Strategies for
Integrating Technology
throughout the
Undergraduate Music
Education Curriculum
Jason Meltzer
April 10, 2002
TI:ME/MENC Conference
Nashville, TN
Oak Grove School District #68
Green Oaks, IL
http://www.ogschool.org/technology
Imagine, imagine

Undergraduate music students
–
–
–
–
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Undergraduate music professors
–
–
–
–
–

Use notation software as easily as Word
Compose fugues to demonstrate understanding
Create PowerPoint resumes
Keep track of their own grades (database/spreadsheet)
Use notation software as easily as Word
Have access to computer and music hardware
Get rewarded for learning how to use technology
Have ready-to-go tech support
Work together to plan technology integration
K-12 music students
– Have music teachers who feel comfortable using all the newest
technology
– Have access to computer and music hardware
– Can have more musical experiences by using technology
Driving forces
Learning Theory
Skills & Attitudes
of Undergraduate
Students:
Skills & Attitudes
of College Faculty
Structure and
Tradition of the
University
Necessary Classroom Skills:
Curriculum for
Undergraduate Music Courses
Philosophy of Technology
at K-12
Methods for integration
Curriculum for
Undergraduate Music Courses
Music Technology
Classes
Integrated Throughout
Curriculum
Continued Professional
Development
What is technology integration?
Incorporating technology that enhances
student learning
 Having the curriculum drive usage
 Organizing the goals of curriculum and
technology into a coordinated, harmonious
whole

Empirical data

700 empirical research studies show positive gains
in achievement when students participate in:
–
–
–
–
–
computer-assisted instruction
integrated learning systems technology
simulations that teach higher-order thinking
collaborative networked technologies, or
design and programming technologies
– Milken Exchange on Education Technology, 1999
Skills and attitudes of undergraduates
Is this true?
There has been improvement

Kay (1993) Pre-service teachers in Canada
– Rated themselves below “Average”

Canepa (1996) at Northern Arizona University
– Beware that some students are technophobic

Chua, Chen, & Wong, (1999) Anxiety Meta-analysis
– Female undergraduates generally more anxious

Atticks (Unpublished) Penn State University
– Deficiency in music technology experiences

Hess (1999) Central Michigan University
– Prospective music students showed low level of experiences with technology

Meltzer (2001) Freshmen Music Majors at Big-10 Universities
– 315 undergraduate music majors
– 1999-2000 School Year
Overall findings
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All students have had some experience with
computers.
Levels of literacy are quite varied.
Gender seems to make a difference.
Very limited knowledge of music technology.
Informal music technology use most important.
Music teachers seem to play an influential role.
Characteristics of Students

Gender

– Female 59.3%; Male 40.7%


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High School Setting
– Rural
– Suburban
– Urban

– 63.7% from same state as
university
Age
– 18.5 years
31.6%
51.2%
17.1%
High School Size
– Small (< 600)
– Medium
– Large (> 1000)
12.9%
21.9%
65.3%
In-State
Major
– Music Performance
– Music Education
– Other Music Major
40.2%
39.6%
20.2%
Where did students interact with computers in high school?
n = 315
100.0%
80.0%
60.0%
40.0%
20.0%
0.0%
Music Technology
Class
Hands-on in
Ensemble
Computer Class
At Home - General
At Home - Music
How technology used in high school
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
General Software
Music Software
(n = 307)
(n = 162)
Word processing
Email
Spreadsheets
Web Pages
Graphics
Databases
96.7%
46.3%
42.0%
31.6%
30.9%
19.5%
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Listening
Reading /Writing Music
Composing
Playing
Singing
Improvising
50.1%
50.0%
48.1%
35.8%
24.7%
17.3%
How are teachers using technology

Administrative
– Grades
– Letters to Parents
– Databases
How are teachers using technology

Preparing Classroom
Materials
– Handouts
– Printed Notation
– Accompaniments (CDs)
How are teachers using technology

Leading Classroom
Activities
– Presentations
– Accompaniments
How are teachers using technology

Student Hands-on Use
– CAI Software
– Tool Software
How are Music Teachers Using Technology?
cou nt
0
50
Music Teacher Used
Technology
200
11
144
49
59
134
68
124
Yes
No
250
118
182
Prepare Teaching
Materials
Student Hands-On
150
192
Adminis trative Us es
Leading Class room
Activities
100
300
350
Integration strategies overview
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Design a dedicated music education technology course
– Focus on music technology skills and understandings
– Have support available
– Creative uses of computers

Integrate technology throughout music education curriculum
– Educate faculty just like students
– Make relevant
– Musical and non-musical

Promote in-service technology training
– Technology keeps changing
– Takes 5 years to feel comfortable
– Their students will be your students
What should we be preparing our
students to teach
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Singing alone and with
others
Performing on instruments
Improvising melodies,
harmonies and
accompaniments
Composing and arranging
Reading and notating
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
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Listening, analyzing and
describing music
Evaluating music and
music performances
Understanding
relationships between
music and the other arts
Understanding music in
relation to history and
culture
1
Implications for technology course
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What should be covered in a technology-focused
class?
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Discover who might be technophobic
Assume students have had only basic experiences
Emphasize musical uses of technology
Projects should focus on integration into standard curriculum
Encourage help from classmates
Some group projects
Instructors have office hours in the lab at times that the students
will be doing homework
Provide advanced levels of music technology
classes
1
Topics covered in music technology
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Background Survey
How Music Educators Use
Technology
Sequencing software and MIDI
Notation software
Computer-Assisted Instruction
in Music
World Wide Web Authoring and
Resources
Accompaniment Software
Computer Workstations for
Music Classrooms
2
Integrating into curriculum
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James Bryant Conant (1963) …”any reform in the general educational
curriculum must be preceded by reform in teacher education”
Provides more years of practice with music technology
Students learn through proper modeling by faculty
– First: Assess skills and comfort levels of faculty
– Promote women technology leaders

Assign activities to appropriate courses
– web pages - introductory course
– accompaniment - secondary instruments
– notation software for arranging - conducting course
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Administrators, support staff, faculty, & students should be active
participants in long-term systematic planning
Try to coordinate with College of Education
2
What to integrate into curriculum
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Focus on curriculum and
learning not the amount of
technology
Try to remove barriers
– Access to hardware and software
– Funding
– Technical and administrative
support
– Training and expertise
– Resistance, passivity, school
cultures, and traditions of teaching
A Constructivist View:
SUNY-Oswego College of Education
2

Faculty met with K-12 teachers for methods
courses
– Need to see technology-rich classrooms first
– 3 day workshops for 3 different “teams”
– They decided what wanted to learn and integrate
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Students learned through technology
– Instructors modeled proper use
– Required to develop technology-rich lesson plans
– Complete assignments using technology
2
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SUNY-Oswego research results
Significant increase in technology integration by
faculty
Significant increase in pre-service teacher
proficiencies and experiences
Changing vision that involved a more
constructivist approach to learning
Faculty training is crucial!
Best predictors of technology integration was to be
proficient in instructional methods, not the number
of applications.
2
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Ithaca College, NY
Driven by the addition of a new music technology lab
Created Technology Advisory Group
– Representatives from each music department
– Looked at facility, faculty, & curriculum
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Results
– Created two rooms instead of the planned one
– Added a new faculty for music technology
– Added 3 classes
• Introduction to Computer Technology for Musicians
– Required for music education and recording majors
• Computer Technology in Music Education
– Currently an elective
• Interactive Multimedia Design for Musicians
– Currently an experimental course
2
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UNC-Greensboro Student Portfolios
Required for state licensure for all education majors
– Added music component
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Demonstrate technological competence
– Reflective Paper- A short paper on growth in technology and how
they plan to use it as a music educator
– Sample of work: Notation, MIDI, Multimedia (HyperStudio and
PowerPoint), Word Processing, Database, Spreadsheet,
Classroom Applications
– Web links that could be used as resources

Evaluated by professors and area teachers
http://www.uncg.edu/~jlshivel/techport.html
2
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Other strategies for teaching faculty
Penn State University
– Created “Faculty 101” to teach
faculty
– Worked with Instructional
Design and Development Unit
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Xavier University
– Faculty who participated chose
from 3 allowances:
• Laptop computer
• One course-load reduction
• $3,500 for software, course
materials, training,
conferences

Northern Arizona
University
– tech-savvy grad students teach
students and current professors
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University of Virginia
– Provides graduate student help
– Faculty member on reduced
load helped everyone else
– $5,000 stipends to develop
technology into instruction
– Best called “product champion”
through schoolwide initiative
2
Levels of teacher attitude vs. knowledge
Demanding Explorer
Dabbler
Expert
Accepting
Optimist
Squatter
Conformist
Resisting
Novice
Skeptic
Agnostic
Low
Average
High
from George, G., & Camerata, M. (1996)
3
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Promote in-service training
Provide on-going staff development
– only 10 - 25% of music teachers surveyed had technology
training during their undergraduate programs,
– only a minority (20%) of teachers feels prepared to integrate
technology in their classrooms (U.S. Dept. of Education, 1999).

Promote collegial learning
– Use real teacher’s examples
– Teach a few “technology facilitators”

Teachers are interested in integration
– focus on ways music teachers can get going quickly
– Use TI:ME, ATMI, & MENC as resources
3

Professional development strategies
Two areas demand teachers’ attention
– Gaining new and improved skills in using a
variety of technologies
– Making better uses of that technology by
integrating into that curriculum

Consider multiple sessions
– Teach the teachers what they need to know
using the equipment they have
– Follow-up as their needs expand

Teach workshops with as much hands-on
as possible
Music classrooms of the future:MEJ
Built-in computer/sound system for teachers
and students
 Wall-size displays
 Videoconferencing
 Individualized music instruction software
 Variety of MIDI instruments

Systems Approach Philosophy
Who
People
Why
How
Purposes
Hardware
Powerful
Technology
How
Where
Software
Spaces
What
Information
By Peter Webster & David Williams
10 Commandments for successful
technology implementation
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Create a Vision
Provide
Administrative
Support
Involve Teachers
Provide Time
Model Teaching
Behaviors
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Promote Learning
Transfer
Focus on Real
Classroom
Applications
Provide a Technology
Coordinator
Provide Equipment and
Access
Let Teachers Play
By Julie Meltzer & Thomas Sherman