WEEK 10: MUSIC AS TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

 WEEK 10: MUSIC AS TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

            This week’s class stood out as the most captivating of the semester for me! Dr. Lina brought in Mr. Tamim as a guest speaker during Monday’s lecture to delve into the use of background music in enhancing student learning. What fascinated me was his demonstration with an electric guitar, showcasing various tempo music. He engaged us in the Puzzle Speedrun Experiment, illustrating how background music aids task completion. The winning group in this activity shared their insights with elective students who missed Monday’s class for a zoo visit. During the tutorial, Dr. Lina recapped prior knowledge, employing strategies like lyric fill-in games from lyricstraining.com and encouraging storytelling and jokes from students. However, I’ll primarily focus on Monday’s lesson which is music as teaching and learning strategies in this blog.

Our class began with a Mentimeter quiz, a tool consistently employed by Dr. Lina for its multitude of benefits, as I’ve previously detailed in my blogs. Mentimeter extends beyond conventional presentations, allowing educators to create interactive sessions where students can pose questions, vote, and engage in surveys (Zhang, 2022). Chickering and Gamson (1989) outlined seven principles for effective higher education, including "encouraging active learning" and "providing immediate feedback." Research shows that integrating Mentimeter aligns with these principles, enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes (Cheng & Wang, 2019; Firsing et al., 2018). Furthermore, the anonymity feature of Mentimeter fosters increased participation by easing students' concerns about revealing their identities in class (Musliha & Purnawarman, 2020). One particularly intriguing Mentimeter question revolved around our favorite songs, uncovering surprising connections among classmates. Sharing playlists with Aimi unveiled our mutual love for emo songs, forging an unexpected bond.

In essence, how does background music improve student learning? The background music significantly enhances student learning by improving cognitive function and the overall learning environment (Ford et al., 2019). Knott and Thaut (2018) assert that music serves as a memory enhancer, aiding in more efficient information retention. Murakami (2017) highlights that melody rhythms expedite the transfer of spoken information to working memory, enhancing productivity and sustainability. Additionally, Königschulte (2015) suggests that background music, captivating more than visual stimuli, directly engages cognitive frameworks due to the involuntary nature of aural perception, unlike deliberate visual perception. Moreover, Jäncke (2008) suggests that background music boosts memory retention by elevating emotional arousal. Cornett (2007) emphasizes the transformative power of background music in classrooms, fostering positive emotions, motivation, heightened awareness, imaginative thinking, concentration, and relaxation during tests, and providing a supportive ambiance for silent reading, writing, and artistic activities.

However, the choice of suitable background music during teaching or studying holds immense importance. Giles (1991) supports the notion that students perform remarkably well when appropriate background music is present, citing its ability to reduce stress and promote happiness, relaxation, and productivity when appropriately timed. Conversely, Mayer (2009) argues that unnecessary music and sound effects can hamper learning outcomes. Research underscores how studying with music, particularly fast-paced tracks, can hinder the learning process (Lehmann & Seufert, 2018; Thompson et al., 2012). Boyle and Coltheart’s study (1996) reveals that both instrumental and lyrical music have detrimental effects on short-term memory and reading comprehension tasks. Based on my personal experience, I can vouch for this reality. I often listen to music while doing homework, and I've noticed that songs with lyrics tend to make me hum along, ultimately decreasing my efficiency. However, these songs do alleviate boredom, preventing diversion to activities like phone usage during study sessions.

            Background music's impact on mental effort during educational activities aligns with the Cognitive Load Theory. As discussed earlier, appropriately chosen background music, in harmony with the course material, may assist in regulating emotions and concentration, thereby optimizing learning. However, music that proves overly distracting or unsuitable for the task can exacerbate mental strain or cognitive load, hindering comprehension and recall.

            In summary, this lesson has deepened my understanding of how background music influences learning and teaching. I've gained insights into the significance of selecting suitable music while performing tasks to bolster my learning methods. Considering that not everyone responds well to background music, I aim to employ this strategy thoughtfully in my future teaching, acknowledging the varied preferences and learning styles of students.

Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor is frequently linked to the "Mozart effect," hinting at potential cognitive benefits such as memory enhancement, although conclusive scientific evidence regarding its direct impact remains uncertain.

References

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