At this time of year many educators turn to the MAEIA performance assessment catalogue when thinking about the process of self-critique for their students. The assessment items focus on students demonstrating what they can do to their full potential.
Performance assessment asks students to apply their knowledge and skills to create a product, presentation, or demonstration focused on key aspects of standards. MAEIA assessments are aligned to standards that ask students to create, perform/present, and respond. In this way, assessment becomes part of the creative and learning process, rather than a separate experience. ~ MAEIA website
Noted here are four assessment items, one from each represented discipline, that highlight the process of self-critique. Although representing visual art, music, theatre and dance respectively, each assessment can offer ideas that reach beyond their discipline to the larger idea of student self-evaluation.
All of the provided examples are written for grades 9-12 and all have been voluntarily field-tested by Michigan teachers with a non-representative sample of students. We hope these assessment items are useful for your end-of-the-year presentations, performances, and for measuring student growth.
Visual Art: V.E.406 Review Your Portfolio
Students will review their portfolios of work by going through a process of critique that leads them to selecting what they consider to be their most successful and least successful work.
Music: M.T421 Performance Critique
In this assessment, students watch a video of their ensemble performing a piece of music they are currently studying and critique their own performances. Students will identify strengths and weaknesses and make suggestions for improvement. After reviewing the recording and making notes on a work sheet, each student will write a critical analysis of the performance. The teacher will also assess the performance and each student’s critique and then share both with students to enhance their perceptual, descriptive, and analytical skills in music.
Theatre T.T414 Create a Rubric
The teacher will assign students to groups to create a four-point rubric that can be used in evaluating a student performance of a scene. The student-created rubric should cover the dimensions of voice, body, mind, and rehearsal time.
Dance: D.E404 Performance Snapshot
The teacher will video record an informal performance of the class. Students will critique their personal performance using the Teacher Scoring Rubric. The teacher will also evaluate student performances using the rubric. The teacher may choose to use only three or four dimensions of the rubric to focus the assessment to specific areas of development.
We wish you success as you bring the academic year to a close and reflect on the valuable learning experiences you’ve shared with your students this year.
You are invited to join us on June 29th for MAEIA Re-Ignite, an annual convening for arts educators and ambassadors. More info is available here.
Joni Starr serves as the MAEIA Blog Editor and Researcher for assessment prompt material. She is also an Arts Integration Consultant for Ingham Intermediate School District and a Teaching Artist with Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Joni spent 10 years teaching at Michigan State University sharing time between the Theatre and Teacher Education departments. She has experience in theatre production, curriculum development, formative assessment, and teacher professional development in arts integration and creativity in the classroom. She is also the founder and lead facilitator at Creekside Gathering Place.
Click here for a Printer friendly version of this article.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment. Don't have an account? Register Here.