Abstract
This case study explored the potential for using a synchronous online piano teaching internship as a service-learning project for graduate pedagogy interns. In partnership with the university, a local music retailer, and a local middle school, three pedagogy interns taught beginning piano to underprivileged teenaged students for 8 weeks. All instruction took place in the synchronous online environment using acoustic Disklavier pianos, Internet MIDI, Facetime, and traditional method books. As a result of the experience, the students demonstrated musical understanding and the pedagogy interns developed teaching techniques, displayed improved comprehension of course content, learned about current distance teaching technology, and considered the role of music education in society. Based on these results, it might be feasible to provide piano lessons to underserved populations in remote locations while offering meaningful internship experiences to pedagogy students through distance service-learning projects.
Service-learning in the 21st century
I know that the [teaching] internship is an important part of my pedagogy course. But, I already have two music degrees and I am incredibly busy. I am taking classes and … teach 25 piano students in town. I’m getting teaching experience outside of school and I really don’t have time for this internship … I’m not sure what I’ll gain from it, since I’m so pressed for time already. Plus, I don’t see how we can teach piano online … I’m sure it won’t feel like a real lesson. (Phil, doctoral student and teaching intern, prior to week 1 of the service-learning project)
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” (Gandhi) I thought that my regular students’ families were not very engaged. After this [experience] I see that this is not the case. The student that I taught [during the internship] had no family support but she still practiced and came to lessons. She was motivated … If we hadn’t done this online, she wouldn’t have been able to attend lessons … Also, I’ve learned how to communicate more effectively and to help students become more self-sufficient, right from the very beginning. This has made me a better teacher. (Phil, after week 8 of the service-learning project)
In 1993, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in the USA recommended that teacher education programs include a service-learning component (Root & Furco, 2001, p. 86). It is generally acknowledged that service-learning should be structured such that those carrying out the service undergo a period of preparation, complete the service activity, and engage in guided reflection both during and following the experience (Turner, 2012). Additionally, service-learning projects should be mutually beneficial for all constituents involved in the partnership, where the outcomes for the preservice teachers, students, and other community stakeholders are “greater than any group could accomplish alone” (Anderson & Hill, 2001, p. 76) and where projects require students to apply academic knowledge while in service to others (Turner, 2012). From a pedagogical perspective, service-learning is compatible with the constructivist approach of experiencing teaching through application of academic principles and prior knowledge, while working with others in the real world (Paul et al., 2001).
While scant during the 1990s, the majority of research on service-learning was conducted in the general education field and focused on project implementation and benefits for preservice teachers. In the past decade, however, there have been about a dozen peer-reviewed published studies specific to service-learning in music education programs. Silveira and Diaz (2014) found that research on community engagement, which includes service-learning, comprised only 10% of all articles published in four prominent American music education journals between 1997 and 2011. They noted that while only 8% of all published articles were devoted to student teaching, 33% of those articles relied on self-reported student teachers’ perceptions of their own teaching (Silveira & Diaz, 2014). Researchers have explored the development of compassion toward others, especially for those from diverse backgrounds either through teaching in school settings (Bartolome, 2013) or through performances for underserved communities (Knapp, 2013). The majority of researchers have focused on benefits for the music education students participating in school-based projects. Benefits cited include: reaffirmation of chosen career path (Reynolds, 2004; Reynolds & Conway, 2003; Reynolds, Jerome, Preston, & Haynes, 2005); improvement in reflecting practices (Burton & Reynolds, 2009; Reynolds et al., 2005; Siebenaler, 2005); application of knowledge from coursework and retention of that information (Bartolome, 2013; Reynolds, 2003, 2004; Reynolds & Conway, 2003); self-reported increased teaching skills and techniques (Reynolds et al., 2005); increased teacher efficacy (Bowers, 2001; Conkling, 2007); increased occupational awareness and teacher identity (Bartolome, 2013; Meyers, 2006); improved philosophical understanding of the role of music and education in the lives of young people (Reynolds, 2003; Yob, 2000); and, increased “awareness of the ethical and political contexts in which [teachers’] decisions are embedded” (Root & Fuoco, 2001, p. 94).
Researchers assert that without proper administrative or financial support, implementation of service-learning programs can be challenging (Bowers, 2001; Siebenaler, 2005). Additionally, due to the importance of guided reflection, frequent and specific feedback is critical for the success of programs and their participants (Campbell & Brummett, 2007; Siebenaler, 2005). Suggestions for successful implementation of service-learning programs include ensuring that the preservice education students play an authentic leadership role in the experience (Anderson & Hill, 2001) and providing an experience that is long enough for reflection and learning to manifest itself through improved teaching (Reynolds et al., 2005). Finally, there has been a call for more research on service-learning specific to music by many of the researchers cited above. To date, few researchers have studied the potential of using synchronous online music instruction with underserved populations at isolated sites (Bennett, 2010; Mercer, 2009; Shoemaker, 2011). While teaching piano online enabled novice teachers to confront deficiencies in their pedagogical strategies and explore occupational identity more readily than in face-to-face peer teaching in one case study (Pike, in press), at present, the viability of using a synchronous distance teaching internship as a service-learning project to bring music to underserved students has not been discussed in music journals.
The online service-learning internship
The purpose of the teaching internship was to engage graduate students (pursuing MM or DMA degrees in piano pedagogy) in an online service-learning project where they taught underprivileged students. While they regularly participate in teaching internships during their pedagogy program, this was the first attempt at incorporating a service-learning component. 1 Once in-class preparation for teaching in the online environment was complete, the teaching interns began working with students. To provide an effective service-learning project and authentic teaching experience, the interns took responsibility for each student’s curriculum (Anderson & Hill, 2001), applied content knowledge (Siebenaler, 2007), and were encouraged to reflect upon each teaching experience and improve teaching technique over time (Reynolds et al., 2005).
Project overview
The project took place in a city of approximately 400,000 people in the southern USA. While the university offers a comprehensive music program, music curricula within the public schools vary widely; not all students have access to music classes, and even those who participate in band or choir may not receive regular group instruction throughout the year. Students selected for this project wanted to learn piano but could not afford private lessons.
In order to make the internship financially feasible, a partnership was formed between the researcher, a local music storeowner, and a local school choir teacher. Since there was no budget to purchase a high-quality digital or MIDI-enhanced acoustic piano to place in the school for this project, a local piano retailer provided an acoustic piano, the requisite software, and a teaching space for the students. The business was located less than one mile from the school, so the students could walk to lessons. The school choir teacher identified four students (aged 12–14) from the choral program, who experienced financial hardship but expressed interest in taking piano lessons. A keyboard was made available at the school upon which the children could practice outside of class time. The parents gave informed consent and the students signed child assent forms prior to participating in the project.
The 8-week online teaching internship took place during the second semester of a year-long graduate piano pedagogy course. The interns explored synchronous distance technology and pedagogical practice through the service-learning opportunity. Although they had demonstrated proficiency in teaching beginners as an entrance requirement for the course, neither of the interns had experienced piano teaching via the internet. A 1-month preparation period for online teaching included: readings, class discussions, observations, and reflections of five synchronous online lesson videos. Then, the interns each chose age-appropriate instructional materials and created an eight-week curriculum. Throughout the practicum, the interns observed their peers teaching and within 24 hours of giving a lesson they reviewed a video of that lesson and wrote a reflection on their teaching episode. Focus groups and one-on-one in-depth interviews were held with the teaching interns thrice during the project. These activities were easily incorporated into the pedagogy course.
During the project, the interns taught from the piano lab at the university and the students took their piano lessons at the music store, working synchronously over the internet. The following technology was used at both locations: acoustic Yamaha Disklavier grand piano; computer with onboard camera, microphone and Facetime for video and verbal communication; Internet MIDI software program, which permitted the pianos to communicate with one another (connected to the Disklavier using USB to MIDI cables); a high-speed internet connection; and access to Dropbox for file sharing. While the Disklavier is an acoustic piano, it is hybrid in the sense that when two pianos are connected over the internet, MIDI sensors capture details of pedal depression, key stroke, and velocity when one instrument is played and sends these to the remote piano so that its keys and pedals are depressed with the same weight and speed. Thus, when the instrument is played the sound emanates from the piano at each location, rather than through the web-conferencing system.
Method
During the service-learning project, teenaged students received eight 30-minute lessons from pedagogy interns (or teachers). Pseudonyms are used in all references to interns and students. Two of the teaching interns, Candace and Nancy, were first-year master’s students, while Phil was a first-year doctoral student. The researcher sought to explore the potential benefits of including an online service-learning teaching internship in an existing graduate pedagogy class. This was a phenomenological study of this particular online service-learning activity, but internships are typical in American pedagogy courses (Benson, 2001). Although teaching internships had been included in this course previously, it was not clear if the online internship would be a viable activity or if there would be potential for improving teaching skills in the online environment.
Data were collected from the following sources: videos and transcripts of 24 lessons, three focus groups, and three one-on-one in-depth interviews; 24 intern written reflections; and researcher observations during lessons and interactions with interns. Following data collection, lesson and interview transcripts were analyzed using the Transana software program and through careful coding of each transcript. A profile was created for each intern and the constant-comparison method (Creswell, 1998) was used to identify themes for each teacher. Then, these were compared to discover if there were common themes among the interns (Stake, 2005).
Due to the inherent reliability issues with action research, where the instructor is attempting to interpret the findings accurately, data were triangulated through videos and transcripts of all lessons, written teaching reflections, focus group interviews, individual in-depth interviews, and member checks with each intern (Creswell, 1998). In this project, interns developed specific pedagogical skills and the online service-learning internship was feasible and valuable.
General findings and themes
Using the online medium for the service-learning experience created initial concerns about the viability of online piano lessons among the interns. They worried about the different sensory experience; not occupying the same physical space as the student; and the inability to manipulate a student’s body at the piano. Common teaching problems that emerged during the initial lessons included issues with pacing, unclear objectives, and trouble fixing problems.
However, over time the online medium provided opportunities for the interns to process and apply pedagogy coursework and content; to assess, develop, and improve teaching techniques; to engage and empower students; and it provided an authentic online teaching experience with students of a lower socio-economic status than their typical pupils. The interns all reported growth in their teaching ability and educational philosophy, which was corroborated by the researcher. Additionally, they had become more informed about distance teaching, an emerging trend in the profession. They understood the basic operation of current music technology, the benefits and barriers to teaching synchronous online lessons, and had experienced distance instruction from the perspective of the teacher.
Discussion of common themes
Concerns about the online medium
Viability of synchronous online lessons
Initially, the interns questioned the viability of teaching piano online. Despite the fact that they regularly used social media to communicate and availed themselves of asynchronous online learning management systems in their college courses, they had only experienced piano lessons in the traditional face-to-face format. Even after watching videos of online lessons, the belief that piano could not be taught to beginners in the online environment persisted until the fifth week of the internship. Mid-way through the project, reflection, improved preparation, and refined teaching techniques helped the interns to recognize that online teaching was possible for beginning students and that it might be useful in their own professional development.
The interns needed time to explore and reflect upon the online teaching environment, corroborating previous studies (Burton & Reynolds, 2009; Reynolds et al., 2005). For example, during the first 4 weeks, Phil worried that the “online lessons didn’t feel real to [his student] Susie.” After focused reflection, observation of student body language, and discussion of how online lessons were the only way that these students had ever experienced piano instruction, the interns acknowledged that online lessons were authentic for these students.
Preparation and reflection
Because the interns did not initially believe that piano could be taught online, “particularly with beginning students,” they admitted to preparing more than usual. Yet, when teaching strategies did not work as anticipated and students did not succeed during the lesson, initially the teachers did not have contingencies for teaching concepts in alternate ways and they incorrectly attributed the lack of understanding to the online environment. Through observation of peers, feedback from the researcher, and guided self-reflection, however, the interns acknowledged that the problems had less to do with the technology and the online platform than with inadequate teaching technique. While there was a self-reported increase in teaching skills, as in previous service-learning studies (Reynolds et al., 2005), the researcher observed much improvement in pedagogical technique as a result of the online teaching.
Opportunities created by the online medium
Reassessment of teaching techniques and deeper comprehension of course content
These teachers believed that their unsuccessful teaching was magnified online. They reported that their ineffectiveness “felt palpable” to them during the lesson and seeing mistakes, retrospectively on video, helped them to “think more deeply about course content and teaching technique.” Phil said, “online teaching forces teachers to become the best version of themselves as all the mistakes are compounded in this medium.” Phil had, in fact, participated in a traditional teaching internship that included reflection on teaching videos during the previous semester, yet he felt that mistakes were more obvious in the online environment and became “eager to correct them.”
During the study, the interns reassessed effective teaching of basic concepts; rhythm was one such example. Due to the microphone cancellation feature in Internet MIDI, which prevents the piano from echoing in Facetime, the students and teachers could not talk and play simultaneously. Thus, while the interns might have had students play and count aloud in a typical lesson, they did not do this in the online environment. They could have watched the students’ lips while they played and counted, but instead they created diverse activities. Candace had the student clap and count aloud before she played, which is a reliable pedagogical technique, as it breaks the skill down into a discrete component before adding the complexity of pitch (which requires pitch recognition and executing a complex motor skill). Candace increased student–teacher interaction by playing a rhythmic segment and having her student listen and copy. She also began recording accompaniment tracks, which she placed in Dropbox, so the student could play with a steady accompaniment. Candace said, “in the beginning when I was working on rhythm I think I was talking too much. When I tried to show her with examples, I realized that I only had one or two ways to explain the concept, so I did my research and I am sending her videos and supplemental material because she is visual.”
Physical manipulation and self-absorption
Initially, the interns inaccurately believed that certain concepts could not be taught online since physical manipulation of the student’s hands and arms was not possible. In reality, they were not considering that concepts could be taught differently from the methods they typically used in face-to-face lessons. At first, the interns were so inflexible that they ignored students’ improper sitting and hand positions. Nancy acknowledged that in a face-to-face lesson “I would have just pulled the [student’s] bench back or moved her hand into position on the piano, so I didn’t think to ask her to push her bench back or to be patient and wait for her to find her own hand position before moving on.” By the third week of the internship however, all of the interns had ceased to ignore similar mistakes. They recognized that empowering students to find their own sitting and hand positions was critical for effective practicing and success between lessons. Nancy said, “I will have all of my students [in traditional lessons] find their own piano positions from now on.”
During the first half of this internship, the teachers displayed more interest in self than in the students while they were playing or performing. Teacher-centeredness has been documented among novice teachers, but it was powerful on the video because the online environment lacked some of the subtle social cues that they might have relied on in the traditional environment. For example, when the students played, the teachers sat at a 90-degree angle to the monitor and reviewed their lesson plans or the score, rather than looking at the student. Two of the interns looked at their notes while talking, instead of making eye contact with the student, despite acknowledging the importance of fostering online presence. The students, however, always turned toward the screen to look at the teachers either when they were giving instructions or when demonstrating a musical technique. With continued feedback, improved preparation, and reflection these interns gradually became more student-centered as the project progressed.
Development of teaching skills
All of the interns noted improvement in their confidence, and their ability to identify and fix mistakes, provide concise explanations, demonstrate effectively, and empower students to practice well at home. The researcher confirmed these self-reported improvements. However, much of the progress in teaching skill was not evident until the second half of the study, suggesting that it took the full 8 weeks for numerous benefits to be experienced by the interns and their students.
Confidence and flexibility
This internship was structured such that the teachers were working in a new teaching environment with students whose socio-economic status was unfamiliar. As a result, similar to preservice teachers in other studies (Reynolds, 2004; Reynolds & Conway, 2003), they lacked confidence at the outset but exhibited increased self-efficacy by the completion of the internship. Confidence was undermined also, because the teachers perceived that there was less sensory input than in a face-to-face lesson. While there were likely subtle cues that were lost in the online environment, the interns needed guidance about numerous visual and aural cues that they had been ignoring during the first half of the study. As their critical listening skills improved, when the students performed and asked questions, the interns became more flexible and confident in their teaching.
Learning objectives, fixing mistakes and scaffolding concepts
Initially, the interns did not effectively prioritize problems or fix mistakes. During the first few lessons the interns had difficulty identifying their top priorities during the lesson because “without help from parents the student made more mistakes than expected.” Once the interns articulated objectives for each musical exercise that was assigned, they became adept at helping the student improve. Awareness of the need to reinforce concepts in various contexts, for students with few previous musical experiences, improved and they began to incrementally scaffold new concepts onto previously developed skills.
Inability to diagnose and prioritize problems was often manifested through poor lesson pacing. Candace recognized that she was trying to fix all of the issues at once; she said, “I could tell that she was trying to following me, but … it was too fast for her. I saw her face and she was struggling with all of the information. When I realized that, I changed the pacing.” Conversely, Phil assumed that he needed to move slower because he was teaching online and because he was “accustomed to working with younger beginners.” After watching his first video and receiving feedback he said, “I noticed that my pacing and speaking voice was very slow throughout the entire lesson and I think that Susie was often anticipating and patiently waiting for me to finish some ideas that she already knew… I now realize that the pace will be different for every student.”
Concise explanations, demonstration & student empowerment
Initially, the interns spoke too much and were imprecise with their explanations. While this might have been an issue in a traditional lesson, because the students were looking directly at the teacher (on the computer screen) their expressions of boredom or lack of comprehension were unmistakable on the video. Nancy remarked, “I can see engagement in Julie’s face when she is explaining a concept to me or telling me how she will practice. She seems less engaged when I have been explaining a concept for a minute or so without any demonstration.” Despite their previous experience, initially the interns did not teach musical concepts in age-appropriate terms or in manageable pieces, and taught only the way they learned, without considering the needs of different learners. Phil noted, “I should have rehearsed what I was going to say when I introduced each concept … after watching the video I felt like my delivery could have been smoother and I noticed that I used musical terms that Susie doesn’t know yet.”
The teachers generally tried to cover too much, rather than correctly identifying the core concept and linking the next skill onto that concept once mastery had been achieved. As the project progressed, the teachers witnessed more student success because they drilled smaller chunks of material, offered more precise and concise explanations, and used musical demonstration (requiring students to listen and play) during the lesson. Once the interns recognized the benefit of empowering students to learn on their own, they began exploring and availing themselves of more student-centered teaching strategies. Candace said, “this online internship improved my ability to create clear and specific objectives and I now know that it is my job to do the research and figure out how to guide each student.” While the interns will continue to hone teaching skills throughout their careers, many teaching techniques improved during the 8-week internship.
Authentic teaching experience with students of lower socio-economic status
While each of the interns had prior experience teaching piano, their previous students’ socio-economic backgrounds tended to be similar to their own. Attrition and punctuality issues emerged despite the proximity of the lesson location to the school. Lack of family support emerged during the second week of the internship, when one father withdrew his daughter 5 minutes prior to her lesson because the lessons were inconvenient for him. The student was devastated and the intern struggled to make meaning of how a parent would not take advantage of an opportunity that meant so much to his child. Another student, Mary, brought her sibling to lessons; usually they were late. When Mary’s mother arrived to pick her up, she expected the lesson to end immediately, regardless of Mary’s level of engagement or how much scheduled time remained. The intern compensated by having Mary post short practice videos to Dropbox during the week; she gained confidence in her performance ability as a result.
Despite the challenges encountered by the students outside the lesson, they each practiced diligently and regularly, claimed to thoroughly enjoy lessons, and displayed musical understanding at the piano. The interns recognized that these students faced different social issues than their typical pupils. They learned that even though participating in musical experiences brought joy to these young people, in reality, music was not a high priority within their families.
The importance of music education for all young people
Throughout the internship, the teachers grappled with the unexpected social and economic barriers that these particular students experienced. Each intern expressed sadness that the piano lessons, which they clearly enjoyed, would end for the students upon completion of the project. In addition to displaying empathy toward the students, the interns explored ways that they might provide opportunities for students from different backgrounds to study piano in their future studios (e.g., through scholarships). Witnessing these teenagers exhibiting joy and self-expression during piano lessons prompted the interns to contemplate the role of music in society and the importance of music education in the schools, particularly in the lives of children who cannot afford private music tutelage. While this was an unexpected theme to emerge from the study, it confirms an important benefit of service learning identified by Yob (2000) and Root and Fuoco (2001).
Concluding thoughts
Implications for music educators
This service-learning project successfully provided piano lessons to children in need and helped future educators improve pedagogical skills within the online environment. While not all instruments can be taught online with outstanding sound quality, at present the technology exists to teach piano synchronously online and it has been deemed a feasible means of reaching underserved populations (Shoemaker, 2011). In this project, the online internship provided the interns with a valuable mirror in which to reflect on their pedagogical content knowledge, their teaching practice, and their role as future music educators. By the end of the project, the interns employed more refined and varied teaching strategies, diagnosed musical problems more accurately, defined goals clearly, became more student-centered, flexible, and self-confident during lessons, empowered students to practice effectively between lessons, became adept at using current synchronous teaching technology, and were more empathetic teachers. If the technology is available, pedagogy instructors might consider implementing an online service-learning teaching internship into the piano pedagogy curriculum. This service-learning internship encouraged the interns to address teaching concerns promptly, improve teaching techniques, explore the potential of online teaching technology, and teach students who otherwise would not have experienced benefits of piano study.
Future internships with beginning students need not employ acoustic Disklavier pianos. Rather, a high-quality digital piano could be housed at the remote location. A local public library or church could serve as locations for the student learning. However, having the piano in a secure room at the students’ school would alleviate transportation, attrition, and punctuality issues experienced during this project. If funding cannot be secured to purchase the requisite equipment for the remote studio, a community partner can provide support, as the music storeowner did for this project. From a moral standpoint, educators might explore the duration of service-learning projects for children. For example, is there potential for continuing to teach the students enrolled in the online internship from one semester to another (perhaps with different teaching interns)? Or, will the internship be limited in duration and serve merely as an introduction to piano for different students each year, as it was in this case? Although the online teaching experience would likely be similar (regardless of the student location), future interns could teach students in even more remote or rural locations or in different countries. The use of sophisticated video-conferencing systems, such as Polycom, for general music education distance internships might also be explored.
Summary
Regardless of where the students in need are located, it is possible to provide quality musical instruction (where students are taught pedagogically appropriate music by reflective teachers) provided the technology is accessible. With partnerships between community stakeholders, universities, and public schools, location or socio-economic status no longer needs to be a barrier to music education. This particular internship experience provided benefits to both the students and the teaching interns.
The synchronous online internship experience provided a catalyst for the interns to reflect deeply on their teaching, improve specific teaching techniques, assimilate, apply, and retain pedagogical content knowledge, and become more student-centered in their teaching. Working with underprivileged students encouraged the interns to consider the role of music within society and to explore the importance of music education for all of our youth. Finally, by teaching piano via the online platform the interns challenged some of their assumptions about technology and their own teaching practice, regardless of context. These teaching interns found great value and meaning in working with teenagers who benefitted from the musical opportunity, making this service-learning project a worthwhile endeavor.
Footnotes
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.