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Assessing complexity. Group composing for a secondary school qualification

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2017

Vicki Thorpe
Vicki Thorpe*
Affiliation:
School of Education, Te Puna Ako Pai Faculty of Education, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealandvicki.thorpe@vuw.ac.nz
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Abstract

This article examines a unique music curriculum and assessment environment through the findings of a practical action research project carried out in secondary schools. I address two current international educational issues: the relationship between formal and informal learning in music, and how individuals’ contributions in collaborative groups might be summatively assessed. Following this I present a model of group composing and explain how it was used as a pedagogical tool in secondary music classrooms. The purpose of this was to help students and their teacher to conceptualise collaborative composing, thereby leading to a clearer understanding and more valid assessment of the processes in which they were engaged.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Music Education , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , November 2017 , pp. 305 - 320
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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