ED2MCE3: Music, Children and Education 2

Module code: ED2MCE3

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Rebecca Berkley, email: r.m.berkley@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is concerned with music education as a field of study. A central focus is the development of student as a reflective musical practitioner. Through a series of lectures, seminars and practical activities, participants are introduced to theoretical perspectives on music psychology with a focus on musical learning and assessment and their practical application to curriculum music teaching. 

Aims 

• To introduce students to key concepts in music psychology relating to cognitive development, and how these inform music teaching and learning. 
• To develop students as musicians in the classroom and reflective practitioners by developing their classroom musicianship skills to teach music in the primary classroom 
• To enable students to develop modes of assessment and appraisal of their own musical learning and that of children 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of key aspects underlying theory and practice in music psychologyrelating to musical education and their own professional practice 
2. Review and critically assess music psychology research and scholarship, especially focusing on learning through composing and performing, the development of aural acuity in children, and the ways musical learning contributes to the development of the whole person in education. 
3. Demonstrate their analytical thinking in the way they create a literature review to inform their academic poster and presentation assessment, drawing on a range of academic and professional sources, appraising these according to validity and relevance to the field of enquiry 
4. Use their classroom musicianship skills creatively in primary music teaching 

Module content

The module requires students to engage with research in music psychology and apply it to music education in theory and practice. Students are expected to develop a broad perspective on a range of music psychology topics in order to engage critically with the discipline and to make inter-disciplinary connections where applicable. Throughout the module students engage in practical activity and academic study of:  

• Intermediate level solfa pedagogy 
• Leading and directing classroom performance 
• How classroom musicianship skills may be developed in primary aged children, particularly focusing on children in KS2 
• Age related development in music cognition and skill acquisition 
• Musical aptitude and musical abilities 
• Cognition in composing and improvising, performing 
• The development of musical literacy in children 
• What observable musical behaviours can be assessed to determine musical progress 
• Modelling and critical review of different musical pedagogies 

The module makes reference to relevant and key aspects of the Primary Phase Curriculum and ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) to inform design. 

The online reading list for this module is available in the University library 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning methods will explore practical scenarios in teaching primary music, focusing on teaching KS2 children. Students will learn in practical workshops and seminars. Taught sessions will include a balance of tutor led instruction, group discussion, practical music making and individual practical activities, alongside seminars where students explore theoretical concepts in music psychology applied to practical classroom teaching. Sessions will be interactive in nature building on students’ prior knowledge. The module has a Blackboard site with key material for the module. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

In weekly practical workshops, students undertake a number of peer and self-assessment tasks and are encouraged to learn to assess the quality of their work through interaction with their year group. Students may submit a draft of their assignment approximately 4 working weeks before the submission date for written feedback.

Reassessment

Additional costs