Giles Hooper School of Music

1
From performerto Conductor Orchestrating
conceptual development in music

• Giles Hooper School of Music
• Nick Bunyan Educational Development Division
• Tünde Varga-Atkins Educational Development
  Division
• University of Liverpool, UK

2
Outline insights from curriculum change

• Description of the teaching approach
• Research aims, questions methods
• Findings outcomes
• Conclusion applicability to other disciplines

3
Introduction

• Adorno, MUSI 315, is a cross-school module
  taught to Yr-3 students taking both classical and
  popular music programmes
• Aside from content, the aim is to encourage
  students to engage with Adornos thought and with
  one another
• It is taught via a holistic method that
  integrates a range of discursive and dialogic
  tools
• The challenge is to develop dialogic and
  immersive modes of teaching for large classes
  (in a subject area traditionally used to very
  small classes)

4
Modelling dialogue
This module demonstrated what being at
university should be about - the meeting of, not
so like-minded, minds, open to other peoples
ideas and values, and to the rebuffing or
reinforcing of your own

• Importance of modelling dialogue
• Helps individuals to learn how to engage with
  others and with the opinions of others

5
An example MUSI314 (Aesthetics)
6
I well recall offending a music lecturer who
insisted on the subjectivity of artistic
judgements by pointing out that if he were right
he was not entitled to his salary. David Best
7
Key debate

• Can judgments of musical value ever be objective?

8

• Of course they cant! Music is totally subjective

What do you mean by that?
Well - everyones entitled to their own opinion,
surely?
What, like their opinion that 22 is 157 or
that the Earth is flat or that McFly are just
misunderstood?
Youre just trying to be clever - thats not the
same thing!
No Im not What Im saying is that not
everything is simply a matter of opinion
including certain judgements we can make about
music.
9

• Are you saying that judgements about music can be
  scientific?

Depends how you define scientific
Now youre just playing with me
Maybe later no, what Im actually saying is
this our conception of scientific veracity is
very often founded on an assertoric notion of
empirical factuality that has in fact been
exposed by a post-metaphysical philosophy of
science to be a delusion based upon the
metaphysical confusing of truth with
inter-subjective congruence among differential
statements of nomological actuality
I see
10
You dont really do you but thats beside the
point what Im saying is that our notion of
scientific truth is itself mistaken
Who do you think you are, Einstein?
Well, he did propose the theory of relativity
Oh, very clever But a moment ago you were
saying that judgements about music can be
objective!
But cant relative judgements nevertheless be
objective?
I dont care Im off for an undeniably objective
pint
11
Feedback loop
Introduce topic
Class debate
In-class summary
Refer back?
VITAL (VLE) follow-up
Next session follow-up
12
Research aims questions

• 1. How have students engaged with the module?
• 2. How do students perceive the modules teaching
  approach?
• 3. What is the effect of the face-to-face
  modelling of dialogue on students learning?
• 4. What is the effect of the blended e-learning
  format?
• 5. Has the new approach changed students
  engagement?
• 6. Has the new approach improved student
  learning?

How have students engaged with the module? How
do students perceive the modules teaching
approach? Has the new approach improved student
learning?
13
Research methods
Online activitystatistics (VLE)
Student focus group N5
Tutor records exam results
Tutor observations
14
How have the students engaged?
Student-tutor emails
Invisibly Informallyengaged
(Total number of students 52)
One to one student-tutor discussions
Instant messaging etc.
15
How do students perceive the modules teaching
approach?

• Students experiences in other modules
• Sitting in lectures theyre just telling me
  stuff.
• Not encouraged to form their own opinion.
• biased by lecturers point of view.

• Students experiences in Adorno module
• Learn through argument counter-argument.
• Not knowing the tutors view encourages them
  to think for themselves.

16
How has the new approach improved student
learning?
I dont think Ive ever had a module that has
negated my everyday understanding of the world as
this one, has. Adorno would be proud!
17
Concept of engagement
As ever I'm in the fully-engaged, silent, happy
minority. The module has been thought-provoking,
challenging, engaging and thoroughly engrossing
Engagement and interaction should be seen as
continuous and holistic
18
Applicability to other disciplines

• Dialogic framework superficially more appropriate
  to discursive topics
• but all subjects depend upon the exchange of
  views and the ability to participate in dialogue
• For example, Medical Sciences are interested in
  developing methods for promoting dialogue both in
  ethics and also in problem-based learning

19
Questions?
Questions?
Contact Dr Giles Hooper, gchooper_at_liv.ac.uk
20
What is the effect of the face-to-facemodelling
of dialogue?
Id never heard about Adorno before I came over
here I came away with the knowledge of who
Adorno was what he stood for or what his
arguments meant and also that the other side of
his arguments like people who argued against him
and made contra-arguments to his views.So I
came away a pretty well-rounded knowledge around
the topic and subject
21
What is the effect of the blended e-learning
format?
BUT ALSO some preferred face to face
if I say something stupid in class, like its
gone, but if I say something idiotic online, its
still there!
22
Has the new approach changed studentsengagement?

• Online resources tools created more
  opportunities for dialogue making students more
  involved.
• Discussions more attended than traditional
  lectures.
• The dialogue method, being treated as an
  adult, engaged students.

Because you actively engage as well. Youre
taught that your opinions are valid.