College Music Society/Association for Technology in Music Instruction Annual Conference, October 24-28, 1996, Atlanta, Georgia ATMI PANEL: Music Instruction Systems in 2006 Contributor: Ken Rumery Part I: The Crystal Ball: An Amazing Vista * dramatic development in network capability * new attractive career opportunities in arts technology * network widely accessible and widely used * inexpensive, powerful, portable, compact, machinery * vast amounts of information of all types on the web * directed learning experiences available at many locations * access to directed learning experiences from almost anywhere Important Questions About The Near Future Who will/will not actively use technology in their courses in the near future? To what degree will the future curriculum be influenced by technology? Will the culture of a music department help or hinder how the department moves toward the future? Three Hypothetical Music Department Cultures Future Oriented: Embraces Change * supports non-traditional programs and facilities * interested in experimentation * strong involvement in twentieth century music * supports electronic, video and broadcast media music * engaged in collaborative projects in arts technology * committed to networking and nontraditional instructional delivery * provides incentives for development in I-tech and music technology * develops new courses of study in response to emerging careers * actively participates in multiple discipline programs Past Oriented: The Jurassic Music Department * supports traditional performing groups and courses exclusively * prepares performing artists and music educators exclusively * deep seated resistance to changes in current program * unwilling to share fixed resources with new emerging areas * oblivious to other departments * does not support multiple discipline programs * disinterest in jazz or contemporary music * disinterest in experimentation * oblivious to changing career markets for musicians * disinterest in adapting a curriculum to changing career needs Present Oriented: Pragmatic About Change * Museums are nice, but... * conservancy plus development--not conservancy versus development * maintains a balance between the past and future orientation (avoids exclusionary position) * preserves traditional activities and courses of study * responsive to changing career markets and need for new programs * explores new areas (but later in the developmental curve) * shares resources with new programs (but on a smaller scale) * open to experimentation if the numbers are favorable * open to multiple discipline programs if the numbers are favorable Changing Departmental Priorities Departments That Change Most Quickly Will Have Administrators Who * support new technology * encourage faculty to learn the technology * support their R&D faculty * make background in technology a qualification for certain new hires * vigorously seek outside support The Challenge to Departments--Getting There To Get There, The Department Must * support and adopt the technology * accept new instructional strategies * approve new courses and programs * consider new career options for their students What To Do If None Of The Above * Look for a More Favorable Environment * Make your own environment with outside support (the UNC Music Technology Center, the San Diego Midi Ensemble) Part II: A Prescription For The Future Become Aware Of And Attempt To Forecast Changes * why? o the lesson of illuminated manuscript versus printing o rapid change, rapid development, rapid obsolescence o lead time required to design appropriate instructional strategies o the need to anticipate change to effectively manage the infrastructure Develop A Technologically Informed And Skilled Faculty * commit to faculty training and the time it requires Give Students Opportunity To Train For Emerging Careers In Music * learn about new career markets for your graduates * learn what training is needed * learn where you alums are employed Getting There Lay The Groundwork And Use It * develop an I-tech infrastructure for faculty and students * hire staff to support the infrastructure and assist faculty and students * put faculty and students in touch with the I-tech developments * provide training opportunities for faculty and students * require students to complete assignments using I-tech Develop An Arts and Communication Technology Curriculum * offer courses in music technology * move toward an emphasis in music technology * link the curriculum to other arts and communication fields Develop New Programs For New Careers * establish liaison with music industry, business and service * hire people with experience in music industry, business and/or service * create programs that meet the needs of potential employers Communicate * develop a strong presence on the web * use I-tech to interact with alums, patrons, colleagues, potential recruits Progress at NAU How We are Getting There * a new infrastructure and staff support * near the beginning of the training curve for faculty and students * require students to use the lab to complete assignments * so far, no music technology courses or MT emphasis * our new infrastructure seems to encourage progress * a strong past oriented contingent seems on the verge of change Learning From Models Like ORAT And CMR And Seeking More Models Pressure To Be Part Of A Virtual University The Idea * very new to most faculty and administration * identity, management and control of the virtual university not clear * not yet aware of what participation requires of the faculty * not yet aware of what is required for faculty training * not yet aware of the how to produce material or the teams needed to produce the material * can it develop inside the traditional departmental structure? * incentives to participate not yet in place * conflicts in some ways with "more for less," supports it in other ways Full Engagement in Technology Not For Everyone, But -- * those less engaged in technology may become content specialists on development teams * those less engaged in technology may allow, even support the growth of I-tech * areas will use technology as an organizational and advertising tool * many will use computers for communication and instructional support The Evolving Virtual University Sample Questions: What Is It And How Are We Affililated With It? Inevitable Influence Of I-Tech On Instructional Strategies * project-based learning in an information-rich, tool-rich environment * collaborative learning when communication can be synchronous and asynchronous * learning at paces and times of students' choosing * learning marked by continuous improvement of a piece of work * improved student-faculty and student-student interaction and enhanced feedback More Individuals Will Enhance Their Courses With Technology Use Of I-Tech Will Drive New Transformations In The Curriculum Inter-Institutional Projects, Courses, Programs, Degrees New Opportunities In A Widely Dispersed Campus Without Walls Questions That Need Asking Do We Know Where We Are Headed? How Do We Know We Are On A Good Pedagogical Track? How Do We Determine If I-Tech Makes A Difference? How Do We Know We Have The Right Stuff? A Model For Evaluation Asking the Right Questions, Stephen C. Ehrmann, Change March/April 1995 (Flashlight Project, an Annenberg/CPB project) Educational Uses Of Information Technology The Evaluation Of Its Effectiveness Three lessons * I-tech can enable important changes in curriculum but it has no curriculum content itself * What matters most are educational strategies for using I-tech, strategies that influence the students total course of study. * Strategic progress stems from individual choices made by faculty members and students. The cumulative effect is probably not visible or coordinated. Tools For Evaluation: The Flashlight Project Criteria What matters most: * Not the technology but how it is used. * Not what happens while the students use I-tech but how the uses promote larger improvements in the student's overall education. * Not so much how we generalize our discoveries but what we discover about our own degree programs and our own students. Important Questions: 1. How can departments and institutions study their educational strategies for using technologies? * It can't be done one course at a time -- * because a strategy is a pattern of teaching and learning that extends over many courses. 2. What kinds of strategies are most likely to emerge from the use of I-tech? * project-based learning in an information-rich, tool-rich environment * collaborative learning when communication can be synchronous and asynchronous * learning at paces and times of students' choosing * learning marked by continuous improvement of a piece of work * improved student-faculty and student-student interaction and enhanced feedback Flashlight Objectives * develop procedures to monitor the evolution, successes and failures of strategies locally * outcomes focus on graduates' capabilities, changing patterns of enrollment and retention, and the influence of changes in education on total patterns of costs * evaluation questions that produce answers useful for transforming teaching and setting policy.