Critical Analysis Process

In class this week we discussed the critical analysis process which is outlines in the Ontario Arts curriculum. This is a process for students to follow in order to respond in an intelligent and informed way to drama and other art forms. The process involves four core steps: initial reflection,  description, analysis and interpretation, and expression of aesthetic judgement and then there is the stage of considering cultural context which is ongoing throughout the process. In class we did a jigsaw activity to define each of the processes and our definitions were as follows:

Initial Reaction: A person's first impression (there are no right/wrong answers)

Description: Simply describing what they see or hear without any further analysis

Analysis and Interpretation: Includes analyzing and interpreting the work and reflecting on the work. In order to make connections to other works, strategies, and themselves.

Expression: Students reflect on their analysis, compare it to their own lives and other works and consider whether they have learned anything that they can apply to their own works.

Consideration of Cultural Context: Considering how a person's worldview and contextual perspective affects their interpretation and creation in the arts.

The Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). The Critical Analysis Process (Diagram). Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18b09curr.pdf