Digital technologies for teaching are an area of strong development of innovation in all sectors of higher education. In musical higher education, however, this process is held back by the difficulty of developing practical instrumental and vocal training, which is particularly complex in the case of multiple performers who play and/or sing together, as is the case in chamber music.
Playing together is not like having a lecture or discussion, where teachers and students interact verbally. Thus, the development of the main part of teaching in this area is stalled. However, there are some promising technological solutions. It is necessary to test them in the academic environment to see how well they meet the needs of higher education. This could be the starting point for a methodological, technological and organizational study toward an overall assessment of the current technical possibilities and their possible practical uses up to the creation of a specific model of integrated digital didactics, tailored to the needs of higher education in chamber music.
The research and development of new tools, materials and pedagogical models for higher education in music will respond to the needs of the sector at different levels:
- for teachers, to define some types of teaching activities achievable with the use of digital technologies, their technological requirements, the digital skills required and any necessary training;
- for students, to define the requirements for equipment, technologies and digital skills needed to participate in such “digitized” activities;
- for managers, to define the requirements and options and levels of implementation for the organization and facilities of institutions of higher musical education.
The main objectives of the project
- To analyze the state of the art in digital technologies suited to the teaching practice of chamber music, with particular reference to the solutions for live streaming synchronization between different environments, to allow several musicians to play together at a distance.
- To explore the different use cases and educational scenarios in which digital technologies can find a valid application, as well as the related requirements in technology and digital skills of teachers and learners.
- To define a model of integrated digital education specific to higher education in chamber music, in its various forms, e.g. integrated teaching in presence and distance learning, use of digital technologies in presence to develop the ability to use technologies for music, creation of mixed physical / virtual music classrooms with part of the students in presence and part at a distance learning together.
- To articulate the model on different levels in order to make it applicable in different contexts with different needs and means.
- To offer a concrete and immediately applicable contribution to higher education in terms of an innovative methodological model for integrated digital education in the chamber music field.
- To make available to the sector digital tools and resources to facilitate the application of the method.
- To carry out, through the direct and indirect impact of the project and the dissemination of results, an enabling action for the integration of digital technologies in higher musical education, currently held back by the lack of specific research.
To achieve the project objectives, the following main activities are planned:
- collection of best practices in the use of digital technologies in higher music education;
- research on the international state of the art in digital technologies for streaming available through open applications;
- analysis of the needs for integrated digital teaching in higher musical education, with particular reference to chamber music;
- elaboration of an innovative methodological model for integrated digital didactics in the sector, applicable at different levels in different situations;
- analysis and documentation of the requirements for the implementation, at different levels, of integrated digital teaching in high music education, including the requirements for equipment, internet connectivity and digital skills of teachers and learners;
- collection and storage in an open repository of digital educational content useful for the implementation of the proposed innovative teaching methods;
- training of teachers and researchers from the project partner institutions to develop and test the methodology, texts and tools of the project;
- pilot testing in the conservatories participating in the project, in 6 European countries (IT, RO, HU, ES, BE, SI) for the field verification of the proposed model of integrated digital education;
- production of documents, materials and tools useful for the development of innovation in higher education on chamber music consistent with the outcomes of the pilot testing;
- wide dissemination at European and international level of the model and results.
PROJECT RESULTS (PR)
PR 01
The first PR is titled “Digital technologies in Higher Education for Chamber Music. State of the art analysis”.
Methods, objectives and results of the use of digital technologies in Higher Education in the field of vocal and instrumental ensemble music will be analyzed, with particular reference to the training of teachers of singing and instrumental music.
PR 02
The second PR is titled “The New In Media Stat Virtus method for distance training in vocal – instrumental chamber music. Guidelines for training”.
Guidelines will be created for teachers of ensemble music disciplines: techniques, methods, criteria, resources, good practices and case studies for DaD and blended training targeting European students of 1st and 2nd level degree courses in instrument, singing, vocal chamber music, music education.
PR 03
The third PR is titled “The new In Media Stat Virtus method for distance training in vocal – instrumental chamber music. Handbook for applied techonologies”.
The manual focuses on training trainers on technological resources applied to new perspectives for the study and production of music at a distance within the chamber music repertoire.
PR 04
The fourth PR is titled “In Media Stat Virtus Repository: digital OERs for training in vocal – instrumental chamber music”.
Web application open to all interested users, with free registration, functional to the application of the proposed method of distance learning for opera (PR2-PR3), created by Giunti Psy and managed with the collaboration of all partners.
PR 05
The fifth PR is titled “eCourse – Introduction to the In Media Stat Virtus method for the development and delivery of distance training in vocal – instrumental chamber music”.
Interactive eCourse of 20 hours estimated duration introducing trainers to the IMSV method and to the design and delivery of distance learning courses for singers and instrumentalists. It will consist of 20 online lessons of about 1 hour each.