Transforming the College Music Classroom

Judith Bowman, Ph.D.

School of Music

Duquesne University

This presentation focuses on a paradigm shift in the nature of the college classroom achieved through two uses of current technology. "Course processing" employs a hypertext syllabus as both presentation tool and student notebook to circumvent the scratch and scribble in the classroom. The "Electronic Cafe" is a computer-based log which extends classroom discussion. Taken together they change the nature of the classroom experience and set the stage for higher order thinking and reflection by students.

Related issues including the media enhanced classroom, required to support this approach, and administrative support for this type of faculty activity are addressed.

Introduction

The computer can transform teaching and learning when it becomes integral to the classroom experience, enhancing both teacher presentation and student participation.

Instructional innovations involving two simple uses of existing technology can move the college music classroom toward a 21st Century paradigm:

Course Processing

I used the course processing approach to develop and teach two graduate level "academic" music education courses, Foundations of Music Education and Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning. This approach involves preparation of materials for presentation, not CAI development. Course processing addresses the entire class, while CAI is typically created for part of a class.

By using the computer as an integral part of the classroom experience I hoped to transform the college teaching and learning environment . Among my goals were jumping over the "scratch & scribble" in the classroom, gaining increased focus on content during class sessions, and achieving more thoughtful class discussions. While the more academically oriented music courses are less often cited in research literature on technological innovations, they can accommodate technologies used in other disciplines as well as those more directly related to music instruction. Although various technologies such as multimedia have been integrated into these academic music classes for presentations of specific topics, few of the applications are used for the duration of an entire course and few have been documented in research literature.

My existing class syllabus and lecture notes formed the basis for a hypertext document. To develop an interactive syllabus I used Guide, a hypertext authoring system. The basic tools of this system are buttons: buttons contain a topic or idea and expand into expositions of those topics. They may also contain graphics that represent the idea (e.g., diagrams, scanned images, musical examples), while "hotspots" in the exposition provide links to related topics and ideas.

I began with a course outline which I developed into a presentation format using expansion buttons, electronic footnotes, and reference links. Expansion buttons open an outline heading to reveal additional layers of information; these might include a general explanation of the major heading followed by subheadings, each of which is also expandable. Electronic footnotes display definitions and citations; reference links provide access to related topics.

I added timelines created in a paint program and included graphics, scanned images, and sound. I accessed musical examples by means of a command button that launched a music program for playback on a synthesizer module.

The hypertext syllabus becomes a springboard for class discussion: I display it during class sessions and develop concepts using its nonsequential capabilities. This enables me to focus on content rather than on information delivery, and transforms the traditional "lecture" into a discussion and clarification of ideas. Students can concentrate on content without needing to take notes, since they have access to the subject matter of each class through the hypertext syllabus and can print out "Guidelines" for their own use.

The second element of the class is the "electronic cafe," a forum for extended discussion. Ideally this would be implemented on a network, but since that is not currently available to me, I use a word processed document in which students can pose questions, comment on previous class discussions, and respond to each others' questions and comments. Students are required to post one message each week, and some issues they raise may be discussed in subsequent class sessions.

Technical Support

A media-enhanced classroom is required to support this kind of instructional approach. I use a customized portable computer lectern system that contains a Macintosh IIsi, LCD computer display, overhead projector, synthesizer module, keyboard controller, and speakers. The portable system is easily stored in a lab and can be moved and set up in about twenty minutes. Other classroom modifications include a projection screen, adjustable track lighting, and window blinds.

Course Evaluation

My criteria for evaluating the courses included course preparation and delivery, student experiences with the hypertext syllabus, and development of responses both in class discussions and in the "electronic cafe."

From the perspective of the teacher this approach is a better way to prepare and present class material: it provides focus in the classroom and allows teacher and students to jump over the "scratch and scribble."

The computer "disappears" as it becomes an integral part of the classroom environment and eases focus on content exposition, explanation, and discussion. An overall sense of the course is conveyed simply and powerfully through outlines and graphical representations of concepts. Concepts are then developed from these initial impressions through the use of expansion buttons and hotspot links, and a quick summary can be created by collapsing the text back to its outline form. The flow of thought need not be interrupted to dictate notes more slowly, spell a name, or draw an illustration on the blackboard. It is also flexible, since the entire course need not be in final form: charts, timelines, and musical examples can be added at any time. These materials are always in progress: they can be updated as needed.

Since students do not need to take notes they can focus on content and participate in class discussion. This is a particular advantage for international students. The hypertext syllabus, which contains the instructor's lecture notes, constitutes a basic notebook which students can then supplement with materials of their choice.

The "electronic cafe" extends classroom discussions and provides a safe environment for students who are hesitant to speak in public. Because it imposes no time limit on the formulation and expression of ideas, it elicits more extensive, thoughtful, and sophisticated responses than are ordinarily possible in the classroom.

At the end of each semester, fall and spring, I conducted a survey to discover students' reactions to their class experience and the ways they used the hypertext syllabus. Information gathered included the students' overall experiences in class, the ways they used their "Guidelines," the impact of the approach on class preparation, and the effect of the "electronic cafe" on their participation in class discussion. Finally, they were encouraged to add other comments relevant to the class.

All nine students in the Foundations of Music Education course were graduate music education students. The twenty-three students in the Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning class constituted a more diverse group that included twelve graduate music education students, four graduate students in the performance program, and seven junior and senior level music therapy students.

Responses to how this class seemed like or unlike other classes in terms of lecture/presentation, ease of understanding content, and opportunities for participation revealed the following:

Table 1

OVERALL CLASS EXPERIENCE

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

As indicated in Table 1, most students felt that the approach used for both classes helped them to focus on content and promoted participation during class. A majority thought the hypertext syllabus aided their understanding, while a few students in one class preferred to take their own notes.

Of particular interest was ways in which students would use their "Guidelines." Most students checked at least two uses each, resulting in the following:

Table 2

USING GUIDELINES

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

As shown in Table 2, most students used the Guidelines in printout form and in conventional ways. A few studied at the computer and took advantage of special features of the program.

In the Foundations of Music Education course (N=9), 55 percent of the students said their outside work differed because of the approach used in class, while 44 percent said it did not. Most of those who said yes felt that the hypertext syllabus focused their attention on the important material and allowed them to relax and concentrate on content rather than worry about taking the right notes in class. In the Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning course (N=23), 61 percent said their outside work differed; 39 percent said it did not. Of the 61 percent, over two-thirds gave positive responses primarily with regard to the focus provided by the hypertext syllabus. Three persons felt they prepared less because they had the hypertext notes, and two found it more difficult to study from "pre-prepared" notes. One person "created a new method of study: use Guidelines at the computer to quiz myself before exams. Look at outline and be able to recall underlying information."

In the Foundations of Music Education course, 55 percent felt that the "electronic cafe" increased their participation in class discussions while 44 percent felt it did not. One person said that it afforded the opportunity to articulate one's ideas more clearly; others liked the opportunity to read each others' comments about problems in teaching. Others preferred in-class discussion or felt they would have participated in any case. In the Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning course, 39 percent said the "electronic cafe" increased their participation in class discussions while 56 percent said it did not. Positive responses included a preference for this medium by a person who does not "talk out often in class" and appreciation for a forum for issues not directly related to class content. Students enjoyed hearing from more people than would be possible in class due to the size of the group. Because of busy teaching or performing schedules a few persons had difficulty getting to the lab to participate, and one preferred in-class discussions.

The "Other comments" category produced a repetition of many of the previously stated comments, with predominantly positive remarks on the helpfulness of the hypertext syllabus and the "electronic cafe," as well as a few remarks about the difficulty of reading the electronic display.

The "electronic cafe" developed during each semester from simple requests for clarification addressed to the teacher to original thoughts, personal feelings, and requests for class discussions. It elicited more extensive and more sophisticated responses than are usually given in the classroom setting. Early entries responded to questions posed in the hypertext syllabus and commented on assigned readings; later comments became more reflective and students began soliciting opinions from other class members.

During the fall the Foundations of Music Education group began to discuss political issues, to apply class content to teaching situations, and to challenge the articles they read. In addition, a growing awareness of the importance of a thoughtfully developed philosophy began to emerge.

During the spring, students in the Psychology class began early in the semester to respond to each others' comments and continued this until the end, perhaps because of the size and diversity of the group. They raised numerous issues about music learning problems including their own difficulties. These students also applied class content to their teaching or clinical situations. An early mutual appreciation of the complementary work of music educators and music therapists appeared and continued throughout the semester, with considerable interest expressed in increased collaboration between these two groups.

Classroom discussion alone could not have accommodated this volume of communication, nor could it have provided the continuity that allowed development of various lines of thought.

Administrative Support

Design, development, and use of these classroom materials constitutes a powerful form of classroom research and advances the use of the computer as an educational tool, extending its research use into the teaching arena. Faculty who use the computer in this way are teaching in a scholarly sense, and this kind of activity must be recognized as a new kind of scholarship.

In Scholarship Reconsidered (1991), Boyer advocates enlarging the meaning of teaching to give it equal weight with research in the promotion and tenure process. He recommends that colleges recognize a "mosaic of talent" that would accommodate faculty with primary emphases either in research or in teaching. This constitutes a paradigm shift that has the potential to revitalize higher education through changes in the nature of the classroom and in faculty development.

Promotion and tenure policies must support greater use of computer technology by rewarding professors for developing materials for classroom use. These materials represent the scholar's understanding of the subject matter, and they should become part of the documentation in the promotion and tenure process. The hypertext syllabus provides evidence both of scholarship and of the professor's teaching approach; the "electronic cafe" documents the development of student thinking throughout the course.

Teaching portfolios should be developed in which these materials are used both to document teaching and learning and to highlight the scholarship of teaching with technology. Lee Shulman of Stanford University maintains that master teachers have a command of the "pedagogy of substance," that is, ways of transforming concepts into terms particular students can understand. His view, taken together with Boyer's recommendation for a broad view of scholarship, constitutes a concept of teaching as scholarship. The portfolio can be an effective vehicle for showcasing this kind of scholarship.

The American Association for Higher Education (1991) recommends that professors' teaching portfolios contain "...artifacts and examples of what they actually do...accompanied by faculty commentary and explanation that reveal not only what was done but why, the thinking behind the teaching" (p. 4). Peter Seldin (1991) argues that the portfolio is to teaching what lists of publications are to research and scholarship. He recommends that a portfolio display the teacher's best work, using samples of teaching performance accompanied by reflective commentary.

Since appropriate uses of teaching portfolios are just now being studied, the Association suggests that they first be used in teaching award or merit pay decisions, and later incorporated into promotion and tenure materials. Portfolio development may be an effective approach to the issue of recognition of classroom technology use as well. Systematic evaluation and data collection, reporting of results in scholarly papers and publications, and display of this work in teaching portfolios may well strengthen the case for recognition of such efforts in the reward system.

Summary

The approach described in this paper explores the power of computers in education through development of classroom-specific materials and electronic discussions. It is accessible for most faculty, since it begins with one's existing class syllabus and lecture notes. It pushes against some current parameters of higher education and creates new paradigms that can transform college classroom environments.

Selected References