Course Objectives

Students will develop/acquire:

• Knowledge of, and insight into, the special nature of the subject drama and its roots in the theatrical arts and pedagogy.
• Experience of drama as a form of aesthetic awareness.
• Skills and experience regarding various dramatic forms of expression suitable for children in day-care centres.
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes concerning the development of children’s dramatic play.
• Didactic knowledge and experience of planning, executing and evaluating drama pedagogical activities in day-care centres.
• Awareness of their own attitudes towards drama pedagogical activities with children.
• The ability to experience, analyse and evaluate theatre for children.

Course Description

The course includes the following three target areas:

1. Self-development related to drama

2. Children’s drama play

3. Pedagogical drama work and experience with theatre

1) Self-development related to drama

Drama is a practical subject where dramatic forms of expression are explored on a personal level. In order to use the subject in a subject-didactic approach, students’ personal experiences will be related to pedagogy and theatre representing the subject’s two basic elements.

The students’ development will be stimulated through the following theoretical course components and the forms of expression of drama:

Theoretical course components

• Relations between drama, play and theatre
• Theatre’s fundamental elements, tools and dramaturgy
• Children’s drama play
• The aesthetic dimension
• Drama pedagogical trends

Forms of expression of drama

• Expression of movement
• Vocal expression
• Improvisation
• Mime
• Dramatisation
• Tableaux
• Texts and role-play
• Drama progression
• Oral expression – tradition of story-telling

2) Children’s drama play

• Observation of child’s play and other drama related activities
• Play as a starting point for drama work

3) Pedagogical drama work and experience with theatre

• Planning, carrying out and evaluating pedagogical drama work in day-care centres
• Play, drama and theatre with children of varying abilities and from different cultural backgrounds
• Drama for children between 0 and 3 years
• Drama in an interdisciplinary setting
• Theatre for children aged 2-6 years

Learning Methods

Drama is an artistic subject and competence can only be developed through interaction with others; the study of the subject is consequently organised in groups of varying sizes.

Teaching and learning methods will alternate between practical, dramatic activities, lectures, group work and seminars.

The study programme is organised so that practical work, theory and subject-didactic elements form a coherent whole. This involves using different working methods focusing on experiences, reflection and assessment of methodical aspects. Discussions are central in the various working methods as a means of enabling students to develop a reflective attitude.

Participation in the practical teaching is mandatory, and the teaching is mainly process-orientated.

Students are expected to study substantial parts of the subject theory individually and in groups.

Parts of the study will be organised through the use of the university college’s link to Fronter on the Internet.

Drama in an interdisciplinary setting

Drama is part of a co-operative project with other subjects from the very beginning of the study.

Other interdisciplinary work may include figure theatre, theatre for children, dramatisation and oral mediation.

Interdisciplinary work may be documented through presentation and/or in the form of a written report.

Teaching practice

As regards the overall appreciation of the subject students ought to experience how pedagogical-dramatic work may be integrated into everyday work of a day-care centre and due to R06.

During the teaching practice students ought to map, observe and analyse children’s drama play. They ought to be given the opportunity to plan, implement and evaluate a programme of pedagogical drama-related activities during the period of study. Subject teachers will provide relevant supervision in the teaching practice and other work in the day-care centres where students are placed.

Assessment Methods

Both ongoing and final assessments will be used. The following parts will be assessed:

A) Practical drama including theatre-logg. Pass/fail.

B) Practical/didactic seminar assignment. Pass/fail.

C) Theatre performance for children. Group examination. Graded A – F. Individual grades may also be adjusted.

D) Four hour individual written final examination. Graded A – F.

The final grade is awarded on the basis of the graded marks in

C) Theatre performance for children, 60 % and D) Individual, written final examination, 40 %.

A single final grade will be entered on the diploma, graded A to F, where A is the highest grade and E is the lowest passing grade.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s Examination Regulation for further information.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean