Volume Two - Academic Conferences

Karin Levinsen et al.
conference organizers and technicians should try to overcome them in order to preserve the virtual
environment as a space where humans can be and interact rather than a place or a configuration of
individuals and artifacts. Even with the present speed of transmission, delay affects dialogue functions
such as turn-taking, sequencing and repair (Ruhleder & Jordan 2001, Marrow et al. 2002), which in
turn affect the experience of trust and telepresence (Ruhleder & Jordan 2001). People can learn to
compensate but novices and sporadic users may find this difficult. Ruhleder & Jordan found that
people try to avoid situations affected by delay. Hedestig & Kaptelinin (2005) found that in most
cases, the technician becomes the facilitator who handles both technical and collaborative
breakdowns. According to our initial observations, these findings seem to be general to video
conferencing no matter the subject.
The literature concerning music education is scarce and represents mainly case reports rather than
research. Only few titles address music education at a level comparable to the music academies. This
is confirmed in a recent study – Vi r Music - presented at the Distance Learning Conference at RDAM
in august 2011 (Nissi, 2011) However, recent quantitative studies provide interesting examples of
typical behaviours in music education (Orman & Whitaker 2010). The literature review shows how
time in one-on-one sessions is spent on the teacher talking, playing (modelling) and coaching verbally
and with non-verbal gestures. The analysis of video conference classes examined: “sequential
patterns of instruction, focus of attention, amount and type of performance, eye contact, and other
nonverbal behaviors” (ibid, p. 4). Though there are many other nuances to the study, it is interesting
that the researchers found that students performed/played more frequently (22%) and that eye
contact increased during distance lessons.
3. Initial activities
New York set-up Copenhagen set-up
Danish technician at work
Figure 1: From the March workshop between RDAM, Denmark and MSM, New York
During 2010 the project explored possible ways of using instrumental/vocal distance learning in
experimental set-ups. For example, a teacher from RDAM directed a string quartet in Beijing. These
activities were financed by the Centre for Development of Human Resources and Quality
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