Effects of Presentation Mode on Community College Students’ Perception of Performance

Quality and Musical Engagement

Effects of Presentation Mode on Community College Students’ Perception of Performance

Quality and Musical Engagement

James Michael ReddanDMA Candidate, Music Education

Boston UniversityMay 27, 2014

James Michael ReddanDMA Candidate, Music Education

Boston UniversityMay 27, 2014

IntroductionIntroduction

• Music Appreciation and Music Listening

• Goals of Music Education

• Music as Communication and Music Listening

• Technology and Music Listening

• Music Psychology and Perception

• Music Listening and Community College Students

Theoretical FrameworkTheoretical Framework

Response

Listener

Situations and Contexts

Music

• Hargreaves, North, and Tarrant (2006) Reciprocal Feedback Model

• Clarke’s (2005) Ecological Approach to the Perception of Musical Meaning

• Gibson’s (1986) Ecological Theory of Visual Perception

PurposePurpose

To examine the effect of presentation mode on community college students’ ratings of a

choral performance and self-perceived level of engagement with the music controlling for age,

gender, and previous musical training.

Research Questions 1 through 4Research Questions 1 through 4• 1. What effect, if any, does presentation mode have on

participants’ ratings of the quality of a choral performance?

• 2. What effect, if any, does participants’ age, gender, or previous musical training have on participants’ ratings of the quality of a choral performance?

• 3. What effect, if any, does presentation mode have on participants’ ratings of their engagement with the music during a choral performance?

• 4. What effect, if any, does participants’ age, gender, or previous musical training have on participants’ ratings of their engagement with the music during a choral performance?

Research Questions 5 and 6Research Questions 5 and 6

• 5. Why do participants rate the quality of a choral performance of one presentation mode higher than others, if at all?

• 6. Why do different presentation modes make participants feel more or less engaged with the music, if at all?

MethodologyMethodology

• Concurrent procedures, mixed-methods design.

• Independent Variables:o Presentation Modeo Ageo Years of Musical Trainingo Gender

MethodologyMethodology

• Dependent variables:o Ratings of overall qualityo Ratings of perceived level of engagement

• Sample:o Four music appreciation classes at two community

colleges in the Mid-Willamette Valley of Oregono 71 participants

MethodologyMethodology

• Materials and Instrumentation:o Three a cappella choral performances:

Now is the Month of Maying (audio-only) Come Again, Sweet Love (audio-visual) Pastime with Good Company (live)

o Data collection forms to collect participants’ ratings of quality and engagement on a four-point Likert-type scale and participants’ written responses explaining their ratings.

Quantitative Results: RQ 1Presentation Mode & Ratings of QualityQuantitative Results: RQ 1Presentation Mode & Ratings of Quality

• Presentation mode had a significant main effect on participants’ ratings of quality (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant within-subjects effect (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant between-subjects effect (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant multivariate effect (p < .001)

Quantitative Results: RQ 2Age, Gender, Years of Training & Ratings of QualityQuantitative Results: RQ 2Age, Gender, Years of Training & Ratings of Quality

• There was a significant within-subjects effect of age (p < .05)

• Age was only significant for the Audio-Only Recording. There was a significant difference between the ratings for the age groups of 18-24 versus 25-44 (p < .01)

• No other significant effects were found.

Quantitative Results: RQ 3Presentation Mode & Ratings of Engagement LevelQuantitative Results: RQ 3Presentation Mode & Ratings of Engagement Level

• Presentation mode had a significant main effect on participants’ ratings of engagement (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant within-subjects effect (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant between-subjects effect (p < .001)

• Presentation mode had a significant multivariate effect (p < .001)

Quantitative Results: RQ 4Age, Gender, Years of Training & Level of EngagementQuantitative Results: RQ 4Age, Gender, Years of Training & Level of Engagement

• There was a significant between-subjects effect of Years of Musical Training (p < .05). However, after completing a pairwise comparison, no significant effects of age, gender, or years of musical training were found.

• No significant main or within-subjects effects were found.

Qualitative Results: RQ 5Qualitative Results: RQ 5

• Participants’ focus of attention changes with presentation mode

• Environmental factors influence participants’ perceptions

• Technology affected participants’ perceptions of quality

• Participants’ preference for a presentation mode affected perceptions of quality

• Perceptions of performance quality were unique to the individual

Qualitative Results: RQ 6Qualitative Results: RQ 6

• Specific musical factors influence engagement level

• Other factors influence engagement level

• Technology influences engagement level

• Perception of performance quality influences engagement

ConclusionsConclusions

• Presentation mode can affect community college students’ perceptions of the quality of an a cappella choral performance and their perceived level of engagement.

• Many factors influence students’ perceptions of a listening experience other than the music itself.

• Students’ perceptions of quality and engagement level with music when listening is unique to the individual.

• Individual factors including age and years of musical training can affect how a community college student perceives a listening experience.

ImplicationsImplications

• Music educators should consider the use of multiple presentation modes to enhance the listening experiences of students in music appreciation classes.

• The inclusion of live performances in the music appreciation classroom may enhance the music listening experience for students.

• Because the listening experience is unique for each individual student, the environment where the listening experience takes place may affect their reaction to what they hear and see.

Recommendations for Future ResearchRecommendations for Future Research

• Design considerations:o Repertoireo Presentation Ordero Collection of data over a longer period of time

• Additional inquiry into how age and previous musical training may affect a students’ perceptions of a listening experience is needed.

• Preference

• Examine the relationship of perceptions of quality and perceived level of engagement