The Case for Multiple, Authentic, Evidence-based Dance Assessments

Assessing dance: A phenomonological study of formative assessment in dance education

“…In dance, students can rely on teachers' feedback instead of their own evaluation, and I argue that video can be a method and a support basis for students. In accordance with Hernandez (2013), I maintain that the use of different methods for assessment in dance is preferable. I also believe that this will develop the assessment practice in dance and possibly contribute to a variety of teaching methods and the gathering of evidence of achievement.…”

“…I was not able to identify the meaning of that feedback or whether the teacher and/or student had a mutual comprehension of its meaning from earlier experiences. Hernandez (2013) and Ross and Mitchell (1993) address verbal communication in feedback, and the latter study points to the possibility of gaining an insight into the student´s thoughts about the art form. One requirement is the student´s ability to express those thoughts verbally.…”

“…Cone and Cone (2013) emphasise that the question of who will perform the assessment needs to be addressed: is it performed by the teacher, is it peer-to-peer, or is it a self-assessment? It is recommended that a variety of methods for assessment in dance are used, for example, tools such as documentation of students´ performances, self-assessment and an evaluation of the teaching performance (Hernandez, 2013). Teachers' reflections are important in improving teaching practice (Warburton, 2010).…”

“…Ross and Mitchell (1993) emphasise the importance of verbal communication between the teacher and the student to foster insights into the student's capacity to think about the art form. Verbal feedback during class and after a performance can be described as an oral quantitative evaluation technique (Hernandez, 2013). Students more often express their learning through demonstration rather than through explanation (Alter, 2013).…”