Moving Practical Music Instruction into a Web-based Course Environment by Alan Anderson and Allan Ellis School of Social Sciences Southern Cross University.

Moving Practical Music Instruction into a Web-based Course Environment

by

Alan Anderson and Allan Ellis

School of Social Sciences

Southern Cross University

Australia

AUSWEB04

Overview

1. A proprietary course management system, Blackboard™, used to develop a Web-based course environment for a group of music students (drums performance major) at SCU.

2. First real attempt at SCU to provide Web-based support for learning practical music skills.

3. Assisted by recent advances in desktop video technology & SCU broadband network.

4. This paper reports findings arising from the development and implementation of the unit Practical Music Studies OnLine (PMSOL)

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Practical Music Studies Online (PMSOL) in a Blackboard™ course shell

• Previous research cycles (Anderson & Ellis, 2001; 2002; 2003) - Students of various instruments reported video files enhanced learning

•The present study helped explore how the course shell’s self-contained facilities for teachers & students to communicate & upload media could further enhance the desktop video assisted learning experience.

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First attempt at Web-based support for learning practical music skills at SCU

Why not attempted previously?

•Traditional emphasis on one-on-one tuition underlying some doubt about the idea of practical music teaching via Web.

•Technical constraints, some real, some not as limiting (pedagogically) as anticipated

•Various technical strategies for integration of video files were subsequently explored

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Practical Music Studies Online External Links Page (to video files)

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Web or CD-ROM and DVD?

Options to embed hyperlinks to:1. DVD and/or Video CD-ROMs 2. Files on server that can be quickly refined and uploaded in

response to student feedback?

A combination seems ideal with only final, refined versions of Frequently Asked for Videos (Anderson & Ellis 2002) being distributed in large numbers on CD-ROM and DVD

During this study we found the Web-based environment worked well as a lab for video resource works-in-progress

Stakeholder participation central to continuous improvement

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Author: Student TDSubject: movie 2Yeah cool.I would like to see the camera zoom in while Dave's flamming, stick height for a while, butfinger technique too. The front on view was cool. No offence Dave, but we dont need to see hishead while he is demonstrating, the hands are important. Its just a little too far away. As alearning tool, i think it is pretty good. The scan in the transcription page is pretty dodge, cant seeit too well.

Author: Teacher DS:Subject: Re: movie 2

I think my head is very good!

Author: Student CMSubject: Re: movie 2

haha...definately could do without daves head... with u all the way todd. Maybe you could superinpose another head onto daves body... maybe a jedi woman or something?

Author: Student RMSubject: Re: movie 2

can't believe it the last two messages were almost entertaining, yeah close up on the handswould be good, plz don't ever do the whole artistic drum video thing where the camera does allthese dodgey effects cause they don't teach they fusturate + then i would have to write in and sayhow much it sucked. the whole online thing is a good idea though

Extracts of student discussion and critique in forum

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Main Findings• Supports previous research, that desktop video can enhance

learning, especially inter-lesson practice

•Bb course shell makes for convenient compartmentalisation of video files and supporting documents and music notation

•Some evidence that self-contained features - student Web page templates & forums helped foster a community of learners…and so enhanced the desktop video assisted learning experience

•Student freedom to upload can lead to inadvertent breaches of copyright

•Some students cautioned that video-enhanced Web-based music teaching and learning can enhance but should not replace one-on-one tuition which they saw as fundamental to their learning

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Other issues

• During preparation stage: teacher found one-way style of presentation for the purpose of recording video initially challenging.

• Normally accustomed to two-way interactive workshop where questions drive the process.

• Conclusion: communication skills must be adapted to suit.

The End

For More Information contact:

Alan Anderson [email protected]

Allan Ellis [email protected]

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Further Research and Development

• Further research and development of Web-based music (and other) courses is underway, some to be supplemented by real-time videoconferencing

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Anderson program for remote musical instrument instruction

1. Video-enhanced online course environment

2. Supported by Videoconference mediated lessons

To Right: Videoconferencing at Uni of Oklahoma (Shephard, 2000) Internet 2