MOVEMENT PRACTICES AND PEDAGOGIES - 2025/6

Module Overview

This first module lays the foundation for the entire MA Movement Direction programme, providing students with robust introduction to understanding the body and a thorough grounding in key movement practices from a range of cultural perspectives. Students are introduced to inclusive and sustainable pedagogical approaches and develop their movement knowledge, understanding, and teaching practice and experience . Learning from this module will be developed and applied in subsequent modules throughout the programme.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

BIRCH-LAWSON Rachel (GSA)

Number of Credits: 45

ECTS Credits: 22.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Incorporating three components: Understanding the Body, Movement Practices, and Pedagogical Approaches, this module will provide a coherent and contemporary understanding of the body, such as knowledge of anatomy, physiology, psychology, and training principles, and invite students to apply this in the context of actor-performer teaching. It will introduce key movement practices and practitioners, such as Laban, Bartenieff Fundamentals, BMC, and Feldenkrais, and explore perspectives from a range of cultures allowing students to experience and build their knowledge of a diverse range of movement practices. Students will be introduced to inclusive pedagogical approaches and apply these to the development of their own teaching practice.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Coherent and integrated knowledge of the body and selected movement practices.


• Effective communication in written, verbal, and physical form.


• Integrated understanding of pedagogical approaches and the ability to prepare and deliver appropriate movement teaching experiences.


• Skills in facilitation and leadership


• An ability to critically reflect on process and outcome.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

A 20-minute presentation + Viva/Q&A of key knowledge from the module component Understanding the Body, providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and develop their presentation and delivery skills; delivery of a 40-minute Movement Practices workshop with accompanying documentation + Viva/Q&A, allowing students to apply their learning in a practical setting and articulate their knowledge in practical, written, and verbal forms; and a critically reflective analysis (2,000 words) of the module and the student¿s learning , encouraging students to reflect and evaluate their learning and contextualise their understanding.

Formative assessment is embedded within the learning and teaching for this module, and may include: in-class verbal feedback, presentation of draft work (practical and written), questioning and dialogue, facilitated peer-to-peer feedback and group discussion, tutorials, engagement with the online learning environment . Students will engage with feedback in a range of ways, both giving and receiving feedback and developing their critical, reflective, and self-reflective skills, as well as adjusting their work and process in response to external feedback and self-reflection. Students will be supported to develop the critical and reflective skills necessary for the programme, developing a resourceful and adaptive practice and developing the reactive and proactive skills necessary for the movement director and teacher.

Module aims

• Introduce students to theoretical and practical understanding of key movement practices, deepening their embodied knowledge and diversifying their understanding of movement for the actor-performer.
• Provide students with a coherent and contemporary knowledge and understanding of the body.
• Facilitate students to understand and engage with inclusive pedagogical approaches and to develop skills in the development and delivery of movement teaching.
• Stimulate critical reflection and evaluation of theory and practice.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to

Equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to deliver a range of movement teaching possibilities. Through providing a grounding in a range of perspectives and practices, students will develop a holistic and informed understanding of movement teaching and the ability to synthesise this to create their own teaching approaches. Seminars and practical classes will provide key information and knowledge, with contextual reading, and discussion allowing students to develop their skills in research, analysis, and evaluation.

This module will also introduce two key principles that carry through the MA Movement Direction programme: the importance of research and discussion, including use of the virtual learning environment; and of self-reflection and evaluation, encouraging students to be flexible, resourceful, and adaptable in their approaches.

The learning and teaching methods include: Seminars and practical classes to gain knowledge of key skills and knowledge in movement practices and pedagogies; observation to allow students to experience this work in applied and real-world context; independent research and study to support students to deepen their understanding, work independently, and reflect and evaluate their practice; and peer-to-peer observation and tutorials to support students to critically reflect and evaluate their work, engage in discussion, appreciate different perspectives, and adapt to feedback and evolving situations.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MOVM006

Other information

GSA delivers its provision across three teaching blocks, within the University of Surrey's existing semester structure.

Guildford School of Acting is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital Capabilities:

Students develop their digital skills and literacy throughout the module. They are introduced to the virtual learning environment and required to make use of online resources including online research, engagement with discussion forums, submission of digital work (video, written) for formative and summative assessment.

Global and Cultural Capabilities:

Module content incorporates perspectives and practices from a range of cultures; through conversations around culture, appreciation, and appropriation students are encouraged to diversify their knowledge and reflect on different experiences; through peer-to-peer learning students are encouraged to share and learn from each other¿s personal and cultural knowledge and perspectives; and inclusive approaches such as principles-based teaching are central to the pedagogies component, further developing students¿ sustainable movement practice.

Employability

Students directly gain skills and experience in movement teaching, equipping them for careers in movement direction, teaching, and coaching.

Resourcefulness and Resilience

Students are guided to develop the ability reflect, evaluate, adapt, and respond flexibly to unforeseen circumstances throughout the module and particularly in their development of teaching skills and experience and through the integration of self-reflective assessment.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.