[Smt-talk] Online music courses?

[Huron, David]

Eric & Gretchen,

I teach a graduate level course "Introduction to Music Cognition"
online.  The course combines video lectures, readings, extensive
course notes, study guides (for the videos), and twice-weekly
telepresence seminar discussions.

The course material is derived from an existing course I've taught
for years. However, I had to redesign much of the content in order
to make it more online friendly.

Although the course is delivered entirely online, it remains
coordinated with the beginning of the semester.  This is necessary,
otherwise we wouldn't be able to include seminar discussions.

Here are a few lessons I've learned from the experience:

1. I've found no common system (Skype, FaceTime, etc.) that is
reliable.  There are always dropped lines and interruptions.
For this reason, one shouldn't attempt to give lectures in real-time.
I use these connections solely for seminar discussions where
interruptions are more tolerable.  Virtually all universities have
a professional telepresence system. These are wonderful; they're
reliable and high quality, but they are too expensive to use for
weekly classes.  Cisco had a nice semi-professional system (more
reasonably priced at circa $10k), but they pulled it from the
market.  For now, lectures will have to be recorded rather than
live.  Perhaps that will change in 2 or 3 years.

2. When dealing with a group of people meeting in a room it is
essential to have good sound.  A professional friend recommended the
ClearOne 160 Speakerphone.  It is inexpensive, and is widely viewed
as the best speakerphone on the market.

3. Try to avoid long recorded lectures.  The YouTube generation is
used to 10-12 minute segments.  Also, depending on the connectivity,
long videos are more likely to suffer streaming interruptions.
It is also harder for students to locate specific lecture materials
with long videos.  In addition, it's easier to update content with
short videos.

4. I've learned that one should always provide a study guide for
each video.  This structures the viewing so students pay attention
to the content and don't simply lapse into "TV-watching mode."

5. Spend the money for a teleprompter.  I use a relatively
inexpensive ($400) teleprompter that works with an iPad.  This
allows me to see my lecture notes while looking directly into the
camera.  Most viewers are unaware that you are reading.  It makes
for a much more professional effect.  I use an "Airturn" foot pedal
that allows me to control the teleprompter speed hands-free.  We
got a local metal shop to fashion a device so that the camera and
teleprompter can sit atop a normal camera stand.  The result is a
one-person operation: the instructor can run the camera, adjust the
teleprompter, and sequence the Powerpoints slides while lecturing.
It takes some skill, but it becomes smooth with experience.

It's an advantage to have an entirely battery-operated system,
since one can record lectures anywhere -- such as in concert halls
or out-of-doors.  My only regret is that we don't have a video camera
with a remote control, so the instructor can stop and start the
camera without having to walk behind the camera.  Also, it's useful
to get a camera with either a large viewfinder that can be rotated
(so you can see yourself while recording), or with a connector that
allows a separate monitor.  (You need to see yourself in order to
recognize when you are out of the frame, etc.)

6. Write a script for the initial minute and final closing of each
lecture.  Then use point-form lecture notes to extemporize a normal
lecture.  By scripting the beginning and ending, the whole lecture
looks more professional.  You can get away with all the "ums" and
"ahs" in the middle.

7. Anna Gawboy and I both use Camtasia for editing. It allows the
instructor to interleave and combine Powerpoint and talking-face
video, as well as add captions, titles, etc.

I have no data to suggest that the online course is better or worse
than the "live" version.  The materials are more organized in the
online version, but the face-to-face version is more enjoyable.


Incidentally, if anyone is interested, the next offering of my
online graduate course "Introduction to Music Cognition" begins this
January.  Individuals are welcome.  If any institution is interested
in a possible future subscription, I'm sure that my school's Director would
be interested in chatting.

David Huron
Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor
School of Music & Center for Cognitive Science
Ohio State University

________________________________
From: smt-talk-bounces at lists.societymusictheory.org [smt-talk-bounces at lists.societymusictheory.org] on behalf of Isaacson, Eric J [isaacso at indiana.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:00 AM
To: smt-talk
Subject: [Smt-talk] Online music courses?

Dear Colleagues,

We would be interested in hearing about the experiences you or your institutional colleagues have had with online teaching in music. Our interest is not limited to music theory, but could encompass music history, music education, other academic areas, as well as performance studies. We are NOT interested in speculative critiques of the idea of online education (we are perfectly capable of conjuring these ourselves!), but rather in real-world stories from the trenches. Responses might address:

  *   What subject was taught?
  *   Who was the target population?
  *   Was it an online adaptation of an existing course or designed for online delivery?
  *   Was the course wholly online or blended?
  *   What technolog(ies) were involved?
  *   Is there any statistical or anecdotal information about the course's effectiveness, efficiency, etc., from the perspective of the students? The instructor?

Best wishes,

Eric J. Isaacson
Director of Graduate Studies, Assoc. Professor of Music Theory
Gretchen Horlacher
Assistant to the Dean for Research and Administration, Assoc. Professor of Music Theory
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

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