ArtsPraxis: Volume 1, Issue 1

Abstract

The inaugural issue of ArtsPraxis publishes some of the contributions from the NYU Forum on Assessment in the Arts. The four contributors neatly highlight the complex material Forum participants were grappling with:

Richard Colwell on Evaluation in the Arts Colwell argues that assessment depends upon a clear definition of the discipline. Assessment within the reform movement (including standards) and assessment in curricula require a broader approach including a differentiation between program evaluation and evaluation to improve student competence. These and other assessment issues are raised as a means of initiating professional dialogue in contemporary arts assessment and the demands being placed upon the arts.

Patrice Madura Ward-Steinman on Assessing Creativity Ward-Steinman posits that many music teachers consider improvisation to be a creative musical activity, without questioning whether student improvisations are really “creative.” Others claim that improvisation skill is not dependent on creativity, and suggest that while anyone can create a solo, that solo may or may not be “creative.” No significant correlations were found between the improvisations of college jazz singers and their Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking scores, yet musical creativity emerged as a factor. This factor accounted for a very small amount of variance, suggesting that an effective jazz improvisation solo may not be primarily a creative activity.

Marleen Pennison on Rubrics as an Integrated Tool Pennison examines assessment experiments which grew from two directions: the need to create clear standards for students, and the need to find a stronger structure for a student-centered, project-based curriculum. These needs led to a study of the assessment techniques developed by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero, as well as a series of consultations with Heidi Andrade, one of their foremost assessment researchers. The study reveals how students gained a clearer understanding of class standards, became more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and took more responsibility for setting and reaching higher goals in their work. The paper cites examples of student interviews in tandem with the author’s own notes and observations on the benefits of implementing assessment techniques from both sides of the classroom.

Carole Miller and Juliana Saxton on Standards Miller and Saxton argue how theatre pedagogy demands a constructivist pedagogy built upon questions, discourse, reflection and, if it is to be transformative, action. Most teacher education takes place within pre-service programs and schools that practice the traditional educational model. The authors examine the lack of arts discipline experience that pre-service teachers bring with them. Where, then, is the depth of knowledge and experience to support the application of standards to student work? How can standards in the art form become internalized and actualized in classrooms?