Video as a self-assessment tool: Improving acting skills and monologue performance

The effectiveness of video with self-assessment to improve physical and vocal acting skills in monologue performance was examined. Self-assessment is an effective learning strategy, particularly when combined with a rubric. The decreasing cost and versatility of digital video is superseding older analog equipment. Teachers use video in the performing arts principally to present projects and archive performances. This study provides a foundation for research combining video and self-assessment as a tool to improve acting skills. Thirty student actors from two theatre organizations were randomly assigned to three groups in a quantitative experimental study. Participants were videotaped performing a monologue, twice. Between the two performances each group rehearsed; completed a self-evaluation rubric and rehearsed; or viewed their first videotaped performance, completed the rubric, and then rehearsed. Two evaluators reviewed and scored the videotaped performances using an evaluation rubric. It was hypothesized that the group which viewed their videotaped performances would improve their performances significantly over the control and second experimental groups. No significant difference in improvement was found between the three groups (ANOVA p = ≤0.5). All participants in each group improved and the control group improved more than the two experimental groups. Survey responses, narrative comments and demographic data contributed to the study's secondary goal: to develop principles and guidelines instructors should consider when using video in their classrooms as a self-assessment tool. Demographic data showed no statistically significant difference between male or female participants and a trend emerged suggesting that students with junior or senior acting level experience would benefit from self-assessment with video. Most student actors improved in this study, but students may need more than a freshman or sophomore level of acting skills to be able to identify and correct weaknesses in their own performance. However, participants reported the usefulness of the videotaping of both performances, whether they viewed their first performance or not, the self-evaluation rubric, and rehearsal. The video was a positive motivational tool. Implications are that instructors can replicate or modify the self-evaluation instrument and use of video in this study to improve competency-based acting skills in a traditional, hybrid, or fully online course.