(close this window to return to the JDMLS Site)


Characteristics of Performance
From Grant Wiggins, CLASS 1994 workshop publication

Performance requires:
1. A repertoire; good judgement, adaptiveness, in light of a complex goal.
2. A 'whole' work that is more than the sum of its parts, fluid performance, sum of drills.
3. Opportunity to personalize; the work reveals a 'voice,' style, or 'signature' (while solving the problems at hand).
4. Rehearsals, refinement, feedback, revision, multiple opportunities to demonstrate control: known criteria and standards, multiple opportunities to demonstrate control.
5. Nonscriptable responses, not pat responses to exercises; mastery occurs via attention to criteria and standards, not by obeying recipes and step-by-step instructions only.
6. That impact, not process, is the key criterion. Performance is typically judged: by the effect on a real audience-in a specific context, whether it 'worked' to achieve the performer's intent and/or the audience/consumer's expectation.
7. That an excellent performance may likely have minor errors. The response to (and graceful/effective recovery from) error is often more important than the errors made.
8. Eventual autonomy-the coach on the sideline-where the performer can self-adjust.