Interactive music video games and children's musical development
Lily. Gower; Janet. McDowall
Journal: British Journal of Music Education
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
ISSN:0265-0517 Volume:29 Issue: 1 (2012-02-21) Page:91 - 105 DOI:10.1017/S0265051711000398
Interactive music video games are a readily available, mainstream technology but they are not generally seen as educative tools. Nor are they established within school teaching and learning environments. This study investigated children's use of these games from a music education perspective. Nine children, aged 9–11 years, and two specialist music teachers each participated in an individual semi-structured interview. The child participants were drawn from four metropolitan schools and the teachers were from different metropolitan schools. Results indicate that the games may help to develop some music skills and knowledge and that the games are of high interest and importance to students. The music teachers acknowledged the potential of interactive music video games to be incorporated into traditional music curriculum but they each expressed a belief that ideally the technology needs further development, including a greater capacity to compose and create using the programs. These findings suggest that, based on constructivist learning theories, there may be a place for these games in music education. | |
