Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE DCS5008

 
TITLE Dance Education: Issues, Practice and Application

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Dance Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit engages the student in an examination of key concepts relating to dance education in formal and informal applications. An exploration of the learning and teaching practices of dance education within the formal framework of maintained educational institutions, schools, colleges and Universities in the mid- to late- 20th century to the present day will allow examination of related educational theory to identify the periods where significant shifts in traditions have occurred; social dance and recreation; modern educational dance and expressive creativity; artistic discipline and formality; the National Curriculum and beyond; current developments.

In developing understanding of praxis of educational approaches we also focus on selected philosophic influences - Dewey, Goodman, Laban, Bruner, Abbs, Best - to interrogate notions of learning, with case studies from selected periods in US, UK and Europe. An examination of current practice in action research, case study and qualitative data analysis will aid the skills of practical investigation and analysis.

Informal dance education will be examined from the perspectives of:
- community dance contexts - e.g. youth, age, physical and mental disability;
- the artist in residency movement;
- the private sector and vocational schools.

Students will be expected to investigate theory and practice through a personal project in an approved topic.

Study-unit Aims:

- Help students develop knowledge of key concepts in dance education;
- Aid student development of skills appropriate to action research and the reflective practitioner in the dance specialism;
- Inculcate understanding of theory and practice through an approved topic of the students’ choice relating either to dance in education, dance in community or the artist in residency movement;
- Develop students' ability to create, organise and develop a specific project through workshops or equivalent;
- Examine, analyse and contextualise the project, and present findings in appropriate presentation/theoretical mode.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Demonstrate knowledge of chosen dance education contexts and philosophies in written form;
- Show the outcomes of application of action research and reflective practitioner modes of enquiry;
- Demonstrate understanding of theory and practice of an approved topic of the students’ choice relating either to dance in community, dance in education or the artist in residency movement;
- Demonstrate ability to create, organise and develop a specific project through workshops or equivalent;
- Examine, analyse and contextualise the project, and present findings in appropriate presentation/theoretical mode;
- Show ability to examine, analyse and contextualise dance education work, developing an appreciation in relation to current practice and its antecedents.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- demonstrate appropriate workshop skills;
- clearly demonstrate artistic intention and the capacity to plan and articulate working processes in applied contexts;
- demonstrate strategies for documentation and analysis of this kind of work.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Recommended texts

- Abbs, Peter (2003) Against the Flow; Education, the Arts and Postmodern Culture, RoutledgeFalmer
-Amans, Diane (2010) Passport to Practice: An induction to professional practice in community dance, Leicester: Foundation for Community Dance
- Benjamin, Adam (2002) Making an Entrance: Theory and practice for disabled and non-disabled dancers, London: Routledge
- Best. David (1992) The Rationality of Feeling: understanding the arts in education, London: Falmer Press
- Bresler, L, ed. (2004) Knowing Bodies, Moving Minds: Towards embodied teaching and learning, Boston: Kluwer Academic
- Dewey, John (2007) Education and Democracy, The Echo Library
- Dickson, Beth (2010) Education and the Arts: policy and practice in education, Dunedin Academic Press
- Jackson, Anthony (2007) Theatre, Education and the Making of Meanings: Art or instrument? Manchester University Press
- Jobbins, Veronica (2013) ‘Dance in Schools: A success story’, Dance UK, 85, Spring, 15
- McCutchen, Brenda (2006) Teaching Dance as Art in Education, Human Kinetics
- McFee, Graham (1999) Dance, Education and Philosophy, Meyer and Meyer
- Meyer, Fran A (ed) (2010) Implementing the National Dance Education Standards, National Dance Association
- Moon, Jennifer ( 2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and practice, Routledge (L)
- Pethybridge, Ruth (2010) Dance and Age Inclusive Practice: pathways to practice for dance leaders bringing different age groups together in their communities, Leicester: Foundation for Community Dance
- Preston-Dunlop, Valerie (1987) Handbook for Dance in Education, 2nd edition, Longman
- Robinson, Ken (2001) Out of our Minds: Learning to be Creative, Oxford: Capstone (L)
- Ross, Janice (2000) Moving Lessons: Margaret H'Doubler and the Beginning of Dance in American Education, University of Wisconsin Press
- Schon, Donald (1990) Educating the Reflective Practitioner, Jossey Bass (L)
- Shapiro, Sherry B (1998) Dance, Power and Difference: Critical and feminist perspectives on dance education, Human Kinetics
- Smith-Autard, Jacqueline (2002) The Art of Dance in Education, Methuen

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-requisite Study-unit: DCS5005

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Blended Learning

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Essay Yes 50%
Presentation Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Lorna Sanders

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit