Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Bettie-Ann Candelora
We are social creatures who require social communities for our very existence.
Every aspect of our learning centers around socialization. From the moment we are born
to the day we draw our last breath we learn from others. Children imitate sounds for
language acquisition (Cederborg, 2013), they ask questions-sometimes to the point of Commented [RC1]: Cite
distraction-they figure things out and then ask new questions (Harris, 2015). From the Commented [RC2]: cite
Commented [RC3]: cite. You can put (author, year) right in
outset we are all active participants in our own learning. Constructivist theorists such as the middle the sentences after each buzzword
Dewey, Bruner, and Piaget recognized the value of the interactive learning process.
Piaget believed that we extend the knowledge we acquire through perception and Commented [RC4]: (year)
collaborations with other people (Phillips 1995; Scott 2011). Learning centers, they
suggest, should be incubators where students become active participants as the focus
shifts from teacher to students. Collaborative experiences are an essential part of that
learning. John Dewey recognized that social interaction is required in order to develop a
mind of one’s own yet conceded that all too often, instead of encouraging community,
schools keep students trapped behind desks (Phillips and Soltis, 2009.). Music
classrooms that are student centered -where students are actively involved, making
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
musical decisions, analyzing results, and asking questions-allow for such social
Social constructivists suggest that schools follow the same interactive and Commented [RC5]: Cite
Commented [RC6]: Avoid making your own points until
collaborative learning process we experience from birth by encouraging students to the conclusion/synthesis
explore, ask questions, figure things out, and then ask more questions ( Thornton &
McEntee, 1995). Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb collaborate, “to work in Commented [RC7]: to
production.”
Music learning can foster collaborative learning. This essay will explore the many Commented [RC8]: If this is the end of your intro, you’ll
need to insert a paragraph explaining the outline for the
remainder of your paper
benefits of musical collaboration and consider methods that help shift music classes
wellbeing, and create musical connections. Finding opportunities for collaboration and
community within three specific areas of music groups- large bands, string ensembles,
and choral groups-will be discussed and opportunities presented for moving learning to
Theorist Vygotsky and his colleague A.N. Leont’ev suggested that learning is Commented [RC9]: cite
experienced through the Law of Cultural Development; learning happens first on the
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
social plane and later on the mental plane (Burnard & Dragovic, 2015). Understanding
such a progression and designing learning environments accordingly can have powerful
One study by Burnard and Dragovic linked student wellbeing to specifically designed
collaborative endeavors: If students feel connected to the practice of music, and if they Commented [RC10]: potential for what? I’m not sure I
understand the use of the :
feel a sense of belonging to the group or ensemble, music groups can be a transformative
experience. According to Burnard and Dragovic, such collaborative settings can satisfy Commented [RC11]: plural or singular
basic psychological needs of belonging and contributing. The freedom to explore and Commented [RC12]: I’d agree with you, but are you
advocating for something here or summarizing what the
literature says?
create is enhanced as teachers provide statements of support for student endeavors and
efforts; music group learning can empower students by including them in decision-
making and can engage them through the use of improvisation by encouraging
playfulness in their musicianship (Burnard and Dragovic, 2015). Burnard and Dragovic
state that democratic models-ones that are non-hierarchical and horizontal- allow the Commented [RC13]: Ok…so explain more of this and cite
teacher to act both as leader and follower and informs the division of labor in musical
ensembles. They go on to state that teachers benefit as they continue to learn and grow
with their students and students benefit by shared responsibilities as they take
ownership in their own learning. These democratic learning models also help us to Commented [RC14]: The word participatory is used in
mued contexts in other ways now. (participatory cultures)
Can you either change the word or explain what you mean
consider the evolutionary and ongoing relationships within a community, as contrasted by this
with simply the internalization of information (Lave and Wenger et al., Phillips and
Soltis, 2009).
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
The constructivist approach suggests that students form a community and work
collaboratively, helping other members to achieve agreed upon goals (Scott, 2006).
The challenge in creating such communities, however, is to design working groups that
have the teachers and students as co-learners (Scott, 2006). According to Scott, groups
may have the appearance of cooperative learning at the surface level, but closer
examination may reveal that the teacher has so thoroughly designed the learning Commented [RC15]: Ok, but why can’t a teacher designed
learning process still be collaborative
process by providing step by step instructions that little room remains for student
choice in the process. It is an ongoing quest to create groups that function true to
democratic principles, and many learning communities may never achieve a fully Commented [RC16]: cite
democratic structure (Scott, 2006). Finding that balance of teacher as facilitator while Commented [RC17]: cite
maintaining some structure or order is the challenge; the job becomes one of supporting
students in their knowledge quest, of deepening student understanding, and of learning Commented [RC18]: deepened?
to work cooperatively with the other members within the community while giving up
some control of the process (Ferm, 2015). A thoughtful method requires students to Commented [RC19]: Does this need a new paragraph?
link new meaning to previous understanding through questioning and problem solving
(Ferm, 2015). As Scott states, the mere use of activity-based music does not imply that
Students need the freedom to identify or develop their own musical problems, to
decide what attributes of musicianship will be needed to work out their problems,
and to decide what procedures they will implement in their search for musical
meaning. In doing so, students are engaged in musical thinking, and, as a result,
are constructing personal meaning from musical knowledge (Scott, 2006, p. 19).
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
students, for example, is a challenging task (Brown et. Al, 2012). Written reflections can
opinions about the literature or suggest new music (Brown, Pogonowski, Allsup, Goffi-
Fynn& Lee, 2012). The use of student blogs may encourage group interactions and foster
understanding as students formulate who they are individually and who they are as a
group (Brown, et al., 2012), and can have a transformative effect on who they may Commented [RC20]: Et al
become (Freire, 2003; Allsup, 2003, et al., 2003). Brown goes on to say that the
reflective process allows the teacher to challenge personal assumptions about student
understanding and to gain insight of what students want to know or to learn. Another Commented [RC21]: Seems to end abruptly. Did you have
more on this topic?
challenge of working with large groups, Brown states, is the resulting loss of individual
connections. The formation of smaller group interactions through ensemble work and
blogging, Brown suggests, allows the entire band community to continue to interact
Chamber Ensembles
process, and members work intensely and collaboratively together during rehearsals
and performances (Cotter-Lockard et al., 2012, Gilboa et al., 2010; Sawyer, 2006; Commented [RC22]: If this is a citation for the previous
sentence then omit the period after performances.
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
Tovstiga et al., 2004). Chamber ensembles are traditionally performed and rehearsed
communicate through nonverbal cues, share and trade off leadership, navigate the
various personalities within the ensemble, discuss problems and agree upon solutions,
cannot be done for them); therefore, teachers can use real life examples to stimulate Commented [RC23]: Explain or cite.
thinking about complex problems (Broomhead, 2005). Broomhead goes on to state that
the constructivism model works especially well when teaching musical expression to a
volume, tone, color, dynamics and more- have many sub concepts; passive learning is
simply not good enough to achieve these goals. As Broomhead states, the highest level Commented [RC24]: cite
the sole responsibility of identifying and solving problems- expressiveness for example-
achieving autonomy in that area will be difficult to achieve (Broomhead, 2005, p. 63).
Small group work, once again may help foster collaborative connections within a
large group setting (Brown, et al.,2012). As students listen, assess problems, and work Commented [RC25]: Et al
participation in a small chamber ensemble, and student problem finding and problem
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
within a music learning groups of varying sizes. Students who work to solve musical Commented [RC26]: if you resequence or combine above,
you’ll need to modify this
problems are acting as real-world musicians would by listening, questioning,
performing, and even composing (Scott, 2016, p 19). Student reflections may help the
teacher eliminate false assumptions about the group’s needs and desires (Brown, et al., Commented [RC27]: Fix this
Commented [RC28]: Et al
2012) and help the students develop deeper thinking and understanding of the music
and the process. In the chamber ensemble and the choral rehearsal, responsibility falls
to the students for problem solving; that type of shift provides an opportunity for the
and problem solving and address problems within a group or class (Broomhead, 2005).
Options also exist for establishing collaborative connections beyond the classroom and
beyond the school building. Commented [RC29]: This foreshadows the next section,
but the next paragraph interrupts this. Can you move it
down?
Some largely homogeneous schools exist within richly diverse communities Commented [RC30]: cite
(Beloin, Kim, & Peterson, Michael, 2000). There are potential problems of living,
perspectives is limited and cultural knowledge and understanding is incomplete Commented [RC31]: cite
(Maclean's, 2017). If cultural influences and prior understanding form the bases for
musical understanding, (Wiggins, 2015, p. 141), then collaborations within the local Commented [RC32]: only do this is you are citing multiple
times in a sentence…otherwise put at end of sentence
community, to a wider geographic area (the county or state), or even around the world
can provide a myriad of learning opportunities for both student and teacher (Beloin, Commented [RC33]: cite
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
engagement critical; music can be one bridge that links people from different cultures,
that establishes the social capital needed to build knowledge-based trust among
dissimilar individuals, and that develops cultural understandings (Stolle et al., 2008).
When students form connections beyond the physical school building or campus there
are larger implications for learning as they construct meaning about music cultures
(Peters, 2007). Students who experience cultural music in the context of community will
observe different belief systems, traditions, emotions, and musical expression particular
to a culture (Walker, 1990 as cited in Peters, 2007). The resulting broader implications
often are non-musical goals such as awareness of prejudice, cultural understanding, and
even self-esteem (Campbell 1992 as cited in Peters, 2007). One study by Peters
series of personal interactions and combined music rehearsals. Students were given
process. While students grappled with issues about their personal identity, there was an
extrapolation of concepts, beliefs, and values about the Italian community, their music,
be achieved at the local level, how much more can be achieved through global
collaborations?
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
How we listen to music in this country has changed significantly and it continues
to evolve in the variety of ways as we create, perform, and interact with those around the Commented [RC34]: cite
globe through music (Burkholder et al., 2014). A century ago, to merely acquire sheet
music, a musician would have to visit a local music shop to find music that would be
demonstrated on a piano by the salesperson (Burkholder et al., 2014). Music Commented [RC35]: cite
experience would frequently come from live concert performances and collaboration
occurred through making music with family, friends, in churches, and with local
community members (Morgan-Ellis, 2014). The advent of records and of the radio Commented [RC36]: cite
allowed music to be shared to a wider audience and cassette tapes in the 1970’s allowed
Today’s instantaneous downloads provide seemingly unlimited access to a vast Commented [RC37]: repeated word in same sentence
variety of music (Fronzi, 2016). Instead of merely listening to music on the radio with
friends and family or singing with our neighbors we now interact with people around the
educators-can be tied directly to curricular objectives, can build intercultural Commented [RC39]: Strengthen this claim
understanding, and can range in scope from complex music projects with timelines and
outcomes to simple connections with other musicians (Lindsay, 2016). There now exists
a host of sites such as Splice, GrooveZoo, and Blend that allow for collaborative music
projects and let students connect virtually anywhere in the world. In addition to
benefits both cultural and musical, the opportunity to work with other musicians
outside of the students’ immediate community has the potential to enrich learning
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
The Partti study of digital spaces collaboration as cited by Cremata & Powell
between what a learner contributes to the process in terms for their musical skills
(coined as generosity), is directly associated with the resulting benefit; the greater the
generosity the greater the return on investment. (Partti, et al., 2012, Cremata & Powell).
Uneven expertise, in other words, can benefit all participants. An ear-based project, for
example, doesn’t have to require students to know musical notation but still allows for
musical formation (Cremata & Powell 2017). And the range of collaborative projects can
span digitalized projects, written compositions, music analysis, or virtual choirs. Almost
anything a teacher can conceive for in-person learning can now constructed online.
The digital paradigm has reshaped and revolutionized thinking and learning. The
brick-and-mortar limitations of chairs, textbooks, rows, chalkboards, and an all
too homogeneous student population can be expanded upon and potentially
reinvented with digital teaching/learning through collaborative, digital musical
networks (Cremata & Powell, 2017, p. 312)
in order to construct knowledge, as the social constructivists state (Peters, 2017), then
educators now have the opportunity and the obligation to deepen their students’
interaction with world music and world musicians through a variety of collaborative
formats spanning across the aisle, across the street, and across the globe. Learners of all
ages-from the youngest child to the eldest senior citizen-can benefit by advancing
musicianship through collaborative methods and democratic group models. Sites such
as Smule (which allow users to sing solos, duets or large group songs and other group
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
members to comment and rate the music) and World Stage (where users create musical
content and act as juries and provide feedback) (Wang et al. 2015) have created vibrant,
the street and around the world through interactions that foster a culture of involvement Commented [RC40]: cite
2013) through use one-on-one interaction for digital music creation through sites such
as GrooveZoo and JamStudio (Cremata & Powell 2017). Online music collaborations are
not necessarily a new phenomenon and have been used in education for nearly thirty Commented [RC41]: What happened for 30 years?
years as a means of student engagement (Cremata & Powell), yet exploitation has yet to
How we create, listen to, and distribute music will continue to evolve, but music
teachers can utilize collaborative methods-both in person and online- as a means to help
students understand various and differing cultures, to appreciate musical, cultural and
social differences, and to create connections within the community and throughout the
world. It is our job as educators, therefore, to figure out how best to use democratic
our students to be active participants in their own learning process through enriching Commented [RC42]: this seems like your synthesis so save
for conclusion
and collaborative experiences.
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
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Burnard, P., & Dragovic, T. (2015). Collaborative Creativity in Instrumental Group Music
doi.org/10.1386/ijcm.8.3.233_1
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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN MUSIC EDUCATION: BEYOND BOUNDARIES
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