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Unit of study_

MUED1005: Key Approaches in Music Education

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Sydney

This unit will provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge of and teaching skills related to music education approaches that have influenced current practice. Students will focus on a number of internationally recognised approaches to teaching music, for example, those developed by Orff and Kodaly; Comprehensive Musicianship, and the creativity movements of the 1960s and 1970s. More recent approaches reflecting multiculturalism, globalization, mediated learning, constructivism, Informal Learning and forms of enculturation and musical creativity evident in children's musical worlds will also be explored.

Unit details and rules

Unit code MUED1005
Academic unit Music Education
Credit points 3
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Thomas Fienberg, thomas.fienberg@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Bronwyn Irvine, bronwyn.irvine@sydney.edu.au
Thomas Fienberg, thomas.fienberg@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Creative assessment / demonstration Contemporary pedagogies performance assessment and practice diary
Performance and diary
50% Formal exam period n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO5
Skills-based evaluation Kodály method peer-teaching
Demonstration
50% Week 07 5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3

Assessment summary

  • Kodály method peer-teaching: Within 5 minutes, teach a short song (or section of a longer song) to your peers suitable for Stage 1 or 2 children in the manner of Kodály Method pedagogy as taught in this course. In addition to your teaching segment, submit a score of your song and a lesson plan showing how you would build on the activities demonstrated for a 45 minute lesson. 
  • Contemporary pedagogies performance assessment and practice diary: Over the course of the semester, learn to play an instrument that can play chords. You must not already be able to play this instrument. As you learn, keep a practice diary in your ePortfolio with at least one entry per week. At the end of semester, undertake a sight-reading performance assessment on this instrument and submit the practice diary. 

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for performance work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Musical individuality consistently projected to create a persuasive personal representation of the work. Performance flair indicative of soloist standard. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary technical virtuosity and musical artistry.

Distinction

75 - 84

Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Some personal interpretation of the work suggesting soloist potential. 

Credit

65 - 74

Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality and some stylistic achievement. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues. Projects potential for further development.

Pass

50 - 64

Satisfactory level of preparation and musical engagement. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense developing though some insecurity in this area.

Fail

0 - 49

Unsatisfactory technical achievement and/or unsatisfactory level of musical and artistic engagement. Limitations may be of such a scale and consistency as to call into question the student’s future direction in the programme.

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.

Distinction

75 - 84

Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.

Credit

65 - 74

Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.

Pass

50 - 64

Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.

Fail

0 - 49

Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the course. Music Teacher Identity 1: Who You Be? Pre-assessment for chord playing instrument task. Online class (2 hr) LO2 LO4
Week 02 Kodály 1 - What’s in a method? Why the sequencing of musical skills is important. The Power of the Pentatonic! Ear to Eye to Name: The 3 P’s. Singing. Movement. Songs without words: Rhythm syllables. Online class (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 03 Kodály 2 - Repertoire: old and new. Interpreting Kodály’s philosophy for the 20th Century. More Singing. More Movement. Introducing Solfege, the Kodály way. Early Stage 1, Stage 1. Hand signs Online class (2 hr) LO2 LO5
Week 04 Kodály 3 - Ramping it up: Kodály in Stages 2 & 3. (Extend to 4 and 5) Forwards, backwards, upside-down. Why does Kodály want to break my brain? Temporal spatial reasoning. Hand signs: two hands, hands together. Let’s get complicated! Online class (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 05 Kodály 4. What’s the balance between reading, writing, hearing, and singing/playing? Introducing instruments. Which ones? How and when. Kodály teaching instrumental music without budget or peripatetic teachers. Coming back to the voice: models for your peer-teaching assessment. Putting it into practice: show what you know. Exercises toward the peer-teaching activity. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5
Week 06 Kodály 5 - More models for peer-teaching. Group work: an opportunity to practice peer-teaching toward assessment. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5
Week 07 Kodály 6. Peer teaching assessment task. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 08 Contemporary pedagogies 2 - Creativity Movement. Questioning the status quo: Class, Control & Classical Music. Constructivist learning: Improvisation Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 09 Contemporary pedagogies 3 - Comprehensive Musicianship. (Self)censorship of the Other Constructivist learning: “Leaving the door open” and switching it up. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 11 Contemporary pedagogies 4. (Pre-recorded class) and optional face to face rehearsal. Music Teacher Values and Beliefs. Rehearsing your assessment. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Contemporary pedagogies 5. Informal Learning. A Counterpoint. Constructivist Learning: learning by ear & what a classroom structure might look like. Workshop (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Contemporary pedagogies 6. Multiculturalism, Pluralism, Decolonising and Critical Pedagogies. Am I A Racist?Constructivist Learning: Music evolved from the African diaspora Workshop (12 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Mandatory or recommended prior learning: Students enrolling in this unit of study are expected to have completed MUED1010 Key Ideas in Music Education.
  • Attendance requirements: Please refer to the link for more details on attendance requirements as per the Sydney Conservatorium of Music resolutions, http://sydney.edu.au/handbooks/conservatorium/rules/faculty_resolutions.shtml (Item 12).
  • Referencing Guidelines: All texts you refer to should be referenced using the style outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2010 – 6th edition). Download and refer to this guide carefully: http://sydney.edu.au/library/subjects/downloads/citation/APA%20Complete_2012.pdf

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 3 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 60-75 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please see the list through Canvas. There are readings required (sometimes videos) for EVERY CLASS.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. describe the principal characteristics of each approach under study
  • LO2. master some basic teaching skills related to these music education approaches, extended directly from those learned in MUED1010
  • LO3. incorporate improvisation into classroom activities, either using the voice, percussion or other instruments
  • LO4. sight read a chord progression
  • LO5. demonstrate familiarity with the body of literature relating to these methods.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

As a result of student feedback from the last time this unit of study was run, the following changes were made: • Relaxed the rules on choosing a chord-playing instrument. • Integrated the marking rubric better for the Kodaly task

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.