Performing online: Approaches to teaching performance studies in higher education within a fully online environment

Abstract

Online education is becoming prevalent across the higher education sector and requires new approaches to teaching and learning. As music is seen as a ‘hands on’ discipline, there has been a very gradual move toward the use of online technologies in music teaching in tertiary education, especially in the area of performance studies. By surveying existing scholarly research, this article investigates the technology available to consider the possibility of teaching performance studies within a fully online environment. Today, music students are also required to develop meta-skills such as social networking, entrepreneurism, self-management, self-regulation, and self-reflection. Through a constructivist teaching and learning paradigm, this article explores how online technology in instrumental or performance studies can support and develop these essential proficiencies as well as continuing to develop technical skills. This study serves as a foundation for further systematic research, and a practical application for online music education.