Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION

Literature Review: Technology in Music Education Doug Smith ETEC 532, UBC

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION Annotated Bibliography Wise, S., Greenwood, J., & Davis, N. (2011). Teachers use of digital technology in secondary music education: Illustrations of changing classrooms. British Journal of Music Education, 28(02), 117134. doi:10.1017/S0265051711000039

This qualitative study looks at how music technology is integrated into secondary school music programs in New Zealand, and how the teachers perceive that technology enhances their programs. The study covers low, middle and high social economic standing demographics and does a good job of presenting differing views from schools with different music focuses. The technologies used were mostly computer based with notation software and loop creation software, where some teachers saw distinct benefits in not only using the technology but also changing their pedagogical practice, while other teachers viewed the technology as teaching enhancers. Student input was not used in the study.

Ho, W. (2004). Use of information technology and music learning in the search for quality education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(1), 5767. doi:10.1111/j.14678535.2004.00368.x This study attempts to determine the effect that information technology has in music education by looking at three factors: effectiveness compared to traditional music pedagogy; whether or not teaching practices are improved; and if students interest in learning music is increased. The study was done in Hong Kong with 30 teachers and 543 of their students in grades 2 to 12. There was an even distribution of positive and negative feedback from teachers as to the effects of IT in their music programs, but a large majority of students saw IT as a way to increase their interest. The authors propose that with more professional development and a more holistic approach, IT in music education can be even more effective. This follows a common theme brought up in discussions around professional development.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION

Bauer, W., Reese, S., & McAllister, P. (2003). Transforming music teaching via technology: the role of professional development. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51(4), 289 301. Bauer et al. looked at what effects training had on teachers, in terms of their knowledge, comfort, and frequency of use of music technology in their teaching. The study contained 203 participants from the USA, using a Likert-type questionnaire as the measurement instrument for a pretest/posttest before and after completing a 1 week summer music technology workshop, along with a 10 month follow-up. All three indicators of effectiveness were improved with professional development, although there was a significant drop between posttest and the follow-up. Unfortunately, only 63 of the 203 participants completed the entire study. The study suggests that on-going professional development is needed to fully take advantage of workshops and training.

Smith, K. H. (2011). Using Audacity and one classroom computer to experiment with timbre. General Music Today, 24(3), 2327. In this peer-reviewed paper, Smith investigates how free computer software can be used to analyze and create music using technology. Smith presents three different lesson plans on using the software Audacity for learning about timbre, analyzing timbre, and then using creation tools in order to create new timbres. These investigations are significant in that they offer a new way to learn about music using technology, and are examples of how music teachers can use computers creatively. The paper does not report any results from using these lessons in the classroom so it is not clear how effective they are. However, the paper is interesting in its exploration of new boundaries in music education.

Savage, J. (2007). Reconstructing music education through ICT. Research in Education Manchester, 78(1), 6577. This main purpose of this study was to document how new technologies are being used in education. The author looked at how students use technology and if a teachers pedagogy had changed with the introduction of technology. 18 schools in England were involved in the study, all of which were known to have competent music departments. The study used an initial questionnaire followed by interviews with select teachers. While the teachers saw many benefits with technology, they also identified problems with implementation. Furthermore, teachers indicated that traditional music skills suffered at the expense of newer ones. The study also showed that music technology in education was not keeping pace with practices outside of the classroom. This article gives some good insight, although much of the detail is specific to learning objectives in England, and the types of technology used are very varied.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION Chan, L. M. Y., Jones, A. C., Scanlon, E., & Joiner, R. (2006). The use of ICT to support the development of practical music skill through acquiring keyboard skills: a classroom study. Computers & Education, 46(4), 391406.

Chan et al.s study looked at the specific case of using technology to improve students keyboard skills. 36 students 13 to 14 years old participated in the pretest/posttest study, using the software Teach Me Piano Deluxe (TMP) over a period of 10 sessions. Testing looked at note naming, playing by ear, identifying notes on the keyboard, rhythm and performance. A delayed post-test was also performed along with qualitative results from activity sheets and self-reporting sheets. Using TMP resulted in significant improvement in music skills. Playing by ear was one skill that did not improve as much the others, likely due to the complexity of the task. This study is interesting in that it focuses in depth on a narrow topic in technology and goes into qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Thibeault, M. D. (2010). Hip-hop, digital media, and the changing face of music education. General Music Today, 24(1), 4649. doi:10.1177/1048371310379097 In his article, Thibeault puts forward the argument that current electronic music genres, such as hip hop, play an important cultural role in both our society and education system. Hip hop is a vital and integral part of everyday experience for many teenagers, including their educational experience. Thibeault hypothesizes that hip hop could be the best way to investigate trends in popular music, and therefore should be the subject of valuable scholarly work. Thibeault presents a convincing argument that naturally leads to the idea that hip hop should be studied by both teachers and students.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION Literature Review: Technology in Music Education

Music is a core curriculum in in education and can be a pivotal part of a childs education and learning about music and performing music is understood reasonably well. However, schools have been slow to adapt to changes in music culture, where new ways to be a musician, new ways to perform, and new music that is fundamentally different from what is offered in most music education programs (Thibeault, 2010, p. 46). In order to address the changing role of music in students culture, we should consider the pedagogy, practice and development of bringing technology into the classroom. The literature that I am reviewing was primarily found through searches on the ERIC database. I have focused on articles that originate from peer reviewed journals and which involve both quantitative and qualitative research, along with essays. Key search terms include music and technology, and searches were restricted to articles aligned to secondary school education. I will first discuss the importance of music technology in education, then I will consider the pedagogy and research involved when bringing technology into the music classroom. Finally, I will look at how teacher training is an important factor when incorporating new music technology. Music Education and Current Culture Educators are seeing low enrollment in traditional music education programs, with rates less than 20% (Demski, 2011). In addition to this, Demski (2011) says there is a feeling that students are more actively involved with music through listening, creating and playing, than ever before. The reason for this disparity between in-school and out of school participation in music could be rather simple in that students are not greatly interested in traditional music education: neither the music itself nor the process of learning and playing traditional instruments (Demski,

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION 2011; Thibeault, 2010). In order for increased interest in music, it is argued that curriculum change is necessary if the world of the classroom is going to keep pace with the world outside (as quoted in Wise, Greenwood, & Davis, 2011, p. 118). A shift in student interest would correspond to music education becoming more student centered (Wise et al., 2011). This shift

would reflect the idea of students as producers and could reap the benefits that are revealed from this transformation (Goldfarb, 2002). Vkev (2010) discusses the relevance of technology in music by drawing on the cultural, social and political underpinnings of Afrodiasporic music. Furthermore, Vkev sets out to convincingly argue that sampling and looping are an integral part of current music, saying they are examples of how todays digital musical practices can transform our conventional workcentred aesthetics (Vkev, 2010, p. 62). Just how important current music is to young students is exemplified by a story that Thibeault recounts, where his students in post-Katrina New Orleans assessed him by whether or not he listened to that Weezy [Lil Wayne] (Thibeault, 2010, p. 46). Perhaps the notion of technology in education is best encapsulated in the idea that transformative change in music reflects community values and that educating this change allows the students to turn a meaningful learning experience into a cultural change (Vkev, 2010). Pedagogy Questions of pedagogy in music technology are raised on at least two levels. First, there is the question of whether technology as a tool can improve music education, regardless if the music is traditional or contemporary. Chan, Jones, Scanlon, & Joiner (2006) set out to measure the effect of using computer software in learning keyboard skill and music understanding. Their qualitative study determined that the software resulted in significant improvement in note reading and rhythm skills, with no detrimental effects. Using software, however, did not have a

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION significant effect on playing by ear. Chan et al. concluded using ICT is appropriate for learning composing, performance and listening. Similar to this, a qualitative study of using ICT to learn composing showed positive results (Pitts & Kwami, 2002). Students showed increased interest in composition and they felt that the computer software offered fast and effective feedback. There is strong argument for using ICT within traditional music education, but there is not a lot of published research on this topic and more modes of ICT, other than the use of software, should be analyzed. The second question of incorporating technology in music is whether this is an effective way to bring contemporary music into educational programs. Wise et al. (2011) conducted a qualitative study in New Zealand that looked at this issue, and how technology could fit within music programs across different demographics. The authors concluded that the students

learning experience was enhanced by incorporating technology. Furthermore, Wise et al. (2011) noted that several teachers experienced a pedagogical shift as a result of the technology they incorporated. Ho (2004) found a similar pedagogical shift in his study, where teachers were moderately reserved in their adoption of technology, while at the same time the students appreciated the new methodology. Other literature looks at more revolutionary change in music education, such as how lessons and instruction can be constructed around the use of music creation software (Smith, 2011) or how recording studios can be incorporated into school (Schwartz, 2010). While Wise et al. (2011) provide a strong analysis of the pedagogy in music technology, much of the literature on new ICT methods in music education lack critical analysis (Criswell & Menasche, 2009; Schwartz, 2010; Smith, 2011). This is to be expected though, as these new technologies are being developed at a fast rate and assessment models may not be keeping pace. One theme that emerged from the literature on pedagogy, and specifically

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION mentioned by Ho (2004) in his conclusion, was the importance of professional development for effective pedagogy. Professional Development Much of the literature indicates how professional development needs to be a part of the pedagogical shift in music education when incorporating technology (Bauer, Reese, & McAllister, 2003; Ho, 2004; Savage, 2007). (Bauer, Reese, & McAllister, 2003) in their study specifically set out to look at what effects training had on teachers, in terms of their knowledge, comfort, and frequency of use of music technology in their teaching. Bauer et al. (2003) found

that effectiveness was improved with professional development, although there was a significant drop between posttest and the follow-up. These findings could also be considered a corollary of the need for a pedagogical shift. If we are to believe that a shift in teaching is desirable, it then follows that professional development will be required. Bauer et al.s (2003) study also suggests that on-going professional development is needed to fully take advantage of workshops and training. This is in-line with numerous other studies (not music related) that show the need for collaborative professional development (Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001; MacDonald, 2009; Ming et al., 2010). What the literature has not specifically accomplished yet is give us specific professional development models to follow for music technology. This could be a result of the fast-changing landscape of the music technology domain.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION Conclusion Analyzing technology in education from different points of view tells us that not only should traditional music practices be enhanced with technology, but that the very fabric of teaching current music to students necessarily involves technology. Recognizing a need for this shift, educators will need to be aware of the required changes to their pedagogy, and should be ready to accept the challenge and developmental needs for their shift to incorporating more technology. As technology becomes more entrenched in the typical music classroom, hopefully new research and case studies will help guide teachers and students in the most effective and efficient methodologies for their implementation.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION References

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Bauer, W., Reese, S., & McAllister, P. (2003). Transforming music teaching via technology: The role of professional development. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51(4), 289 301. Chan, L. M. Y., Jones, A. C., Scanlon, E., & Joiner, R. (2006). The use of ICT to support the development of practical music skill through acquiring keyboard skills: A classroom study. Computers & Education, 46(4), 391406. Criswell, C., & Menasche, E. (2009). Redefining music technology: A rough guide to a universe of possibilities. Teaching Music, 16(5), 30. Demski, J. (2011). Music instruction goes digital. Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 76(7), 1418. Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 91545. Goldfarb, B. (2002). Visual pedagogy: Media cultures in and beyond the classroom. Durham: Duke University Press. Ho, W. (2004). Use of information technology and music learning in the search for quality education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(1), 5767. doi:10.1111/j.14678535.2004.00368.x MacDonald, R. (2009). Supporting learner-centered ICT integration: The influence of collaborative and needs-based professional development. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 17(3), 315348.

Running Head: TECHNOLOGY IN MUSIC EDUCATION

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Ming, T. S., Murugaiah, P., Wah, L. K., Azman, H., Yean, T. L., & Sim, L. Y. (2010). Grappling with technology: A case of supporting Malaysian smart school teachers professional development. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 400416. Pitts, A., & Kwami, R. M. (2002). Raising students performance in music composition through the use of information and communications technology (ICT): A survey of secondary schools in england. British Journal of Music Education, 19(1), 6171. Savage, J. (2007). Reconstructing music education through ICT. Research in Education Manchester, 78(1), 6577. Schwartz, E. (2010). Idea bank: A classroom recording studio. Music Educators Journal, 97(1), 1113. Smith, K. H. (2011). Using Audacity and one classroom computer to experiment with timbre. General Music Today, 24(3), 2327. Thibeault, M. D. (2010). Hip-hop, digital media, and the changing face of music education. General Music Today, 24(1), 4649. doi:10.1177/1048371310379097 Vkev, L. (2010). Garage band or Garageband? remixing musical futures. British Journal of Music Education, 27(Special Issue 01), 5970. doi:10.1017/S0265051709990209 Wise, S., Greenwood, J., & Davis, N. (2011). Teachers use of digital technology in secondary music education: Illustrations of changing classrooms. British Journal of Music Education, 28(02), 117134. doi:10.1017/S0265051711000039