Journal of Music, Technology & Education - Volume 16, Issue 3, 2023

Access to professional learning (PL) accompanied by digital technologies was a game changer for educators during COVID-19. This was no different for Australian music educators, whose roles were redefined by their use of music technology and information and communication technologies (ICT). In this article the authors present questionnaire data from their ongoing study ‘Re-imagining the future: Music teaching and learning, and ICT in blended environments in Australia’. They ask the question: How can using the DELP (Device, Software and Tools; Environment; Learning Focus; and Pedagogy) quadrant facilitate PL to support teacher agency and relevance across diverse learning contexts? Reflecting on a recent paper presentation at the 2024 SEMPRE Music Education Technology Conference (The University of Hull, UK) they refined the previously published DELP quadrant drawing on findings from a Qualtrics survey. The survey was administered across three phases (Phase 1, n = 109, 2021; Phase 2, n = 105, 2022; Phase 3, n = 116, 2023). Using thematic analysis across the three phases of the study, five themes are discussed. From the findings we use the metaphor of a PL café menu where teachers select and consume their PL preferences. We recommend our Music Technology and ICT Café Menu as an effective way for music educators to consume PL providing flexibility, authenticity and agency that is cost-effective regardless of location. We argue that sustainable PL can be provided with more efficiency and relevance when the DELP quadrant and Music Technology and ICT Menu meet the consumption needs of teachers to keep them full and satisfied while nourishing their professional growth. Generalizations cannot be made from this national study as we only focused on music educators, a limitation given the small sample size (n = 330) only focusing on one discipline area. Nonetheless the conceptualization of café menu can be adopted and adapted to other learning areas.

This article presents a pedagogical intervention aimed at fostering the development of future proactive citizens who are more aware of their acoustic surroundings, using students’ sonic environments as the foundation. The research focuses on evaluating sound perception processes in relation to the personal sound environment, along with the use of digital technologies, such as software for recording, editing, transforming, mixing and playing sounds, as well as group music creation through collaborative work. The study employed a qualitative programme evaluation design to assess the impact of this educational intervention. A total of 21 students, aged 9–10, participated in 30 sessions, each lasting one hour, including classroom lessons and field trips, both in large groups and in work groups. In addition, two pre-service teachers and one external observer were involved. The activities were structured into three distinct phases: sensitization, exploration and collaborative artistic creation. The findings indicate a notable improvement in students’ sound perception, alongside a high degree of integration of collaborative skills. Furthermore, the digital tools used were effective in both developing technological competencies and fostering creativity through sound-based artistic creation.

The main aim of this article is to evaluate the academic performance, motivation and level of technological acceptance of preservice primary music teachers. An integrated gamified resource has been designed with course content, based on a gamified system capable of tracking progress and examining academic performance, motivation and technological acceptance of the model created. The study sample comprises 58 music students in the final year of the Primary Education Degree at University CEU Cardenal Spínola (Seville, Spain). The methodology adopted was based on a pre-experimental design with a single group. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were used to measure academic performance, in addition to the Reduced Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (RIMMS) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology Model (UTAUT) as instruments for measuring motivation and technological acceptance. Results revealed statistically significant differences in both academic performance and student motivation. A significant positive correlation was also identified between level of motivation and technological acceptance. Findings support the effectiveness of gamification as a pedagogical approach to enhance learning and foster motivation in the educational context.

The present text describes the indicators of a Readability Index for Music: the RIM. These indicators are the result of a model, built based on cognitive and mathematical concepts that assess the complexity of written music. Understanding readability as the ease with which we read a text, the RIM is designed to improve the perception of this feature in written music. Its construction is based on recent literature from music cognition, and it evaluates the syntactic complexity of a musical fragment using tools from information theory, such as Shannon’s entropy. The model provides five indicators of complexity in written music. After computer testing and a case study of a fragment of Beethoven’s Largo, ‘Piano Concerto No. 3’, we conclude that these indicators reflect difficulty features in western music; according to the music cognition literature. Also, these show minimal interdependence, as reported in statistical analysis in arts. The RIM is useful for music educators that can now compare complexity in written music, and assess its difficulty more homogeneously.