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Course's innovative web-based components include virtual interactive keyboard
The designers of a distance education course that uses the Internet to teach beginner music students to sing music they've never heard before have received the 2006 Provost's Award for Innovation.
Prof. Alan Shepard, associate vice-president (academic), presented the award to Jennifer Knelman, a sessional instructor in the School of Fine Art and Music; John Cassidy, manager of distance education and distance education technologies in the Office of Open Learning; and Peter Wolf, manager of instructional development in Teaching Support Services, at the Teaching and Learning Innovation Conference May 16.
The team custom-designed a number of innovative web-based components for the course “Introduction to Musicianship,” including a virtual interactive keyboard that offers recorded pitches and a virtual practice room that has unlimited access to rhythm sounds and music graphics to aid skills development.
In addition, the course boasts an online recording application for students to submit timed sight-singing exercises for assessment, an interactive online conferencing system and an online textbook with sound bytes and music graphics for demonstration.
The course also features a series of online quizzes designed for different learning styles, with emphasis on feedback.
The course was offered to students for the first time in the winter 2005 semester.
The teaching and assessment strategies made possible through technology and used in this course promote learning that is both active and interactive, says Knelman.
“There is an openness to trying new ideas at U of G and an atmosphere that welcomes innovation and encourages teachers to rise to the challenge,” she says.
“It's particularly rewarding to envision a course like this and see it come to fruition. I'm thankful to the music department for setting the wheels in motion and to the Office of Open Learning for its unwavering support. The University continues to show a willingness to be on the cutting edge of technological innovation, and I'm truly proud to be part of it.”
Wolf says the course “is a great addition to Open Learning's already excellent distance offerings, and I'm proud to be part of the team that designed, developed and implemented this innovative and well-grounded course. It's truly an honour to receive this award.”
Adds Cassidy: “As pleased as I am about being one of the award recipients, I'm even more pleased that this award exists to recognize the efforts of instructors such as Jennifer Knelman. She has long devoted herself not only to improving the quality of instruction in her online course but also to developing innovative ways of doing so, and it's very gratifying to see such dedication to teaching recognized.”
