GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW FORM
EXPRESSIVE ARTS 5/1 5
Please attach/ submit additional documents as needed to fully complete each section of the form.
I. COURSE INFORMATION
Department: School of Theatre & Dance
Course Number: U THTR 102A
Course Title: Introduction to Theatre Design
Type of Request:
Rationale:
New
One-time Only
Renew*
Change
Remove
Introduction to Theatre Design has been recognized as a Group IV course for at least 20 years. The criteria and goals of the
course have remained consistent throughout that time.
*If course has not changed since the last review and is taught by the same tenure-track faculty member, you may skip sections III-V.
JUSTIFICATION FOR COURSE LEVEL
Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200
level. If the course has more than one pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered at the 300 level
or above), provide rationale for exception(s).
N/A
II. ENDORSEMENT / APPROVALS
* Instructor: Alessia Carpoca
Phone / Email:
Signature ______________________________________
Program Chair: Michael Monsos
Signature ______________________________________
Date_________________
Dean: Dr. Stephen Kalm
Signature ______________________________________
Date_________________
Date_________________
x4481 / alessia.carpoca@umontana.edu
*Form must be completed by the instructor who will be teaching the course. If the instructor of the course changes before the next
review, the new instructor must be provided with a copy of the form prior to teaching the course.
III. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE
General Education courses must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General Education
Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course content to students’ future lives: See
Preamble
IV. CRITERIA
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR THE GROUP.
1.
Courses guide students, whether in individual or group settings, to acquire foundational skills to engage in the creative process
and/or in interpretive performance.
2.
Through direct experience (for example, attendance and involvement with live performance, exhibitions, workshops, and
readings), they will engage in critical assessment of their own work and the work of others.
V. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN HOW THIS COURSE WILL MEET THE APPLICABLE LEARNING GOALS.
1.
Express themselves in the making of an original work or creative performance.
2.
Understand the genres and/or forms that have shaped the medium.
3.
Critique the quality of their own work and that of others.
VI. ASSESSMENT
A. HOW ARE THE LEARNING GOALS ABOVE MEASURED ? Describe the measurement(s) used, such as a rubric or specific test
questions that directly measure the General Education learning goals. Please attach or provide a web link to the rubric, test
questions, or other measurements used.
Below are the first three assignments for the class. The class is divided in three sections: costume design, scene design,
and lighting design. These assignments are specifically for costume design, but are similar to those for the other two
sections. At the end of each section, there is a short test to verify student understanding of all material covered in the
section.
1. Homework Assignment One: Psychology of Clothing
OBJECTIVE: Students will create a PowerPoint or video that reveals clothing preferences of college students. The intent of
this project is to understand what students at UM wear and why, and to see what kind of correlation you can find among
personality, social status, and clothing. Whatever topic you choose, you need to be as specific as possible in your
description and discussion. Not only should you elaborate on what the "typical" UM student wears, but you should consider
his/her motivations for dressing a particular way. The "why" someone wears it is equally as important as "what" he/she
wears.
DESCRIPTION: These visual essays could define a typical student at work or at play; students majoring in particular fields
(can physics majors be distinguished from studio art majors by dress?); choices of accessories; the differences between
graduate and undergraduate students; or even what faculty wears. Students could examine the clash of cultures between
different groups on campus. Students could also examine the shopping preference of UM students.
PROCEDURE:
1. Identify a topic and post it to the forum; no duplicates will be allowed.
2. Devote at least one hour to sitting in one of the social centers of campus and watching the parade of students passing by.
After that, interview at least five people that fit into your topic and ask them the provided questions (if the provided questions
do not exactly apply to your topic, modify them).
3. Create a visual essay from the images taken and provide info from the five interviews. Videos and PowerPoints should be
polished presentations that present your research topic.
4. Each student is required to watch at least three other presentations and post feedback on our forum.
EXAMPLES OF VISUAL ESSAYS:
• Ways to carry books, computers, and materials, mainly backpacks (some with one crossing-the-chest strap and some
with shoulder straps) but also briefcases, fanny packs, satchels, big purses, etc.
• Shoes, including clogs, heels, and the ubiquitous athletic-based shoes in every brand name imaginable.
• Teaching assistants contrasted with professors.
• Counter-culture clothing, mainly music-based, ranging from hip-hop to emo to punk.
2. Homework Assignment Two: Costume History Scavenger Hunt
OBJECTIVE: Learn to research costume items and details for a specific character for a specific scene. You may have to
read the specific play these questions refer to. Think about what you are looking for and where you might get the best
information. For example, if researching a character, first find out the time period of the play, the age and social status of the
character, and any particular information about the item. Then look for the costume item. Remember primary sources are
usually better than secondary; tertiary sources should be a last resort for visual images. For example, a museum photo of
an actual garment is better than a drawing of it, and either of those is better than a costume design of the period done more
recently.
DESCRIPTION: Students will answer three questions of choice out of all the questions provided in the costume history
scavenger hunt.
REQUIREMENTS: Answers to each question should include a description of the garment color, style and shape. Include a
few pictures for each garment (unless otherwise specified in the question) and organize them as a collage (pictures should
be of high quality/pixels) All research sources should be cited.
Questions (choose three):
1. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Jack pretends to be in mourning for his mythical brother Earnest. What two additions
should he make to his costume? What would those additions be made of? Find pictures (historical, not from a play).
2. For the character of Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest, what does his name mean? What is his occupation?
What would an appropriate costume be for him in this play? Include pictures and a short description.
3. Your director would like to elevate the principal actors in Oedipus Rex (make them tall, not hang them or put them on a
platform). What are the items called which one would use to do that? What did they look like? Include pictures and a short
description.
4. You are costuming a gothic princess for a children’s fairy tale; the director wants “one of those princess hats … not a
crown, but tall and conical; you know what I mean.” What is that hat called? What accessory would be worn with it? Include
pictures and a short description.
5. What was “The New Look”? Which designer initiated it? Define/describe the silhouette/shape and note the year/time it
was introduced. Include pictures and a short description.
6. The carmagnole jacket and trousers were commonly worn by what faction of the French population? In what period?
Include pictures and a short description.
7. What was a Doughboy in the early 20th century? What did his hat look like? Include pictures and a short description.
8. In the 1960s, fashionable women styled their hair in a large airy confection. What was this style called? What did it look
like? Include pictures and a short description.
9. You are designing costumes for a character who is a fashionable 1960s woman. What designer defined the classic suit of
that age? Include pictures and a short description.
10. You are designing a new BBC Agatha Christie mystery. For the June garden party scene, what kinds of hats will Miss
Marple and the ladies wear? Include pictures.
11. To create the appropriate female shape for any period, appropriate underwear must be found or created for the actor.
For the wedding of Queen Victoria of England, what would that look like? What are the four parts called? Include pictures
and a short description.
12. In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda puts on a cotillion dress from her past. Estimate her age and the year she would have
worn the dress, and find images of what would have been appropriate for the time, occasion, and social status.
3. Homework Assignment Three: Costume Design for the play The Shape of Things
OBJECTIVES:
1. To fully understand and practice all steps necessary to go from an idea of a costume to a fully presented project that
gives enough info on what the costume will look like when on stage.
2. To understand and practice the organizational skills required for costume design (see paperwork and lists even though
you DO NOT have to turn in any lists).
3. To start using your creativity and have fun with it.
4. To be able to express you ideas in writing (bio/character analysis) and drawing (sketch and rendering).
REQUIREMENTS:
 Written concept for the costume design and character analysis of your character. Concept and analysis should be at least
500 words.
 Research organized as a collage. You should include at least 15 pictures (please remember details like shoes, hair and
makeup and accessories.
 Design 2 costumes for the opening scene and the closing scene of The Shape of Things for 1 of the 2 major characters (
2 costumes for Adam or 2 costumes for Evelyn). costume rendering. Costume rendering should be a drawing in color (at
least 9” in length on the center on a page from your sketchbook).
 Review the work of at least 3 of your classmates and make constructive comments.
VII. SYLLABUS AND SUBMISSION
Please submit syllabus in a separate file with the completed and signed form to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221. The learning goals
for the Expressive Arts Group must be included on the syllabus. An electronic copy of the original signed form is acceptable.