Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

Topics may include:

• Design techniques for Drama research proposals.  
• Appropriate methodologies for Drama research projects including strategies for analysing theatre history, performance studies, and practice-as-research.
• Locating appropriate primary and secondary sources for a research project
• Approaches to using historical, social, and cultural frameworks to situate and provide context to plays and theatre
• Methodologies appropriate to the production, documentation and analysis of performance texts, contexts and processes
• Linking in the work of other scholars in the field and representing scholarly debate on selected topics
• Anticipating and troubleshooting problems in Drama research
• Performance techniques for presenting drama research findings to an audience
• Interpersonal communications skills used to engage critically and creatively with an academic supervisor.   
• Design and complete a research project  
• Apply the appropriate methodology to the research project.
• Be able to engage critically and creatively with a research supervisor   
• Drawing on international and Australian examples, the subject will focus on how students might draw on such aspects as dramatic structure, story, plot, dialogue, monologue, character, conflict, dramatic action, facts and imagination, language and subtext, space and time to develop deeper insights into drama in theory and in practice.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

As a 300-level unit within the field of Drama, this unit allows students to demonstrate their expertise in the discipline. It provides opportunities to demonstrate advanced research skills and knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials, technologies and techniques in Drama. Students will be expected to work independently and students will have the opportunity to show leadership and creativity throughout the process of developing your project. Students will be required to participate in a self-chosen research project so that you can build on and develop the discipline knowledge they acquired during their 200-level study of drama.

This unit will be taught through face-to-face classes and/or through some multi-mode teaching. Students may attend lectures face-to-face and/or by accessing online recordings in order to ensure broad and ongoing access for all students to the key concepts and principles under examination. Formal lectures will present key theories such as those relating to theatre history, performance studies, practice-as-research, and applied theatre. Lectures will also model research and analytical skills. Online learning materials will include guided readings and synchronous and/or asynchronous discussions of key primary and secondary texts. Workshops will be face-to-face to enable students to experiment with the practical aspects of this course and engage with other learners. 

This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy.