MicroLearning and Self Motivation in Music Education

It all started with the strum of a guitar. In 2012, Kristo Käo realized there was a need in music education. He began his journey by composing a guitar method book that allowed the learner to respond to the lesson by sending in an mp3 of their playing. Käo’s intention was to respond to every submission with helpful tips to assist the learner in their pursuit to master guitar. His promise was to “listen and respond” (Käo, 2012). His idea was such a success that it spread around the world. It got in the hands of Margus Niitsoo, one of his classmates from University of Tartu, as he waited for a response from his submission he decided to create an algorithm that would revolutionize music education and propel them both forward. Their partnership brought forth what is now known as MatchMySound. “MatchMySound is an application that utilizes sound recognition technologies to compare two audio files – a pre-recorded reference track provided by the teacher or publisher and the one recorded by a learner. Our algorithm detects the differences between the audio files every 1/43rd of a second. It focuses on two main dimensions: sound and timing.”

Microlearning in Music Education

Käo truly understood that microlearning, or on-the-go learning, was a necessity in music education. The ability to learn, improve, and receive feedback anywhere in the world in real-time was not common when MatchMySound first came around, especially in music education. This software is available on all apple and android devices. As a musician he realized that the need for a musician to receive training wherever they are was vital. Not all musicians have a studio, and sometimes help is needed in places where a full size computer isn’t available. “MML (mobile microlearning) can improve learner motivation, engagement, and performance” (Dingler et al. 2017; Jing-Wen 2016; Kovacs 2015; Liao 2015; Sirwan Mohammed et al. 2018; Zheng 2015). Engagement continuously rises because users have the ability to access lessons anywhere. E-Learning Partners (2022) tells us that Microlearning “...keeps them engaged and captures their attention since it’s readily available and fun to engage with. It removes the burden of having to be somewhere physically in order to learn.”

Motivation through Constructive Feedback

One thing MatchMySound prides itself on is the constructive feedback given to the user. In fact, that 1 thing was what made Käo’s lessons different. He wanted to provide personal constructive feedback so that learners fully understood what they were doing correctly and what they can improve on. It’s proven that other music programs were not as successful because there was, “no feedback, no summaries, no advice,” and when there was feedback it was “not useful because the feedback was so general.” (Kabataş, 2021) During the lesson, the device the lesson is conducted on hears exactly what the learner plays and compares it to what is written on the sheet music. The software provides each learner a composite score, pitch score, rhythm score, and verbal feedback as to how they did in each lesson. “In line with Huang’s (2011) findings, the participants’ comments showed that timing problems in terms of both one-to-one tutoring sessions and music studies.” MatchMySound combats this issue by providing feedback to each learner as soon as the lesson is finished.

Motivation Related to Goals

“For students to be motivated to participate in an activity, they must value it and believe they will be successful with it in their future. This expectancy-value theory explains why many students both pursue and persist in music, whereas others do not,” (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995; O'Neill & McPherson, 2002). Everyone using the application MatchMySound has one goal in mind, to improve the quality of their musical abilities. Seeing value in an activity creates relevance during the goal pursuit. MatchMySound provides meaningful feedback and challenges in each lesson that creates relevance for each learner in pursuit of being a better musician.“Relevance can also be achieved by creating meaningful challenges, especially for people with high needs for achievement, and giving them a measure of control over setting their goals and the means of accomplishing them (Alschuler, Tabor, & McIntyre, 1971; McClelland, 1984).” Each learner is given the ability to bring relevance to their own learning goals through choosing their instrument, learning style, and skill level.

References

Cogdill, S. H. (2015). Applying Research in Motivation and Learning to Music Education: What the Experts Say. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 33(2), 49–57.

How microlearning helps with better engagement. eLearning Partners. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.e-learningpartners.com/blog/how-microlearning-helps-with-better-engagement

Kabataş, M, (2021). Why do we learn music? Collecting feedback from Kastamonu University music students. African Education Research Journal. 9(1): 189-196.

Lee, Y.-M., Jahnke, I., & Austin, L. (2021). Mobile microlearning design and effects on learning efficacy and learner experience. Educational Technology Research & Development, 69(2), 885–915. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1007/s11423-020-09931-w

Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2018). Trends and issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Pearson.

YouTube. (2021). YouTube. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNCNIwxW87o.