West African Dance

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DNCE 1401
Heidi Geier, Jonah Winn-Lenetsky, Will Daddario,
Rachel Brammer-Shlay with Paul Baepler and J.D.
Walker
Technical Support Jon McLachlan, Samantha
Scarlett and Kim Wilcox
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Background

• Day section closes at 100 students, night section
  of 25 students

• Fulfills Other Humanities and International
  Perspectives credits

• Day section between 95 to 100 non-dance majors,
  predominately 1st and 2nd year students

• 70-75 have past experience with dance (Student
  census data)

• Citizenship class

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Background

• History of course

• Major curriculum redesign for Fall 2005

• Assignments
• two 3-5 page papers, analysis of seeing live
  performances
• on-line journal (replaced quizzes on readings)
• on-line small group article analysis (replaced
  formal article analysis paper)
• two exams, mostly essay format

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Course Objectives

• Expand student perceptions about dance

• Increase students appreciation and respect for
  diverse cultures through gaining understanding of
  their dances.

• Learn skills that will be useful regardless of
  their main field of study.

• Connect students to resources in University and
  Twin Cities communities

• Students continue to have interest in seeing
  dance beyond the end of the course

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Challenges
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Challenges

• Assumption that course is an easy A

• Student in class apathy, lack of willingness to
  speak out in large group situation

• Get class intellectually physically active

• Little one on one contact with teaching staff

• Wide range of student interests, backgrounds and
  misconceptions.

• Graduate TA from Theater program

• Departmental goal to increase enrollment

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Interventions
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Interventions

• On-line Article Analysis

• Space for combining reflective and analytical
  thinking

• Opportunity for students to learn from each other

• Virtual space for small group interaction

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Interventions
N53
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Interventions

• On-line Journal

• Space for reflective, exploratory thinking

• Opportunity for students to make links between
  course material to other aspects of their lives.

• Virtual space for one on one time with teaching
  staff

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Interventions
Final n53 Midterm n51
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Active Learning Embodied Learning
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Interventions

• Active Learning Activities in Class

• Guest Artists

• Small group discussion activities

• Shorter in their seats movement exercises

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Interventions
Midterm n51
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Interventions
Final n53
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Interventions
Final n53
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Future Steps

• Fine-tune and/or create new evaluation tools that
  provide useful information

• Continue evolving lecture, especially how
  PowerPoint is used to convey information.
  Working to link video into presentations for
  smoother flow.

• Keep experimenting with active learning
  exercises. Integrate experiential with
  intellectual learning.

• Longitudinal study on students continued
  engagement with dance.

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