Innovations and illustrations of digital teaching practice in Australia during the pandemic: variations on a theme

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reports on a national study, Re-imaging the Future: Music Teaching and Learning, and ICT in Blended Environments in Australia, which examined music educators’ engagement with technologies and pedagogies during the pandemic. Data were collected via online survey (N = 105) between March and April 2021 and thematically analysed to answer two questions: What innovative approaches did music educators employ while teaching online? How did teachers use technology and media to support student learning? The two emerging themes (adaptive teacher practice and illustrations of learning) demonstrate how teachers modified their use of ICT, music technology and pedagogy to sustain online delivery of the curriculum. These display variations of teaching practice, diverse application of media (audio and video) and increased digital literacy. Participants implemented a myriad of twenty-first-century skills and technologies within their teaching. Recommendations are provided, embracing the ways Australian music educators responded to the challenges, exploring innovative digital teaching practice.