE Summarize changes and improvements in curriculum, instruction, and learning that have resulted from the implementation of your assessment program. How have you used the data? What have you learned? In light of what you have learned through your assessment efforts this year and in past years, what are your plans for the future? In response to faculty/chair discussions and the discussions with the NAST (National Association of Schools of Theatre) visitors, the process of revision to the THA curriculum has been initiated and will continue into academic year 2007-08. This curricular revision discussion was planned after the new curriculum was instated in 2002. At that time, the decision was made to let the curriculum run for a four-year cycle and to assess its effectiveness following the completion of that cycle. (It is worthy of note that NAST extended full accreditation to the THA curriculum this year, and that the visitors’ comments are merely suggestions for further enhancement, and not necessities for continuing accreditation. NAST accreditation places EIU’s Theatre Arts department in the elite tier of theatre programs in the United States.) Our assessment plans for the academic year 07-08 have been identified in part one: the ongoing identification of instruments of assessment (as well as their connected expectations and results), which will be done in a collaborative manner among the CASA director, the chair of THA, and the THA faculty.)