Technology in Music Education:
History and Current Perspectives

Abstract

The field of education is subject to trends and viewpoints of the society in which it develops. Subsequently, music as a discipline and music educators are constantly adapting to shifts in thinking while taking advantage of the many benefits afforded by the advancement of technological resources. From the creation of basic harmonic functional tools such as solmization to more modern electromechanical devices like the iPad and its wealth of downloadable applications, technological resources when used thoughtfully and effectively create opportunities for authentic student-centered learning tasks. The text provides an overview of the history of technology integration in the music classroom of tools such as these in addition to others. Later, an array of learning opportunities made possible through the utilization of these tools are presented with specific music learning applications. This is followed by a discussion of current tech trends based in constructivism such as coding and makerspaces Finally, the text concludes with a consideration of challenges and suggestions for getting started with purposeful and successful integration of technology in the music classroom through technology integration models such as TPACK and SAMR.

Keywords: music education, technology, educational technology, trends, music teachers

Read the full paper