130 · Representative Documents: Assessment Reports and Instruments
INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Survey Report: Listening and timeline use
http://variations2.indiana.edu/pdf/m544-listening-and-timeline-use.pdf
Survey report ::Listening and timeline use Page 4 of 26
Purpose of Study
This study was a part of ongoing testing for Variations2: IU Digital Music Library project
(V2 hereafter). Primarily the V2 project is a research project aimed to provide an testbed for
research in such areas as usability, copyright, metadata, system design, networking and music
instruction. The purpose of this study is to collect data about music students’ listening habits and
use of the timeline tool in Variations2 as well as identify the level of satisfaction with Variations2.
In many music classes, students are expected to prepare for class by listening to assigned
pieces of music. Yet instructors suspect students do not always listen before class—some students
prefer to optimize their studying time by first finding out in class what particular features of a
work are of interest to the instructor and therefore likely to appear on an exam. With this
information in hand, they can pay attention to the right things when they listen, and perhaps spend
less time listening by being more selective.
The main purpose of this study was to see whether providing students with guidance up
front about what to listen to would make students more willing to listen prior to the class session
where a particular work was going to be discussed. In addition, we wanted to explore listening
patterns generally and compare students’ attitude towards the existing Variations tool with their
attitudes towards the new Variations2.
Procedure
The data for this study were collected using two questionnaires specifically designed to
explore students’ motivations and listening patterns (see Appendix, p. 24 and Questionnaire 2, p.
26) as well as from log files. The questionnaires consisted of two sections: background
information section and listening and timeline tool information section. The background section
was similar in both questionnaires and collected information about students’ gender, major,
computer experience, as well as their expectations about grades at the upcoming exam. The
listening section asked students to recall how they prepared for each class as well as for the last
exam and answer questions about frequency, places and quality of their preparations. The second
questionnaire also asked students about their attitudes towards using Variatons2 in class.
The surveys were conducted in the “M544: Piano Literature: 1850 to the present” class. In
the fall of 2004 there were 18 students in this class. The class met twice a week and covered piano
music from 1850 on. The syllabus is divided into 3 sections with exams after each section. First
exam is on the week 6 of the semester (October 5), the second exam is on week 11 (November 9),
final exam is at the end of the semester (December 13).
The syllabus web page provides links to particular recordings available online via
Variations for each class meeting of the semester. For the middle third of the semester (hereafter
referred to as Unit 2), starting from October 7, links to Variations2 recordings and timelines were
provided along with links to Variations, which allowed students to use Variations2 in addition to
or instead of Variations. Timelines of particular pieces were created by instructor (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. M544 syllabus.
INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON
Survey Report: Listening and timeline use
http://variations2.indiana.edu/pdf/m544-listening-and-timeline-use.pdf
Survey report ::Listening and timeline use Page 4 of 26
Purpose of Study
This study was a part of ongoing testing for Variations2: IU Digital Music Library project
(V2 hereafter). Primarily the V2 project is a research project aimed to provide an testbed for
research in such areas as usability, copyright, metadata, system design, networking and music
instruction. The purpose of this study is to collect data about music students’ listening habits and
use of the timeline tool in Variations2 as well as identify the level of satisfaction with Variations2.
In many music classes, students are expected to prepare for class by listening to assigned
pieces of music. Yet instructors suspect students do not always listen before class—some students
prefer to optimize their studying time by first finding out in class what particular features of a
work are of interest to the instructor and therefore likely to appear on an exam. With this
information in hand, they can pay attention to the right things when they listen, and perhaps spend
less time listening by being more selective.
The main purpose of this study was to see whether providing students with guidance up
front about what to listen to would make students more willing to listen prior to the class session
where a particular work was going to be discussed. In addition, we wanted to explore listening
patterns generally and compare students’ attitude towards the existing Variations tool with their
attitudes towards the new Variations2.
Procedure
The data for this study were collected using two questionnaires specifically designed to
explore students’ motivations and listening patterns (see Appendix, p. 24 and Questionnaire 2, p.
26) as well as from log files. The questionnaires consisted of two sections: background
information section and listening and timeline tool information section. The background section
was similar in both questionnaires and collected information about students’ gender, major,
computer experience, as well as their expectations about grades at the upcoming exam. The
listening section asked students to recall how they prepared for each class as well as for the last
exam and answer questions about frequency, places and quality of their preparations. The second
questionnaire also asked students about their attitudes towards using Variatons2 in class.
The surveys were conducted in the “M544: Piano Literature: 1850 to the present” class. In
the fall of 2004 there were 18 students in this class. The class met twice a week and covered piano
music from 1850 on. The syllabus is divided into 3 sections with exams after each section. First
exam is on the week 6 of the semester (October 5), the second exam is on week 11 (November 9),
final exam is at the end of the semester (December 13).
The syllabus web page provides links to particular recordings available online via
Variations for each class meeting of the semester. For the middle third of the semester (hereafter
referred to as Unit 2), starting from October 7, links to Variations2 recordings and timelines were
provided along with links to Variations, which allowed students to use Variations2 in addition to
or instead of Variations. Timelines of particular pieces were created by instructor (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. M544 syllabus.
