In Harmony: A technology-based music education model to enhance musical understanding and general learning skills

Abstract

This article reports on the practice and evaluation of a music education model, In Harmony, which utilizes new technologies and current theories of learning to mediate the music learning experience. In response to the needs of twenty-first century learners, the educational software programs Teach, Learn, Evaluate! and Impromptu served as central components of the program’s curriculum. Moreover, drawing on educational theories that value general learning skills as prerequisites to scholastic achievement, the In Harmony program provided a context in which students could improve their working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility. The model was adopted internationally in Bloomington, IN and Jaffa, Israel, and featured individual tasks administered through computer software, as well as group music composition activities. By incorporating computer technology within the program’s design, and targeting the above-mentioned learning skills, we sought to strengthen the impact of the music lessons and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms linking music education and enhanced cognitive development. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the children’s working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility, as well as qualitative analyses of data collected during the intervention, indicated that the In Harmony model and the educational software used successfully scaffold musical instruction, with beneficial outcomes in fostering working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility.