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Certificate | Literature and Theater

Certificate Literature & Theater

 

Coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck
North American Studies | English Department

 

General Information

In a number of other countries (USA, Canada, Netherlands...) and even in some parts of Germany, schools have begun offering classes in Drama, Theater, or Performing Arts; corresponding teacher training programs are offered at the university level in these countries. Since at least 2007, Baden-Württemberg has considered offering Theater as an additional subject in the fine arts alongside Music and Art. So far, though, these plans have been tabled due to concerns that there are no trained theater teachers in the workforce and that training in theatrical pedagogy would be too expensive. This certificate, with its combination of didactic, pedagogical, and purely technical material, therefore not only supports the elective "Literature and Theater", but can also help to prepare for the integration of Theater as a third subject in the fine arts.

The only concrete plans for Theater as a school subject in Baden-Württemberg are in the context of the Oberstufe elective "Literature and Theater", which does not require additional training. Beginning in the 2022 Summer term, interested students may obtain a corresponding certificate organized by the Philological Faculty. The certificate program is designed for students hoping to become teachers. The program's structure is designed in accordance with the modular layout of the regular Lehramt programs (cf. Prüfungsordnung).

 

 

BACKGROUND

A plethora of studies on theater in schools has made it clear that the use of performative and stage-inspired teaching/learning methods can have significant benefits for effective instruction. Students react overwhelmingly positively to these methods and engage more actively with the material. This holds not only for linguistically oriented subjects, but also for scientific instruction. A more interactive, theatrically-oriented instructional methodology was adopted as part of Baden-Württemberg's curriculum for language instruction in 2016.

Historically, pedagogical engagement with the theater has been understood primarily as a means of enabling students' participation in the cultural life of the art form. Beyond that, transferable insights into performativity enable students to recognize and critically reflect performative mechanisms in daily life. In light of the omnipresence of staging practices in our medial, social, and political environment, in daily encounters with social media, film, and television, this is an immensely important capacity. As such, critical engagement with dramatic and performative practices plays an appropriately significant role in the design of the certificate.

 

 

PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS & POTENTIAL COURSES

  • Theater and performance studies

Students can receive credit for technical (i.e. non-pedagogical) courses in any subject area, provided that they conform to the scope and the content listed in the Prüfungsordnung under Section 3. Structure. The majority of potential courses are offered by the philological departments or by the Department of Educational Science.

Courses offered as part of the FACE network with the Pädagogische Hochschule and the Musikhochschule as well as courses at EUCOR partner universities in Mulhouse, Strasbourg and Basel or course certificates from time spent abroad can all be recognized as part of the certificate upon consultation with the program coordinator.

  • Theatrical pedagogy / didactics

The same regulations that apply to theater and performance studies apply here—with the additional permission to integrate pedagogical/didactic courses offered by other institutions.

  • Theatrical practice

Praxis-based or -relevant competence and experience can be acquired as part of individual agreements with, for example, theaters and theater groups in greater Freiburg.

 

 

COURSE REGISTRATION

You can find a catalogue of University of Freiburg courses which fulfill requirements for the certificate here. If a relevant course is missing from the catalogue, please the coordinator.

For courses that are part of a student's regular course of studies, the usual course registration procedure (usually over HISinOne) applies. Students are asked simply to provide documentation of course completion via their transcript of records.

Registration for courses offered as part of the BOK program (Berufsfeldorienterte Kompetenzen) is managed by the Center for Key Qualifications (ZfS).

For courses outside of a student's regular study program, registration must be arranged directly with the instructor(s). These students will be provided a form by the end of the semester with which instructors can verify their course participation.

The current process for certificate acquisition is somewhat archaic: students accumulate the necessary ECTS points, provide the relevant documentation to the coordinator, and receive their certificate.

 

 

ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION IN THEATER (PH)

In special cases, students at the university may be admitted to the additional certification in Theater offered by the Pädagogische Hochschule as part of the FACE cooperation in teacher training. Admission is possible in consultation with .

 

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