Date: September 7, 2010
Department: Music
Course: MU 120 Survey of Western Music
Curriculum or Curricula: FA1 (Music); ME2; Humanities Elective in multiple curricula
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
For Part I, attach the summary report (Tables 1-4) from the QCC Course Objectives Form.
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
Course: MU 120, Survey of Western Music
Curricula: A.S. Degree in Visual and Performing Arts (FA1), Music Concentration; A.A.S. Degree in Music Electronic
Technology (ME2)
This is an entry-level course designed to develop understanding and taste in music. Representative works of great masters of
the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern eras provide material for analysis of musical style and design. The
course seeks to develop intelligent listening habits and recognition of specific forms and idioms. Musical styles are compared
to art and literature of the appropriate period, and composers are studied as products of the times in which they lived, in order
to better understand the relationships between the composers, their musical works, and the structures of the societies in which
they lived. The course also seeks to acquaint the general education student with the great musical masterworks of the past 300
years.
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Note: Include in this table curriculum-specific objectives that meet Educational Goals 1 and 2:
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
1. Objective B: Students will demonstrate a progressive understanding of the various elements and basic interrelated processes
of creation, interpretation, and execution within their discipline.
2. Objective C: In written work, discussion and creation of art, students will appropriately utilize the vocabulary of their
respective discipline.
3. Objective F: Students will be able to place works of art and/or performances in historical and stylistic contexts and
demonstrate appreciation of the cultural milieu in which they were created.
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
Gen Ed
objective’s ID
number from
list (1-10)
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
(1.) communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking
(2.) use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed
decisions
(5.) integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study
(10.) apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the humanities or the arts
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TABLE 4: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course objectives
Learning outcomes
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge a. Students will accurately define common terms used in describing elements
of the definitions of terms used to
describe the elements of music.
2. Students will demonstrate recognition
of the different elements of music in
recorded examples.
3. Students will differentiate and
distinguish the different uses of the
elements of music by composers
throughout music history.
4. Students will analyze the historical
conditions and the structure of social
relationships which influenced the
creation of musical artworks by
composers throughout music history.
5. Students will interpret musical works.
associated with time in music: e.g., beat, rhythm, meter, tempo, etc.
b. Students will accurately define common terms used in describing elements
associated with pitch in music: e.g., note, interval, scale, key, chord, harmony, etc.
a. Students will identify the use by composers in recorded musical examples of the
various elements of music associated with time in music (e.g., see above).
b. Students will identify the use by composers in recorded musical examples of the
various elements of music associated with pitch in music (e.g, see above).
a. Students will describe the characteristics of musical compositions through a
description of the different ways composers have utilized the elements of music.
a. Students will evaluate and describe musical artworks as products of specific
historical circumstances.
b. Students will describe the ways composers created musical artworks as a
response to their social and historical situations.
a. Students will analyze and criticize the meanings behind selected great
masterworks in the history of Western music.
a. Students will develop ways to describe the different style characteristics of the
the musical styles of composers through great composers in the history of Western music
the changing art-historical periods of the b. Students will develop ways to describe the different style characteristics of the
past 300 years.
different art-historical periods (e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic) in music history.
7. Students will learn to recognize
a. Students will identify musical works as belonging to a specific period in music
through listening the style characteristics history (e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic).
of music composed during different arthistorical periods of the history of music.
8. Students will learn to recognize
a. Students will identify musical works as representative of the individual style of
through listening the individual style
selected great composers in the history of Western music (e.g., works as displaying
characteristics of selected great
the style characteristics of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc.).
composers in the history of Western
Music.
9. Students will assess musical
a. Students will summarize the elements necessary to bestow upon a particular
greatness.
musical composition the epithet, “great.”
b. Students will identify the common themes and characteristics shared by musical
works throughout the history of Western music in the last 300 years.
6. Students will compare and contrast
PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND
ASSESSMENT TOOLS
For the assessment project, you will be designing one course assignment, which will address at least one general
educational objective, one curricular objective (if applicable), and one or more of the course objectives. Please
identify these in the following table:
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TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
Course Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 4)
1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the definitions of terms used to describe the elements of music.
2. Students will demonstrate recognition of the different elements of music in recorded examples.
3. Students will differentiate and distinguish the different uses of the elements of music by composers throughout music
history.
7. Students will learn to recognize through listening the style characteristics of music composed during different art-historical
periods of the history of music.
8. Students will learn to recognize through listening the individual style characteristics of selected great composers in the
history of Western Music.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
Objective B: Students will demonstrate a progressive understanding of the various elements and basic interrelated processes of
creation, interpretation, and execution within their discipline.
Objective F: Students will be able to place works of art and/or performances in historical and stylistic contexts and
demonstrate appreciation of the cultural milieu in which they were created.
General Education Objective(s) addressed in this assessment: (select from Table 3)
(2.) use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions
(5.) integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study
(10.) apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the humanities or the arts
In the first row of Table 6 that follows, describe the assignment that has been selected/designed for this project.
In writing the description, keep in mind the course objective(s), curricular objective(s) and the general education
objective(s) identified above,
The assignment should be conceived as an instructional unit to be completed in one class session (such as a lab) or
over several class sessions. Since any one assignment is actually a complex activity, it is likely to require that
students demonstrate several types of knowledge and/or thinking processes.
Also in Table 6, please
a) identify the three to four most important student learning outcomes (1-4) you expect from this assignment
b) describe the types of activities (a – d) students will be involved with for the assignment, and
c) list the type(s) of assessment tool(s) (A-D) you plan to use to evaluate each of the student outcomes.
(Classroom assessment tools may include paper and pencil tests, performance assessments, oral questions,
portfolios, and other options.)
Note: Copies of the actual assignments (written as they will be presented to the students) should be gathered
in an Assessment Portfolio for this course.
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TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed:
The exercise is divided into two parts. For the first part, students will hear excerpts from four different musical compositions.
The four works will feature one each from the following music-historical periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th
Century. Students are asked to listen for and analyze how the different musical elements are used in each excerpt and to
match that with their understanding of the stylistic elements characteristic of the four different periods. They are then asked to
make a determination for each excerpt, as to during which period they believe each one was composed. (All four excerpts are
performed on piano, to assist in directing their attention more closely to the elements on display.) In the second part, excerpts
from five musical compositions by composers who were studied in class are performed. Again, based on their knowledge of
the style characteristics of these composers (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz and Stravinsky), the students are to listen for
and analyze the treatment of the musical elements and to match their analysis with the appropriate composer. (The musical
works featured in this section were not studied in class, but they share the style characteristics of other works by the same
composers, which were studied in class.)
Desired student learning outcomes
for the assignment
(Students will…)
List in parentheses the Curricular
Objective(s) and/or General
Education Objective(s) (1-10)
associated with these desired learning
outcomes for the assignment.
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will engage in
for this assignment.
What assessment tools will be
used to measure how well
students have met each learning
outcome? (Note: a single
assessment tool may be used to
measure multiple learning
outcomes; some learning
outcomes may be measured using
multiple assessment tools.)
1. Students will identify the use by
composers in recorded musical examples
of the various elements of music
associated with time in music. (Curric.
Obj. B and C; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5)
a. Students will listen to excerpts of
musical works not known to them
A. For section one, student responses
will be judged against the actual
period during which the excerpts were
composed. Student responses to the
four excerpts will be either "correct"
or "not correct."
2. Students will identify the use by
composers in recorded musical examples
of the various elements of music
associated with pitch in music. . (Curric.
Obj. B and C; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5)
3. Students will describe the
characteristics of musical compositions
through a description of the different ways
composers have utilized the elements of
music. (Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed. Obj.
1, 2, 5, 10)
4. Students will identify musical works as
belonging to a specific period in music
history (e.g., Baroque, Classical,
Romantic). (Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
5. Students will identify musical works as
representative of the individual style of
selected great composers in the history of
Western music (e.g., works as displaying
the style characteristics of Bach, Mozart,
Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc.). (Curric. Obj.
B, C, F; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
b. Students will assess the treatment
of the various elements of music
associated with time in the unknown
excerpts.
c. Students will asses the treatment of
the various elements of music
associated with pitch in the unknown
excerpts.
d. Students will compare their hearing
of the treatment of these musical
elements in the unknown excerpts
with their understanding and
knowledge of the characteristic ways
these elements were treated in four
different music-historical periods
(Baroque, Classical, Romantic and
20th Century) and by five different
master composers in the history of
Western music (Bach, Mozart,
Beethoven, Berlioz and Stravinsky).
e. Based upon their analysis of the
treatment of the musical elements in
the unknown excerpts and upon their
comparison of this to their knowledge
of the treatment by specific composers
and in specific music-historical time
periods, students will make
determinations as to what period the
excerpts come from and who
composed them.
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B. For section two, student responses
will be judged against the actual
composers of the unknown excerpts.
Student responses to the five excerpts
will be either "correct" or "not
correct."
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Before the assignment is given, prepare a description of the standards by which students’ performance will be
measured. This could be a checklist, a descriptive holistic scale, or another form. The rubric (or a version of it) may
be given to the students with the assignment so they will know what the instructor’s expectations are for this
assignment.
Please note that while individual student performance is being measured, the assessment project is collecting
performance data ONLY for the student groups as a whole.
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment: (Copy from Table 6 above)
The exercise is divided into two parts. For the first part, students will hear excerpts from four different musical compositions.
The four works will feature one each from the following music-historical periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th
Century. Students are asked to listen for and analyze how the different musical elements are used in each excerpt and to
match that with their understanding of the stylistic elements characteristic of the four different periods. They are then asked to
make a determination for each excerpt, as to during which period they believe each one was composed. (All four excerpts are
performed on piano, to assist in directing their attention more closely to the elements on display.) In the second part, excerpts
from five musical compositions by composers who were studied in class are performed. Again, based on their knowledge of
the style characteristics of these composers (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz and Stravinsky), the students are to listen for
and analyze the treatment of the musical elements and to match their analysis with the appropriate composer. (The musical
works featured in this section were not studied in class, but they share the style characteristics of other works by the same
composers, which were studied in class.)
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment: (Copy from
Column 1, Table 6 above;
include Curricular and /or
General Education Objectives
addressed)
Assessment measures for
each learning outcome:
(Copy from Column 3,Table 6
above)
Standards for student performance:
 Describe the standards or rubrics for
measuring student achievement of each
outcome in the assignment.
 Give the percentage of the class that is
expected to meet these outcomes
 If needed, attach copy(s) of rubrics.
1. Students will identify the use
by composers in recorded
musical examples of the various
elements of music associated
with time in music. (Curric. Obj.
B and C; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5)
A. For section one, student
responses will be judged against
the actual period during which the
excerpts were composed. Student
responses to the four excerpts will
be either "correct" or "not
correct."
For section one of the assignment, a minimum 50%
correct rate (2 of 4 responses) is expected. For
section two of the assignment, a minimum 60%
correct rate (3 of 5 responses) is expected.
Naturally, hopes are for higher correct response
rates, but the fact that students are given four
specific choices for section one (and each appears
only once) and five specific choices for section two
(and each appears only once) means that one
incorrect response in each section will force
another response to be incorrect (since each
response is only used once). This fact is
responsible for a somewhat lower-than-expected
correct rate.
2. Students will identify the use
by composers in recorded
musical examples of the various
elements of music associated
with pitch in music. . (Curric.
Obj. B and C; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2,
5)
B. For section two, student
responses will be judged against
the actual composers of the
unknown excerpts. Student
responses to the five excerpts will
be either "correct" or "not
correct."
3. Students will describe the
characteristics of musical
compositions through a
description of the different ways
composers have utilized the
elements of music. (Curric. Obj.
B, C, F; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
4. Students will identify musical
works as belonging to a specific
period in music history (e.g.,
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Baroque, Classical, Romantic).
(Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
5. Students will identify musical
works as representative of the
individual style of selected great
composers in the history of
Western music (e.g., works as
displaying the style
characteristics of Bach, Mozart,
Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc.).
(Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Use the following table to report the student results on the assessment. If you prefer, you may report outcomes
using the rubric(s), or other graphical representation. Include a comparison of the outcomes you expected (from
Table 7, Column 3) with the actual results. NOTE: A number of the pilot assessments did not include expected
success rates so there is no comparison of expected and actual outcomes in some of the examples below. However,
projecting outcomes is an important part of the assessment process; comparison between expected and actual
outcomes helps set benchmarks for student performance.
Desired student learning outcomes:
(Copy from, Column 1,Table 6 above;
include Curricular and/or General
Education Objectives addressed)
Student achievement: Describe the group achievement of each
desired outcome and the knowledge and cognitive processes
demonstrated.
1. Students will identify the use by
composers in recorded musical examples
of the various elements of music associated
with time in music. (Curric. Obj. B and C;
Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5)
Learning outcomes 1-3 are not individually measurable. These learning
outcomes are used to inform the decisions made in learning outcomes 4
and 5, which are measurable.
For learning outcome 4, out of 184 responses, students showed a 52.2%
correct rate.
2. Students will identify the use by
composers in recorded musical examples
of the various elements of music associated
with pitch in music. . (Curric. Obj. B and
C; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5)
3. Students will describe the characteristics
of musical compositions through a
description of the different ways
composers have utilized the elements of
music. (Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed. Obj.
1, 2, 5, 10)
For learning outcome 5, out of 230 responses, students showed a 47%
correct rate.
In this assignment, students used factual knowledge, conceptual
knowledge, and procedural knowledge. In addition, the cognitive
processes utilized were remembering, understanding, applying,
analyzing, and evaluating.
4. Students will identify musical works as
belonging to a specific period in music
history (e.g., Baroque, Classical,
Romantic). (Curric. Obj. B, C, F; Gen. Ed.
Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
5. Students will identify musical works as
representative of the individual style of
selected great composers in the history of
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Western music (e.g., works as displaying
the style characteristics of Bach, Mozart,
Beethoven, Stravinsky, etc.). (Curric. Obj.
B, C, F; Gen. Ed. Obj. 1, 2, 5, 10)
TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
In the table below, or in a separate attachment, interpret and evaluate the assessment results, and describe the
actions to be taken as a result of the assessment. In the evaluation of achievement, take into account student
success in demonstrating the types of knowledge and the cognitive processes identified in the Course
Objectives.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
What does this show about what and how the students learned?
This assignment showed a slightly higher-than-expected correct response rate for section one, but a lower-thanexpected correct response rate for section two. It shows that students were doing better with a more general analysis
and assessment of musical style characteristics associated with the historical periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
20th Century) than they were with their analysis and assessment of musical style characteristics associated with specific
composers from these historical periods.
I believe the assignment demonstrated that students were adequately utilizing factual, conceptual and procedural
knowledge, but had difficulty evaluating this knowledge (making judgments based on criteria and standards), especially
in terms of their understanding of style characteristics associated with specific great composers in the history of
Western music.
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
What do the results suggest about how well the assignment and the assessment process worked
both to help students learn and to show what they have learned?
The assignment and the assessment process worked well, but as a first-time assignment, it had some kinks, and the
results showed that there is probably room for design improvement.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if any, do you anticipate making?
I believe this assignment demonstrated the difficulty students have retaining knowledge of the style characteristics of
different composers across the length of a full semester. The assignment was given at the last class meeting, long after
discussions of the earlier composers studied (Bach, Mozart and Beethoven) had occurred. It might be more prudent to
do two assessment assignments, one in the middle of the term and one at the end. I believe the results show that
students are remembering style characteristics from broader periods (Baroque, Classical, etc.) and that they are able to
apply this knowledge to music they haven't heard before. But clearly it is more difficult for them to remember the style
characteristics of specific composers in a similar way. More attention should be paid during the semester to equipping
the students with the tools necessary to retain this factual knowledge, and also to assisting them with the application of
this knowledge, as they analyze and evaluate musical works by these composers that they haven't heard before.
QCC 12/3/04
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