Practical Essay
Module title | Practical Essay |
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Module code | DRA3061 |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff | Professor Stephen Hodge (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 11 | 1 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 120 |
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Module description
This module allows you to spend a term developing and delivering a performance project with a small group of like-minded peers from your year-group. This is a practical essay, so the research element is as important to the project as your performancein which you will collaborate with others to produce an original piece of performance for a context beyond the Department of Communications, Drama and Film. You will spend your time reading and practically interpreting a defined research questionworking in a group and , building on material you might have encountered on any part of the Drama programme to mount a critically informed performance. You will work in small groups with shared interests, and be supervised by a member of Drama staff. Each group will identify an area of shared interest core research questions and create a piece of researched practice for a defined performance context (these performances mayare likely to take place on or off campus, and may be live or digitally mediated). This module is athe jewel in the crown of the degree and a chance to realise your creative practice for an audience.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to allow you to:
- Draw together the experience of theatre-making gained through the degree programme;
- Work in a group (usually of 5-7) in the complex logistics of mounting a culminating presentation, that is likely to take the form of a performance;
- Guide an individual and collaborative process of creative work, and to contribute to the creative work of your peers.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Collaborate with others to produce an original piece of critically-informed researched performance for a context beyond the Department of Communications, Drama and Film
- 2. Articulate appropriate working methodologies in a mid-process presentation and an abstract presented to staff in advance of the performance
- 3. Utilise practical, creative and organisational skills in bringing work to performance for a context beyond the Department of Communications, Drama and Film
- 4. Analyse and evaluate the creative process with an appropriate critical distance in an oral examination
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Work effectively with others to initiate and sustain creative, analytic and interpretative work within strict time limits
- 6. Engage creatively, critically and analytically from different theoretic perspectives, to explore theoretical concerns through practice, and vice versa, and to synthesise findings in practical tasks
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Develop group co-operation skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive critical feedback, and to improve communication skills and advanced analytic abilities in discussions
- 8. Develop advanced confidence in performance skills and public presentation, in a variety of situations and/or with a variety of audiences
- 9. Collaborate to learn elements of teamwork and presentation, and to negotiate and manage conflict when appropriate, to think laterally and demonstrate originality in problem solving, and to demonstrate leadership skills when appropriate
Syllabus plan
This module is the culminating practical element of a full-time Drama student's work over the three-year programme. It is an invitation to create collaboratively an original work for performance/presentation. To some extent, it replicates the processes of professional theatre groups whilst allowing students to build on their previous experience.
Six sessions with tutors take place during the process, at which the students present and discuss their work. Additional support/feedback is available from peer 'buddy' groups. In addition, each group is expected to:
- Provide regular reports to a supervisor
- Participate in a peer assessment exercise
- Give a short, mid-module progress report
- Submit a group portfolio documenting their work, with an accompanying abstract (comprising a set of research questions and working methodologies)
Individual fifteen-minute vivas are conducted after the final performances, at which each student is expected to reflect on, analyse and evaluate the creative process with an appropriate critical distance.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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18 | 282 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 4 | Initial seminars |
Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 4 | Formative Presentations and Group meeting |
Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 6 | Supervisions |
Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 3 | Performance |
Scheduled Teaching and Learning | 1 | Viva |
Guided Independent Study | 200 | Research and preparation for performance |
Guided Independent Study | 10 | Buddy group support |
Guided Independent Study | 72 | Group protfolio: documentation and preparation |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Short mid-term group report | 5-10 minutes | 2,5-7,9 | Oral feedback |
Regular group reports to supervisor | Short oral/written reports and shared practice allied to supervisory meetings | 2-3,5-9 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Process into performance | 70 | The Process-into-Performance mark will be based on the final performance, and be framed by a short group portfolio (comprising an abstract of 500 words and 250 words per group member, detailing individual contribution to the process), individual contribution to process as observed, and three moments of peer assessment. | 1-3, 5-9 | Written feedback |
Viva | 30 | 15 minutes | 4 | Written feedback |
0 | ||||
0 | ||||
0 | ||||
0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Performance | Portfolio, using materials from research and devising process (5000 words or equivalent if using audio-visual materials) | 1-3, 5-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Viva | Viva | 4 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
In conjunction with the supervisor, each student devises a personal reading and research programme.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Credit value | 30 |
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Module ECTS | 15 |
Module pre-requisites | Entry to a Single Honours Drama programme (W400, W401, W402 or W403) |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 6 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | October 2011 |
Last revision date | 07/12/2021 |