| Description | Are you involved in research or development of music education games? Have you at some point been faced with problems that you feel are still not resolved to your full satisfaction? It is time to unburden your mind and lay those nagging questions out on our roundtable instead. During this informal discussion, we plan to reflect on the different issues that may emerge during different stages of research and development, challenging the assumptions each of us may have made at some point:- Exploring the domain: In what ways can music exploration and education be meaningfully integrated in digital games? Are there best practices or unique experiments that we can learn from?
- Problem definition: What are specific challenges to music education that we can address or at least need to take into account in game design (e.g. the need for exercise and repetition and keeping people motivated throughout)?
- Selecting context of use: As the debate continues whether music education belongs in compulsory daytime education, we similarly might ask: Can music education games find their place in daytime education, specialized after-school programs and at home?
- Including learning models: How do we deal with different and possibly even conflicting theories and empirical insights on motivation and learning?
- Concept development: What are key requirements for music education games? For example, are improvisation, social interaction and performance critical, and most importantly, why are they critical?
- Prototype development: When is automated feedback and when is teacher feedback on musical performance more optimal? To what extent should learners themselves control the learning process?
- Evaluation: Music education games may require and promote different forms of learning (e.g. physical and digital skills, knowledge acquisition). Which are important indicators and caveats in assessing and evaluating music education game prototypes?
- Content: On the one hand, music or songs with large educational value may not necessarily be content children like to use. On the other hand, popular music may not be the most interesting content from an educational viewpoint. How do we choose appropriate content?
We cannot guarantee definitive answers. In fact, we do not believe in generic solutions. We do believe this discussion will bring interesting issues to light, and bring you into contact with peers that you were previously unacquainted with.
Based on the outcome of this roundtable and the interest of its participants, a joint paper could be prepared afterwards that brings the challenges in music education games research and development to light and situates them in the current state of the art in this field.
Hosts and contributors to this roundtable are a group of social scientists currently involved in an applied research project, MELoDiA (http://bit.ly/1nwcpZe), in which a music education game prototype is being developed, each with their own specialization and emphasis: Lizzy Bleumers (situated player experience), Pieter Duysburgh (education and wellbeing), Karen Mouws (game-based learning), Marije Nouwen (children's media use), and Karin Slegers (user-centered design). |
