Ed Gonsalves

Knowledge of Praxis (Theory & Action as Dialectic Sense Making)

Your Skit Performance Design & Assessment Rubric
Notes for Team Skit Design:
Design
Skit writing, which mirrors real life situations, and conversation and will help your peers
become knowledgeable of the week's topic by learning in ways that lead to integrated
understanding
Team Writing and Performing your skit involves reading academic papers on the theme
of the week and integrating that into mirrors of real life- the skit.
Negotiate the meanings, grammar rules, expressions, and cultural issues with your
audience by asking them to share what the learn after NOT before your performance.
Communicate with your peers and change their assumptions!
Revise others' writing and be revised the chance to turn and academic paper or tow
into a mini-skits
Compare with others' writings
You decide what to learn and test if it is important to your peers
Benefits
Skits are used by you to bring academic reading & literature to life for your peers. It is
more dynamic than simple text and helps the visual learners as well as recycles new
vocabulary. While skits do have a characteristic of recreation, the fun aspect should not
be under-estimated. When you are enjoying an activity, you are learning and letting your
guard down. The shyness and fear of using English very often blocks learning. When
you are submerged in an active fun activity, you are more open to new concepts and
learning will occur. When you are having fun, you let your second language guard down
and become less inhibited. You will tend to relax and stop blocking out the concepts of
the module. You will forget how hard it is and start absorbing the ideas presented.
Changing your perception of the subject and learning from a negative to a positive is a
huge plus for your learning process.
A good example of the attributes of skits being used outside the classroom is the game
of theatre sports. Starting out in Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary, Canada
(Johnstone,1999). These activities have grown to become an international endeavour,
taken up by practitioners the world over, which involves the audience as much as the
actors in creating a very spontaneous event. Theatre sports demonstrates how powerful
a motivating force role-playing can become for you as the actor, learning, as well your
learning audience. There are presently teams in many different countries using different
activities who put on an unrehearsed skit for countless spectators and the appeal is only
growing.
The Human Condition
When you think about it, your skit is a method to reveal aspects of the human condition,
life is nothing more than a grand series of improvisations (Price 1980). Through your

acting and performance, you begin to realize the importance of shared space, time,
attention, information and ideas. The skit sparks spontaneity and minimize selfconsciousness which often inhibits learning.The skits are also good for developing
concentration and trust in the classroom. While you are having all this fun, you are
developing skills of coordination, imitation while focusing on the task at hand. The
improvisation enables you to flex your emotional, mental as well as physical muscles in
a safe and controlled setting. A good example of this was a role-play one group
performed where they displayed their displeasure with the institution. There was no
harm done and all the students were feeling the same.
Your Performance Rubric
Category
4
3
2
1
Speaks
Clearly

Speaks clearly and

distinctly all (10095%) the time,
mispronounces no
words.

Speaks clearly
and distinctly all
(100-95%) the
time,
mispronounces
one word.

Volume

Volume is loud
enough to be heard
by all audience
members
throughout the
presentation.
Stays on topic all of
the time.

Volume is loud
enough to be
heard by all
audience
members at least
90% of the time.
Stays on topic
most (99-90%) of
the time.
Shows a good
understanding of
the topic.
Student seems
pretty prepared
but might have
needed more
rehearsal.

Stays on Topic
Content
Preparedness

Props

Use of Class
Time

Shows a full
understanding of
the topic.
Student is
completely
prepared and has
obviously
rehearsed.
Student uses
several props (this
could include a
costume) that show
considerable
work/creativity and
which make the
presentation better.
Used time well
during each class
period. Focused on
getting the project
done and never
distracted others.

Student uses 1
prop that shows
considerable
work/creativity
and which makes
the presentation
better.
Used time well
during each
class period.
Usually focused
on getting the
project done and
never distracted
others.

Speaks clearly
and distinctly
most (94-85%)
the time,
mispronounces
no more than
one word.
Volume is loud
enough to be
heard by all
audience
members at least
80% of the time.
Stays on topic
some of the time
(89-75%).
Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
The student is
somewhat
prepared, but it is
clear that
rehearsal was
lacking.
Student uses 1
prop that makes
the presentation
better.

Often mumbles
or cannot be
understood OR
mispronounces
more than one
word.

Used some of
the time well
during each
class period.
There was some
focus on getting
the project done
but occasionally
distracted others

Did not use class

time to focus on
the project OR
often distracted
others.

Volume often too

soft to be heard
by all audience
members.
It was hard to tell
what the topic
was.
Does not seem
to understand the
topic very well.
Student does not
seem at all
prepared to
present.
The student uses
no props OR the
props chosen
detract from the
presentation.

The best Performers Go Beyond (extra effort, depth, creativity, cleverness,

understanding)