PLN Week 4: Feedback and Self-Reflection Through Technology

            This week’s reading inspired me to write about using technology to provide appropriate feedback to students and for students to self-reflect on their own practice and performance.   While teachers Bauer (2014) cites Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski’s research by writing, “One of the most powerful ways to enhance achievement is to provide students with appropriate formative feedback that allows them to gauge their performance in relation to a specific criteria” (Bauer, 2014, p. 103).  I find it challenging to provide relevant feedback to students without providing non-biased evidence that highlights their strengths and weaknesses during performance.  Even though I provide each student with written feedback and a rubric, many students of mine do not use these assessment tools for improvement. Students, however, need to gain a quick perception of what they are playing. 

            Technology is a way to help provide feedback to students in a timely manner.  There are many types of software and web-based programs that Bauer lists in Chapter 4 that can be used to give feedback.  Rubistar and Google Forms help the teacher provide immediate feedback through online rubrics however, they do not provide non-biased evidence.  There is, however, music software that can help provide immediate non-biased feedback.   iPad applications such as Music Prodigy is also a tool that gives quick feedback.  Perhaps, one of the more popular music programs available is SmartMusic.  As we explored SmartMusic this week, the assessment tools are quick and easy to work with so the student may receive feedback once the student begins playing.  The program highlights any missed notes and helps the student correct the notes by providing fingerings or slide positions.

While feedback is a necessary step, I believe self-reflection is the most important step a student will take to improve in musicianship.   Bauer writes, “Individuals constantly receive sensory information while performing.  This intrinsic visual, auditory, and kinesthetic feedback allows them to make adjustments” (Bauer, 2014, p. 102).  If students are going to improve, students must hear and see their performance.  Recording software such as Audacity is a great way for the music educator to provide a sound and visual representation.  During my undergraduate years as a French horn student, I was introduced to Audacity from my private lessons instructor.  He used the software to play back parts of my lesson so I could recognize my own mistakes.  One of the unique features he pointed out was each musical note was represented through a sound wave.  This changed my playing style as a realized there were many notes that were “squared off” and not as smooth as I should be playing.  The more I worked smooth out each note, the rounder the sound wave.  

            In my ensemble classes, I would like to use Audacity more to record and play back to my students so they could reflect on their performance.  I see using Audacity in a whole group, sectional, and individual setting with older ensembles so they can improve as a whole. It would be beneficial though, to record my beginning band students like my private instructor recorded me so they may see each individual note that they are learning how to play. I think younger students would consider this to be a game and they would work hard to go from having the typical beginning loud sound to a much smoother mature sound. 

Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. [E-reader version] New York, NY: Oxford University Press.