The development and implementation of interactive multimedia instrumental discrimination skills training courseware for beginning clarinet students.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to develop and implement interactive multimedia instrumental discrimination skills training courseware for beginning clarinet students. Ancillary problems of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effects of instrumental discrimination training on instrumental (clarinet) performance achievement; (2) to determine the relationship between the beginning clarinet student's instrumental discrimination skills and self-assessment skills; (3) to determine the relationship between the beginning clarinet student's instrumental discrimination skills and musical aptitude; and (4) to evaluate participating students' attitudes toward the use of interactive multimedia technology in instrumental music instruction. Eighteen sixth-grade students who took a beginning instrumental music course at a middle school in Detroit participated in the study. These students were assigned randomly to the two experimental groups prior to the experiment. This study employed a cross-over design. In the first experimental period (Fall 1995), experimental group 1 received the interactive multimedia discrimination skills training in conjunction with traditional small group lessons. During the same period, experimental group 2 only received traditional small group lessons. In the second experimental period (Winter 1996) experimental group 2 received the same treatment. Experimental group 1 only had traditional group lessons during this period. A test of visual-aural instrumental discrimination (TVAID) with three additional tests were used to measure the various effects of the interactive multimedia treatment. A questionnaire and observations were also used to investigate student attitudes toward the interactive multimedia program. Based on the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) regular use of interactive multimedia could improve visual instrumental discrimination skills of beginning clarinet students; (2) there was no significant relationship between musical aptitude and visual discrimination skills; (3) there was no statistically significant relationship between discrimination skills and instrumental performance; (4) discrimination skills and self-assessment skills were somewhat related; and (5) interactive multimedia technology could function as an agent for refreshing and motivating instrumental teachers and students, and providing effective instructional aids for instrumental music classes.