Class description

  • Undergraduate music education string techniques class
  • Average of 15 students per class
  • Students are typically sophomores, 2nd year in program, 19-20 years old
  • Course could be in a private or public university/college
  • Class meets for an hour twice weekly, for a semester (18 weeks)

Primary goals for the class

  • Primary goal is for students to play string instruments at a competent level
  • A secondary goal is to have successful string teaching experiences
  • A tertiary goal is for students to acquire preliminary resources that can be used to teach strings later

Evidence of achievement

Play string instruments at a competent level – to assess progress toward this goal performance data is needed. Ratings of intonation, rhythmic accuracy, musicality, posture and other specific elements of performing on a string instrument will be needed.

Have successful string teaching experiences – to assess progress toward this goal teaching ability data is needed. Ratings of clarity of instruction, accuracy of instruction, demonstration ability, and student-appropriate approach will be needed.

Acquire preliminary resources that can be used later – to assess progress toward this goal actual accumulation of appropriate resources is the needed data.

Purpose of each assessment

Formative evaluation – designed to provide performance feedback to students before they give a formally graded performance on this instrument. Hopefully they will use the feedback to improve their performance before being graded. This should also be informative for the teacher – confirming what needs to be reviewed before the midterm.

Midterm evaluation – designed to rate students’ performance ability two-thirds of the way through their time on this instrument. This rating will inform the students as they prepare for the final evaluation and the teacher as he/she continues to teach and help students improve all the way to the final.

Final evaluation – designed to rate students’ final performance ability on this instrument. This summative exam will quantify what the students are currently capable of on this instrument and help determine whether they have reached the appropriate level of competency.

Teaching demonstration – designed to evaluate how well students can currently teach specific string techniques. Students’ ability to teach (or not) specific, pre-determined techniques on instruments they are familiar with will be rated and will inform the student of their current teaching strengths/weaknesses and the teacher of what tactics need additional instruction.

Course Resource Book – designed to be a preliminary resource that can be referred to later. This checklist evaluation will tell the student how well they follow directions and organize material. It will also inform the teacher how clear the instructions were and whether or not students take this type of resource seriously.

Descriptions of assessment tools

Formative evaluation – students will be given a list of songs that they could be asked to perform a week before the evaluation. For the evaluation, students will perform several songs for the class in a small group. The teacher will evaluate individual students using the rubric as they perform in small groups. See attached rubric.

Midterm evaluation – students will be given a list of songs that they could be asked to perform a week before the evaluation. The class before the evaluation they will be given the four specifically chosen songs. Students will record these songs and submit the video files on the due date. The final score will be norm-referenced for the class. See attached rubric.

Final evaluation – students will be given a list of songs that they could be asked to perform a week before the evaluation. The class before the evaluation they will be given the four or five specifically chosen songs. Students will record these songs and submit the video files on the due date. The final score will be norm-referenced for the class. The rubric will be very similar to the midterm rubric with only slight changes to cover specific techniques.

Teaching demonstration – students will be assigned a specific string teaching technique the class before they are to teach it. The technique will be on the instrument the student is currently playing and they will have time to ask questions if they are not sure what the technique is. On the due date students will be divided into groups of like-instruments. Each student will receive enough rating sheets to score the other members of the group. Each student will grade the teaching demonstration of every other student in the group (except their own). Ratings/comments will be shared before leaving class. All demonstrations will be video taped so the teacher can watch the videos and grade them, using the same rating sheet the students used. See attached Likert-type scale rating.

Course Resource Book – students will collect appropriate information/notes/handouts/ assignments through the semester and save them in an electronic Resource Book. The electronic Resource Book will be due at the end of the semester. See attached checklist.

 

Time-line of due dates for assessment tools

Week 3 – first instrument formative evaluation

Week 6 – first instrument midterm evaluation

Week 7 – first instrument teaching demonstration

Week 9 – first instrument final evaluation

Week 12 – second instrument formative evaluation

Week 15 – second instrument midterm evaluation

Week 16 – second instrument teaching demonstration

Week 18 – second instrument final evaluation & course portfolio

 

Assessment Plan Overview

Goal % Evidence Process/Tools Dates
To play an upper string (vn/va) instrument proficiently 0 Formative evaluation, teacher will evaluate during small group performances in class Rubric & approximate rating Week 3
10 Midterm assessment (on this instrument), individual videos, pre-recorded Rubric and numeric score Week 6
30 Final assessment (on this instrument), individual videos, pre-recorded Rubric and numeric score Week 9
To teach upper string (vn/va) technique successfully 8 In small groups of like-instruments each student will be assigned a technique to teach the other students. Likert-type scale(s) Week 7
To play a lower string (vc/db) instrument proficiently 0 Formative evaluation, teacher will evaluate during small group performances in class Rubric & approximate rating Week 12
10 Midterm assessment (on this instrument), individual videos, pre-recorded Rubric and numeric score Week 15
30 Final assessment (on this instrument), individual videos, pre-recorded Rubric and numeric score Week 18
To teach lower string (vc/db) technique successfully 8 In small groups of like-instruments each student will be assigned a technique to teach the other students. Likert-type scale(s) Week 16
To acquire preliminary string teaching resources 4 Student will develop an ePortfolio as they proceed through string techniques Self evaluations, teacher checklist & comments Week 18

Formative Evaluation Rubric

Student name:                                              Tune name:

 Ratings

4 Exemplary Position/function/performance consistently correct
3 Acceptable Position/function/performance usually correct
2 Deficient Position/function/performance occasionally correct
1 Unacceptable Position/function/performance consistently incorrect

 

Technique

Circle one

Comments
Left hand

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Right hand

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Musical criteria
Tonal accuracy

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Intonation

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Consistent pulse

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Accurate rhythms

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Tone quality

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1
Musical expression

3 – 4

2 – 3

1 – 2

1

Midterm Evaluation Rubric

 Student:                                                         Instrument:                           Date:

Assignment:

Technique Tunes:

 

Musicality Tunes:

Consistently correct

4
Usually correct

3
Occasionally correct

2
Consistently incorrect

1

Technique

Left Hand

T score
Posture: Body & Feet
Instrument Position
Arm & Wrist
Hand to instrument: contact points
Fingers to strings: knuckles
Fingers to strings: contact points
Fingers to strings: finger patterns
Smooth shifting

Total Score:

LH Comments:

 

Right Hand

T score
Arm & wrist
Fingers (incl. thumb)
Staccato: weight
Staccato: speed
Staccato: contact point (btwn bridge & fingerboard)
Legato: weight
Legato: speed
Legato: contact point (btwn bridge & fingerboard)
Parallel to bridge

Total Score:

RH Comments:

Musicality
Musical Criteria

T score
Tonal Accuracy (know what the notes are)
Intonation (can actually play the notes in tune)
Steady beat (appropriate to piece)
Rhythmic Accuracy
Tone Quality
Musical Expression (dynamics, articulations, phrasing, etc.)
Total Score:

Musical and overall comments:

 

Overall

T score
Left Hand Technique/32
Right Hand Technique/36
Musicality/72 (triple weight, 24x3)
Overall Score/140:

 

 

Teaching Demonstration Rating

Teacher:                                                                    Evaluator:

 

Definitely Yes                                             Definitely No

Explained the technique clearly                 4                      3                      2                      1

 

Explained the technique concisely                         4                      3                      2                      1

 

Explained the technique accurately                       4                      3                      2                      1

 

Demonstrated the technique accurately    4                      3                      2                      1

 

Had a student-appropriate approach        4                      3                      2                      1

 

Comments

 

 

Course Electronic Resource Book Checklist

Resource

Present

Not present
Tabs/links/organization
Professional recordings
Professional videos
Self-recordings and evaluations
Self-assessments
Teaching demonstration ratings
Notes on teaching techniques
Notes on method books
Notes on eclectic styles
Notes on specific instruments

Comments: