ICT and music technology during COVID-19: Australian music educator perspectives

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced music teachers to modify their practice as delivery moved online in education settings around the globe. This article forms part of our wider study, Re-imaging the future: Music teaching and learning, and ICT in blended environments in Australia, that commenced in March 2021. In this article, the authors analyze and discuss Australian music teachers’ perceptions of confidence, preference, and usage of music technologies, combined with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) while teaching during COVID-19. Employing a quantitative methodology from data collected using an anonymous survey ( N = 105), they report on teachers’ attitudinal responses about ICT devices, confidence, and technology usage. The findings outline descriptive and correlational analyses between ICT use and teachers’ integration of various devices, software, and related music technologies. The data show that teachers adapted their practice during this time of uncertainty, reporting increased confidence, application, and ICT usage. Data revealed an increase in the use of multiple technologies, resources, and software, which became an essential component of online teaching. The article concludes with recommendations for a longitudinal study of ICT usage in music education across Australia, accompanied by suggestions for increased professional learning, initial teacher training, changes in practice, and contingencies to sustain online learning into the future.

Instructors' perspectives on teaching music online after the COVID-19 lockdown: A qualitative analysis in Indonesia

“…The results of the present study not only support previous research but also present an international comparison in terms of emergency remote learning in higher music education during the COVID-19 lockdown (Biasutti et al, 2022;Kesendere et al, 2020;Merrick & Joseph, 2022;Okay, 2021;Yıldız et al, 2021). Participants valued the technological advancements available for online music education but mentioned software development as the main priority for a better online learning experience.…”

“…Regarding technology, the pandemic lockdown induced both students and lecturers to explore more software and applications for music education (Merrick & Joseph, 2022;Pozo et al, 2022), and they experimented with digital media and learning tools to improve teaching practices (Biasutti et al, 2022;Fallowfield & Gomez, 2022;Ng et al, 2022).…”

“…Some adverse effects reported during the pandemic were increased stress (Cheng & Lam, 2021) and lower levels of well-being (Habe et al, 2021). The lockdown forced music instructors to learn how to manage their classrooms online (Gül, 2021) and utilise software for music teaching (Merrick & Joseph, 2022;Thomas et al, 2021). The poor sound quality of software not tailored for musical performance (Kruse et al, 2013) caused ineffective summative assessments and an unsatisfactory listening experience.…”

No longer optional: The Infusion of Digital Technology in Praxical Secondary School Music Education

“…They are usually self-taught and often begin by using low-cost, free or pirated software. The global Covid-19 pandemic dramatically increased the use of digital technology in schools across many subjects (Ferdig et al, 2020;Thorgersen & Mars, 2021) including music (Estelle, 2021;Knapp et al, 2023;Merrick & Joseph, 2023). Strong evidence in the UK points to a high percentage of students already making music outside of school (Youth Music, 2006;Youth Music & Ipsos MORI, 2019).…”

“…Zealand was undertaken prior to the most recent world-wide shift in music education, namely the widespread use of browser-based software and low-cost apps (Humberstone et al, 2019;Knapp et al, 2023;Lind & MacPherson, 2017;Merrick & Joseph, 2023).…”