Authentic Learning Innovation in an Online Music Course

Here is a Web-based version of my EDULEARN10 conference presentation on the topic:

Authentic Learning Innovation in an Online Music Course

http://www.programhouse.com/webpres/phedulearn10pres1.htm

This Web-based PowerPoint presentation (optimized for the Internet Explorer browser) describes the rationale and strategy for an authentic learning innovation to improve the relevance of course activities that address adult learner needs. An online digital repository of authentic learning artifacts are used in an online music course (exploration of western classical music) as the first stage of an action research project for which user experience data collection will be performed.

Authentic learning in this context is based on an initial curriculum innovation in which traditional assessments (quizzes, essay assignments, etc.) of recall of facts and concepts about music composers and compositions are augmented by a series of online music resources (music scores, audio/video performances) that form the basis of discussion and project assignments in which learning is situated in the authentic practice domain of music (composition and performance).

Presented at the 10th Annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies in Barcelona (Spain), July 5-7, 2010.

Insights, experiences, and other comments welcome in reply,

Doc

NB: Here are links to the performance and score for the composition illustrated in the presentation:

Composition: Songs without Words, Op. 38, No. 6 Duetto (by Mendelssohn)

Performance: Emil Gilels (courtesy of vaimusic.com youtube channel)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQtLgjZCEbQ&feature=channel_page

Score: (public domain from Petrucci Library)

http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/c/c1/IMSLP00653-Songs_Without_Words__Op_38.pdf

(note: scroll score down to page 20 for beginning of No. 6)

After starting by following simple vocal scores from Renaissance music, by the fourth week, learners became reasonably skilled in following the score to be able to follow this piano composition from the Romantic period, and in doing so, their mental model of both composition and performance was very strong.