Article about innovative music teaching published in American paper

The Notio 2 project has published an article called “The potential of a mixed-methods approach for research on learning to theorise music” in Music Education Research, Taylor & Francis Online. The article is written by researchers at Åbo Academy University, Novia University of Applied Sciences and New York University.

The article explores music theory and the use of digital educational methods to develop teaching. It is a complex process to learn how to actively theorize music and it is also challenging to observe and describe for teachers, students as well as researchers.

“So happy this article is finally out and available open access. It has been a professional highlight to work so closely with Cecilia Björk, Mats Granfors, and the team at the Experience Lab in Vaasa, Finland on this project exploring how young people theories music. We’ve been exploring pedagogies, technologies, and research methods that provide new windows into these creative learning processes. I’m so happy that this article shares some of our work exploring “LEGO" to mediate research interviews and provides a window into some of the design and creative affordances/constraints of the NYU Music Experience Design Lab” says Alex Ruthmann at New York University.

The study explores the potential of a research design with mixed methods for understanding how music theory can evolve and how different methods can improve teacher understanding of students' experiences of learning music theory. The study combines qualitative methods such as observation, analysis of video and audio recordings and interviews, software development such as music education research, eye tracking, and musical analysis.

The article concludes that a mixed method can make students' thinking visible and audible to the teacher. In addition, it can improve precision to identify novelty and surprise during the learning process. Such moments of new musical conceptualization are particularly important in the context of abundant access to many musical genres and styles.

The article is available in Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2020.1853085      

The potential of a mixed-methods approach for research on learning to theorise music

Cecilia Björk (Åbo Akademi University), Alex Ruthmann (New York University) Mats Granfors (Novia UAS), Joachim Högväg (Åbo Akademi University), Sören Andersson (Åbo Akademi University)

Novia UAS part of Notio 2 project is founded by associations such as The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Svenska Österbottens kulturfond and Konstsamfundet.