School-assessed Coursework report: VCE
Theatre Studies 2014–2018
This report is provided for the first year of implementation of this study and is based on the
coursework audit for Unit 3 Theatre Studies.
Unit 3
General comments
This is the first School-assessed Coursework audit undertaken with the reaccredited Theatre
Studies Study Design 2014–2018. Students were required to complete a minimum of three
assessment tasks for School-assessed Coursework in Unit 3. The audit revealed that while the
majority of schools have adjusted their courses and School-assessed Coursework tasks to align
with the current study design, some schools submitted Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework tasks
that were based on or reflected terminology from the previous study design. There have been a
number of changes to the Theatre Studies study design regarding outcome statements, key
knowledge and key skills, and schools must ensure that these changes are incorporated into the
assessment tasks. The audit of Unit 3 School-assessed Coursework tasks revealed some general
concerns.
Instructions to students
The majority of tasks submitted in the audit were appropriate assessment tasks with explicit
instructions that met the requirements of the study design. However, there were also some tasks
that did not provide precise instructions to students on the set task or lacked specific detail such as
the length of the School-assessed Coursework task. Students should be clearly informed at the
start of the year of the time lines and the conditions under which assessment tasks will be
conducted, including whether any resources such as notes (for written tasks) are permitted. In this
case, details as to whether or not students can take notes into the SAC should be clearly
articulated, with reference to the quantity of notes allowed, such as one A4 single-sided sheet of
bullet points.
School-assessed Coursework tasks
Some tasks audited did not use the correct wording for the outcome statements, titles of the tasks,
or reference the key knowledge and key skills set out in the current study design. Issues included
use of incorrect outcome statements as well as key knowledge and key skills from the previous
study design. It is essential that correct wording is used in these tasks as many link directly to the
end-of-year examination and the students need to have familiarity with key terminology and
concepts. School-assessed Coursework tasks are also an opportunity to develop students’
familiarity with the structure and style of examination questions.
Some schools indicated that they were using assessment tasks written for the previous study
design, which were being modified or changed to be consistent with the current study design. Care
© VCAA 2015
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
should be taken with phrasing and repetition of tasks and also with overuse of sample examination
materials more than five years old.
For each School-assessed Coursework task students should be given a clear and accurate
statement of:








the outcome being assessed
the task type as described in the chart at the end of Unit 3 in the study design
the requirements and conditions of the task
authentication processes
whether or not notes can be used
the value and marks allocated to each question
terminology required
a clear indication of the percentage contribution of the task to the final outcome score and
detailed in all school materials, to what degree the School-assessed Coursework Tasks
contribute to the overall study score at the end of the final year of study.
The study design states that teachers should select a ‘variety of assessment tasks for their
program’; however, some schools focused only on one type of assessment task type for both
Outcome 2 and 3 School-assessed Coursework tasks, which doesn’t really provide a range of
experiences or challenges for the students. Teachers should expose the students to a range of
theatrical material and sources and not focus on one playwright or theatrical style as a recurring
theme in the tasks.
Schools need to ensure that questions in School-assessed Coursework include the full range of
task terms specified in the key skills to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the
outcome at the highest level. Students should be encouraged to indicate their understanding of all
areas of the course with the application and inclusion of relevant theatrical terminology.
If more than one stage or task is used to assess students’ performance in relation to an outcome,
teachers should indicate all stages to the students at the commencement of the outcome.
Teachers should then talk with the students about each stage, how they are linked and how the
marks are divided and allocated. If students are working in teams, the teacher must make it clear
how they will assess each student as an individual and not as part of a group.
Teachers should be cautious of giving too many exercises or stages per outcome as this can
complicate the assessment process and the final distribution of marks as well as adding to the
authentication requirements for each task. Limiting the amount of work completed outside of the
classroom assists with ensuring equity in completion of tasks and provides greater control and
understanding of how each individual is working towards successful completion of the outcome.
Outcome 1 requires students to choose from two lists of stagecraft (page19 of the study design).
Some schools did not refer to these lists in the task instructions for Outcome 1 and/or included
areas of stagecraft that are no longer applicable to this task. It is crucial that these lists are
adhered to.
Mark allocation
A few of the schools that were audited did not have the correct mark allocation or presented the
mark allocation in a confusing way for students in relation to the outcomes in Unit 3. The correct
allocations are: 60 marks for Outcome 1, 15 marks for Outcome 2, and 25 marks for Outcome 3. If
marks are allocated on a different scale, students need to be clearly informed of the way these
marks are then recalculated or converted to a score for the outcome.
Authentication
© VCAA 2015
Page 2
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
Teachers need to be aware of the authentication requirements set out in the VCE and VCAL
Administrative Handbook. Any work set over an extended period of time should include a process
for authentication of student work. Many tasks audited did not provide details about the procedure
used to authenticate student work. It is recommended that particular attention is paid to
authentication for Unit 3 Outcome 1 and that as much work as possible is observed, completed in
class, initialled and dated by the teacher on a regular basis and specific dates for auditing of
stages is provided to the students at the commencement of the outcome.
Use of other schools’ assessment tasks
Quite a few schools are using tasks that have been devised by teachers at other schools, which is
a perfectly acceptable activity. However, it is advisable to ensure at all times that the task and
rubric are compatible. Tasks from previous years and references to the previous study design are
often rewritten with the occasional error contained within them. All tasks must meet the
requirements of the current study design. Titles of tasks must be accurate and the wording should
reflect the current outcome and tasks as described in the study design. If schools choose to use a
task prepared by another, they should ensure that the task sufficiently covers the relevant key
knowledge and key skills, is appropriate for the outcome, and meets the needs of their students.
Submission of School-assessed Coursework tasks by schools
Schools should note that all required materials should be submitted for the audit. These are listed
in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook with a checklist for the audit published each year
in the ‘Administrative information for School-based Assessment’ on the VCE General Advice and
Policy page of the VCAA website. If all required material is not submitted, a judgment cannot be
made, which results in an unsatisfactory audit result.
Coursework audit survey
Should your school be asked to participate in the auditing process it is recommended that teachers
complete the survey in as much detail as possible. Some schools responses were far too brief,
simply referencing VCAA documents without elaborating upon the tasks that have been set and
how the outcomes would be assessed.
Specific information
Unit 3 coursework
Outcome 1
Apply stagecraft to interpret a playscript for interpretation to an audience.
Task type options
The students’ performance in Outcome 1 can be assessed using a variety of approaches, but key
components of this outcome are the practical application of two areas of stagecraft in the three
stages of production. Teaching and learning tasks for this outcome should allow students to
document their application of stagecraft across the stages of production, but there is no
expectation that this will be a folio type activity. The task should be structured according to
weighting, time allocation and division of tasks across the three stages.
When constructing the task(s) teachers must remember to outline the stagecraft choices for
students from the two lists: List A and List B. These lists can be found on page 19 of the study
© VCAA 2015
Page 3
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
design. Note that some of the areas of stagecraft that were referred to in previous study designs
have either been renamed or excluded.
Selection of the playscript for interpretation should be made carefully, reflecting the student cohort
you are working with, the type of school in which you work, and the way that the content and style
of the production can assist with teaching the key knowledge and skills for the outcome. The play
chosen for this outcome should not be used in Outcome 2.
Lengthy or overly complicated tasks are confusing for students. This outcome is complex due to
the stages of production and there is some cross over between stages; however, tasks should be
designed to allow students to clearly demonstrate an understanding of the tasks that are involved
in the planning, development and presentation of a playscript to an audience. Correct use of
terminology, and the opportunity to reflect on the processes they have been involved in, during
each stage and across the whole production period, are essential.
Assessment
Outcome 1 assesses key knowledge and skills that should be reflected in the rubric for the task.
Teachers should refer to the assessment handbook for guidance and at all times students should
be made aware of how they can achieve at the highest level. Rubrics should clearly indicate the
differences between a low, a medium and a high response, and feedback should help guide the
students towards a high response. In most cases, teachers were aware of how to weight the tasks
to reflect the required level of commitment, and detail required to complete the outcome
successfully.
Outcome 2
Document an interpretation of excerpts from a playscript and explain how stagecraft can be applied
to the interpretation.
Task type options
The students’ performance in Outcome 2 can be assessed using one or more of the following: a
written report, structured questions, a multimedia report. These tasks should, however, always
allow the students to explain how stagecraft can be used to realise theatrical possibilities with the
option to justify their decisions using prose, illustrations, annotations or diagrams.
Most schools designed material for this outcome based on established playscripts, utilising
interesting scripts, ideas for staging, theatrical styles and images to stimulate the students creative
decision making. Teachers are encouraged to offer a variety of opportunities for the students to
explore theatrical possibilities and expose them to a range of scripts and writers for classwork and
homework tasks prior to the assessment task.
Assessment
This task does not expect the student to have prior knowledge of the scene or script they are
interpreting for performance. The School-assessed Coursework stimulus materials should be
comprised of previously unseen playscript excerpts and other materials. Teachers must not use
scripts or material that have been used for Outcome 1. Some schools were using material from
playwrights of plays that were on the Theatre Studies playlist. While this is an interesting approach
it may not offer enough exposure to different theatrical styles or playwrights.
Many schools were devising clever and eclectic material for this outcome that would build on
knowledge gained in Units 1 and 2 and provide them with a broad base of theatrical styles and
approaches to performance.
© VCAA 2015
Page 4
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
As for Outcome 1, the rubric for assessing this task must reflect the key knowledge and skills, and
allow students to demonstrate the highest level of performance.
Outcome 3
Analyse and evaluate the interpretation of a written playscript in production to an audience.
Task type options
The following formats can be used to assess this outcome: a written report, an analytical essay or
structured questions. All schools audited selected a play from the 2014 playlist and devised tasks
that focused on the interpretation of the play in performance with elements of comparison to the
playscript. There is an expectation that students will have access to the script of the play they are
seeing and study this script prior to attending a performance of the play. It is essential that the
questions are not too specific or narrow in focus. The questions should provide the students with
the opportunity to examine similarities and differences from the written script to the performance, to
evaluate the contribution of stagecraft, discuss the style of the play and the world that is realised
on stage and on paper. There were a number of schools that were still using terminology from
previous study designs. Teachers should be aware that some terms for this task have changed
and it is vital that the students are using the correct terms when looking at time, place and setting
of the play.
Assessment
This outcome is heavily linked to a question or questions in the written examination at the end of
the year. School are encouraged to look at specific terms such as evaluate, analyse, compare,
discuss and assess in terms of what the students saw on stage and noted in the written playscript.
These terms all ask for different levels of understanding and students need to be aware of each
word’s implicit meaning.
Most audited schools appeared to understand what was required for this task and the need for
accurate assessment tools to allow the student to achieve at the highest level.
© VCAA 2015
Page 5
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
Unit 4
General comments
This is the first School-assessed Coursework audit undertaken with the reaccredited Theatre
Studies Study Design 2014–2018. Students were required to complete a minimum of two
assessment tasks for School-assessed Coursework in Unit 4. Most schools used one assessment
task for each of Outcomes 2 and 3. The audit revealed that while the majority of schools have
adjusted their courses and School-assessed Coursework tasks to reflect the changes in the current
study design, some schools submitted Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework tasks that were based
on or reflected terminology from the previous study design. There have been a number of changes
to the Theatre Studies study design regarding outcome statements, key knowledge and key skills,
and schools must ensure that these changes are incorporated into the assessment tasks. The
audit of Unit 4 School-assessed Coursework tasks revealed some general concerns.
Instructions to students
The majority of tasks submitted in the audit were appropriate assessment tasks with instructions
that met the requirements of the study design. However, there were also some tasks that
contained instructions that were not clear and/or far too long and complicated for the students to
understand. The instructions need to reflect wording in the study design and use terminology that
the students are familiar with.
Details about the weighting of the task, specific instructions as to how it is to be completed, and the
length of each School-assessed Coursework task is required information.
Students should be clearly informed at the start of the year of the timelines and the conditions
under which assessment tasks are to be conducted, including whether any resources are
permitted. Details as to whether or not students can take notes into the School-assessed
Coursework task should be clearly articulated, with reference to the quantity of notes allowed such
as one A4 single-sided sheet of bullet points.
School-assessed Coursework tasks
Correct wording for the outcome statements, titles of the tasks, or in referencing the key knowledge
and key skills set out in the current study design must be accurate. It is essential that correct
wording is used in these tasks as many link directly to the end-of-year examination and the
students need to be familiar with key terminology and the way questions are structured.
Care should be taken with phrasing and repetition of tasks, and also with overuse of sample
examination materials from the previous study design (more than five years old). These tasks do
not prepare the students adequately for the final examination because the examination
specifications for this study are different from those of the previous study design.
For each School-assessed Coursework task students should be given a clear and accurate
statement of:






the outcome being assessed
the task type
the requirements and conditions of the task
authentication processes – if relevant
whether or not notes can be used
the value and marks allocated to each question
© VCAA 2015
Page 6
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018


terminology required
a clear indication of the percentage contribution of the task to the final outcome score and
detailed in all school materials, to what degree the School-assessed Coursework Tasks
contribute to the overall study score at the end of the final year of study.
The study design states that teachers should select a ‘variety of assessment tasks for their
program’; however, the teacher must also ‘own’ the task that they are delivering to their students.
Evidence of ‘borrowing’ tasks from other schools was evident. While this practice ensures that
teachers gain knowledge of what other schools are doing, there is a real danger that if the task has
not been devised by the teacher, they will not necessarily instruct, prepare and look for the
appropriate responses.
Schools need to ensure that questions in the School-assessed Coursework Task include the full
range of task terms specified in the key skills to provide students with the opportunity to
demonstrate the outcome at the highest level. Students should be encouraged to indicate their
understanding of all areas of the course, with the application and inclusion of relevant theatrical
terminology that is specific to this unit and beyond, to allow those students who achieve at the
highest level the opportunity to excel and demonstrate holistic knowledge of the course.
Teachers should be cautious of asking too much of the students in each task. Some schools were
asking the students to read far too much material in the given time for completion of an exercise or
question. The amount of reading and interpreting of tasks should be commensurate with the value
of each question or section. Teachers should balance each outcome so that the expectation is not
excessive. There was some evidence of too many questions being asked of students and other
examples of repetition of response.
Mark allocation
The majority of the schools that were audited had allocated the correct weighting to each task.
Teachers can easily confirm allocation and distribution of marks by referencing the study design
and assessment handbook.
Authentication
Teachers need to be aware of the authentication requirements set out in the VCE and VCAL
Administrative Handbook. Any work set over an extended period of time should include a process
for authentication of student work.
Use of other schools’ assessment tasks
Borrowed rubrics for Unit 4 outcomes must be consistent with the composition of the outcome.
There is no one rubric that would fit all tasks. Teachers are advised to take care that the rubric
reflects actual ability and depth of response. Objectivity in assessment is critical.
Submission of School-assessed Coursework tasks by schools
Schools should note that all required materials should be submitted for the audit. These are listed
in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook with a checklist for the audit published each year
as the ‘Administrative advice for school-based assessment’ published on the VCAA website and
announced in the VCAA Bulletin February edition. If all required material is not submitted, a
judgment cannot be made, which results in an unsatisfactory audit result.
© VCAA 2015
Page 7
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
Coursework audit survey
Should your school be asked to participate in the auditing process it is recommended that teachers
complete the survey in as much detail as possible. Some schools’ responses were far too brief,
just referencing VCAA documents without elaborating upon the tasks set and how the outcomes
would be assessed.
Specific information
Unit 4 coursework
Outcome 1
Outcome 1 is not assessed via School-assessed Coursework.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the student should be able to develop a theatrical treatment that
presents an interpretation of a monologue and its prescribed scene.
Task type options
The students’ performance in Outcome 2 can be assessed using one or more of the following:



a written report
short responses
structured questions.
This task requires the student to develop a theatrical treatment that outlines an interpretation of a
monologue and a prescribed scene. Students outline an interpretation of the scene, focusing on
the ways in which the scene could be approached as a piece of theatre, including its place within
the playscript, its specific structure, its characters, its themes, images and ideas, its theatrical
possibilities, its theatrical styles and the ways in which their selected stagecraft could be employed
to convey its intended meanings.
The set task must reflect the detailed key knowledge and skills found in the study design and
should provide the opportunity for the student to really delve into the world of the play in
preparation for Outcome 1.
Assessment
At times tasks submitted for the audit were too complicated, while there were also examples of this
outcome that did not really reflect the true nature of the assessment or allow the student to really
excel. A fine balance between overly long submissions and brief oral assessments of this task
must be found. The student should be able to see the benefit of detailed preparation and response
as the underpinning to developing Outcome 1. Teachers should avoid using ‘filmic’ terminology.
While the study design does refer to a ‘treatment’, this term in is used differently for theatre.
As for all outcomes, the rubric for assessing this task must reflect the key knowledge and skills and
allow students to demonstrate the highest level of performance.
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse and evaluate acting in a
production
© VCAA 2015
Page 8
School-assessed Coursework report: VCE Theatre Studies 2014–2018
Task type options
The following formats can be used to assess this outcome:



a written report
short responses
structured questions.
All schools audited selected a play from the 2014 playlist and devised tasks that focused on the
development and interpretation of character(s) in performance. It is essential that the questions are
not too specific or narrow in focus, or too complicated and wordy, causing confusion and stress for
students. The questions should provide the students with the opportunity to discuss, evaluate,
analyse and describe motivation and characteristics of character(s), use of expressive skills,
gesture and movements by the actor to realise the character(s) and discuss and evaluate the
establishment and maintenance of focus and the actor-audience relationship. There were a
number of schools that were still using terminology from precious study designs. Teachers should
be aware that some terms for this task have changed and it is vital that the students are using the
correct terms as this outcome is directly linked to the written examination.
Assessment
This outcome is heavily linked to a question or questions in the written examination at the end of
the year. School are encouraged to look at specific terms such as evaluate, analyse, compare,
discuss and assess in terms of what the students saw on stage. However, students should also be
made aware of words such as ‘how’ and ‘what’ as sentence stems, because these are clear
interrogative terms and specify exactly what the question is asking of them. These terms all ask for
different levels of understanding and students need to be aware of each word’s implicit meaning.
Most audited schools appeared to understand what was required for this task and the need for
accurate assessment tools to allow the student to achieve at the highest level.
© VCAA 2015
Page 9