Assessment Report – Liisa Yonker
The Assessment Institute
The Final Report - Deliverables
ACTING 1 for the Major and Non-Major
Monologue Performance Assessment for Acting for the Major and Non Major (TH 120 & TH 121)
The results of this assessment are hampered by the fact that the particular assignment, the monologue, is a large assignment composed of many
smaller skills. Consequently, only after they have accumulated all of the requisite skills can students approach the assignment. In a beginning
course, that means the assignment is only performed once in the semester. As I can’t compare within the class their level of improvement, I
plan to ask my colleague, who teaches Acting 2, to administer the same rubric in her class to see if they have exceeded their current level of
development. For the assignment, instructors used different contemporary monologues for use by the students, all approximately 2 minutes in
length.
Objectives:
General Education Objectives addressed:
 Students will listen and speak clearly and effectively.
 Students will integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study.
 Students will apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the humanities or the arts.
Course Objectives. Student Outcomes:
 Students will expand and deepen their physical and vocal expression for the stage.
 Students will advance in perceptual skills.
 Students will integrate class exercises and develop a character.
 Students will be present on stage with a centered, neutral instrument.
 Students will remain focused, sustaining concentration throughout scene work and acting exercises.
 Students will distinguish their role in the physical environment of the stage.
 Students will combine physical action with psychological motivation.
 Students will support the articulation of character through movement and sound.
 Students will analyze text and integrate analysis into performance
Measurement of Outcomes
1. The expectation is that, by the end of the course, students will perform at minimum (in parentheses):
a. Beginning/Ending – at Lower Milestone or above (2);
b. Characterization - at Lower Milestone or above (2);
c. Voice – at Upper Milestone or above (3);
d. Concentration – at Upper Milestone or above (3);
e. Given Circumstances - at Lower Milestone or below (2);
f. Physicality - at Lower Milestone or below (2).
Beginning/Ending
Characterization
Voice
Concentration
Capstone(4) 100%
Upper Milestone (3)75%
Student enters and exits
with intention, begins
only when motivated,
and addresses the initial
event of the scene/play
Student enters and exits with
intention, and begins only when
motivated, but does not address
the initial event of the
scene/play
15/5
Demonstrates ability to
pursue strong, clear
objectives, and character
lives believably and
honestly within the
Given Circumstances
10/7
Speaks with proper
support and volume,
clear articulation,
demonstrates Standard
American Speech and
voice is expressive and
motivated
6/3
Student is focused when
speaking and listening
and sustains the world of
the play throughout the
performance
6/14
Demonstrates ability to pursue
strong, clear objectives, but
character is not consistently
believable or honest within the
Given Circumstances
15/6
Student identifies and
demonstrates who, what,
where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
5/12
Student identifies and
demonstrates 2-3 of the who,
what, where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
Student identifies and
demonstrates only 1 of the who,
what, where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
Student unable to identify
and demonstrate who, what,
where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
8/0
Movement is controlled
and justified by the text
and creatively chosen
10/10
Movement is controlled and
justified by the text
6/17
Movement is justified by the text
but static and limited in choice
5/4
Movement is excessive or
lacks control and not
justified by the text
13/8
5/17
8/9
Speaks with proper support and
volume, clear articulation, and
voice is expressive and
motivated
Lower Milestone (2) 50%
Benchmark (1) 25%
Student begins only when
motivated but enters or exits
without intention
Student enters and exits
without intention and
begins without motivation
4/7
4/5
Occasionally demonstrates ability
to pursue strong, clear objectives,
but character does not live within
the Given Circumstances
Does not demonstrate
ability to objectives, or live
within the Given
Circumstances
6/10
5/5
Speaks with proper support,
volume and articulation, but voice
lacks expression or is unmotivated
Voice lacks proper support,
volume and articulation,
and lacks expression or is
unmotivated
8/8
12/16
Student is focused when
speaking and listening and
sustains the world of the play
throughout most of the
performance
3/4
Student is unfocused when
speaking or listening or fails to
sustain the world of the play
throughout the performance
Student is unfocused when
throughout the performance
2/2
7/11
Given
Circumstances
Physicality
6/3
5/3
#
29M
31N
The Results:
The sum totals for the Acting for the Major courses TH121 are the first number listed before the slash/ and the second number are the totals for
the Non Major TH 120 courses (0/0) below. There were 29 majors and 31 non majors across the 4 courses.
1. Students in the Acting for the Major course TH 121 performed at or above expectations;
2. Students in the Acting for the Non Major course TH 120 also performed at or above expectations and in some instances, higher than the
theatre major on certain skills.
Moving forward:
I plan to ask my colleague, who teaches Acting 2, to administer the same rubric in her class to see if these same students have exceeded their
current level of development. In addition, I have decided to include other, more advanced, performance skills within the current rubric. As it
currently stands, this rubric only addresses the skills addressed by the Acting 1 (non-major and major) classes. After discussion with my
colleagues, we have decided to incorporate this rubric, with more advanced skills included, across all of the Acting courses. Accordingly, the
following classes will use the revised rubric to assess student learning:
TH 120- Acting 1 non-major (all sections)
TH 121 – Acting 1 major (all sections)
TH 221 – Acting 2
I have attached a revised rubric at the end of this document. Students in the Acting 1 courses will still be expected to perform at the levels
previously listed. The only addition will be a more advanced skill-set in the Upper Milestone and Capstone columns. This change is made in
order to accommodate the more advanced student encountered in the Acting 2 course.
Capstone(4) 100%
Upper Milestone (3)75%
Student enters and exits
with intention, begins
only when motivated,
and addresses the initial
event of the scene/play
Student enters and exits with
intention, and begins only when
motivated, but does not address
the initial event of the
scene/play
Student begins only when
motivated but enters or exits
without intention
Student enters and exits
without intention and
begins without motivation
Characterization
Demonstrates ability to
pursue strong, clear
objectives, and character
lives believably and
honestly within the
Given Circumstances
Demonstrates ability to pursue
strong, clear objectives, but
character is not consistently
believable or honest within the
Given Circumstances
Occasionally demonstrates ability
to pursue strong, clear objectives,
but character does not live within
the Given Circumstances
Does not demonstrate
ability to objectives, or live
within the Given
Circumstances
Voice
Speaks with proper
support and volume,
clear articulation,
demonstrates Standard
American Speech and
voice is expressive and
motivated by text
Student is focused when
speaking and listening,
sustains the world of the
play throughout the
performance and
maintains 4th wall
throughout
Speaks with proper support and
volume, clear articulation, and
voice is expressive and
motivated
Speaks with proper support,
volume and articulation, but voice
lacks expression or is unmotivated
Voice lacks proper support,
volume and articulation,
and lacks expression or is
unmotivated
Student is focused when
speaking and listening and
sustains the world of the play
throughout most of the
performance
Student is unfocused when
speaking or listening or fails to
sustain the world of the play
throughout the performance
Student is unfocused when
throughout the performance
Given
Circumstances
Student identifies and
demonstrates who, what,
where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance and makes
varied, specific and bold
choices.
Student identifies and
demonstrates 2-3 of the who,
what, where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
Student identifies and
demonstrates only 1 of the who,
what, where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
Student unable to identify
and demonstrate who, what,
where and when of the
world of the Character in
performance
Physicality
Movement is controlled
and justified by the text,
creatively chosen and
bold
Movement is controlled and
justified by the text
Movement is justified by the text
but static and limited in choice
Movement is excessive or
lacks control and not
justified by the text
Beginning/Ending
Concentration
Lower Milestone (2) 50%
Benchmark (1) 25%
#
29M
31N
Text Analysis
Student demonstrates an
understanding of the
subtext of the
monologue, uses the text
to create visual images
and is “on the word”
throughout.
Student demonstrates an
understanding of the subtext of
the monologue, uses the text to
create visual images but is
occasionally, not “on the word”
Student demonstrates an
understanding of the subtext of the
monologue, does not consistently
use the text to create visual images
and is occasionally, not “on the
word”
Student fails to demonstrate
an understanding of the
subtext of the monologue,
does not consistently use the
text to create visual images
and is occasionally, not “on
the word”