In Harmony: A technology-based music education model to enhance musical understanding and general learning skills

Type: journal article

Authors: Adena Portowitz, Kylie A. Peppler, Mike Downton

Abstract
This article reports on the practice and evaluation of a music education model, In Harmony, which utilizes new technologies and current theories of learning to mediate the music learning experience. In response to the needs of twenty-first century learners, the educational software programs Teach, Learn, Evaluate! and Impromptu served as central components of the program’s curriculum. Moreover, drawing on educational theories that value general learning skills as prerequisites to scholastic achievement, the In Harmony program provided a context in which students could improve their working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility. The model was adopted internationally in Bloomington, IN and Jaffa, Israel, and featured individual tasks administered through computer software, as well as group music composition activities. By incorporating computer technology within the program’s design, and targeting the abovementioned learning skills, we sought to strengthen the impact of the music lessons and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms linking music education and enhanced cognitive development. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the children’s working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility, as well as qualitative analyses of data collected during the intervention, indicated that the In Harmony model and the educational software used successfully scaffold musical instruction, with beneficial outcomes in fostering working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility.

URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0255761413517056

Associated tags
metadata ▸ material ▸ Teach,Learn, Evaluate!
metadata ▸ material ▸ Improptu
metadata ▸ contribution ▸ Evaluation
metadata ▸ year ▸ 2014
technological dimension ▸ applications ▸ Desktop
technological dimension ▸ input technologies ▸ Mouse, keyboard
technological dimension ▸ system outputs ▸ Audio
technological dimension ▸ system outputs ▸ Visual
musical dimension ▸ activities ▸ Creating
musical dimension ▸ activities ▸ Responding
pedagogical dimension ▸ learning theories ▸ Constructivism
pedagogical dimension ▸ learning theories ▸ Cognitivism
pedagogical dimension ▸ users ▸ Pre-school, primary
pedagogical dimension ▸ venues ▸ Classroom