Volume Two - Academic Conferences

Karin Levinsen et al.
Management as a competence development project aimed at faculty members. This project led to
RDAM investing in the advanced equipment necessary to ensure the quality of especially sound
transmission demanded by high-level music distance learning. Accordingly, RDAM’s management
designated distance learning as a priority development area in the coming years and they expect the
project to link art communication, education, pedagogy and scientific research in a unique way.
In March 2011 RDAM hosted a seminar on distance learning in collaboration with MSM. This seminar
marked the peak so far of the test phase for the implementation of the new technology as the
backbone of a teaching environment and a technological setting.
In addition to the teaching calls between New York and Copenhagen, there were many technical calls
to test sound, network technology, and the collaboration between the distributed technological teams.
The seminar provided the scene for the initial observations of the researchers from Aarhus University.
Each session was followed by discussions amongst teachers, students and researchers. Apart from
the immediate surprise of the test participants at how comfortable they felt with the video conference
situation, the discussion revolved on the pedagogical and interpersonal challenges that arise when
teachers’ and students’ interaction is mediated through technology. But there were also thorough talks
about the technical limitations/opportunities connected to the issue.
There is a large body of research that addresses the relation between video conferencing, teaching
and learning. However, the literature does not address the special needs and circumstances that are
relevant to high level music education from a pedagogical perspective. In August 2011 RDAM hosted
an international conference to contribute to creating international dialogue and supporting knowledge
sharing. The conference also provided an opportunity for the researchers from Aarhus University to
expand their knowledge of the field and to present the research project internationally.
4. Initial findings
The majority of the participants (teachers and students) at the March seminar had never tried this kind
of dedicated video conference set-up before, whereas a few had tried Skype as a teaching platform.
They all expressed that they perceived a potential and that it worked surprisingly well. However, it
became obvious that available space in terms of arrangement, distance and visual direction are
factors of importance as are monitor size and position. The way the musicians in an ensemble are
situated in relation to each other within the available space affects their experience of closeness.
Vocal soloists differ from instrumental soloists as they use the body as their instrument. It is important
that the teacher can observe both the face and the full body. This affects transmission of sound and
image, light settings and the quality and size of screens. Different constellations have to be explored
in various situations as instrumental or vocal soloists and ensembles create different challenges and
needs for robust video conferencing pedagogy and technological handling.
The participants experienced that telepresence depends on collaboration between technicians at both
ends as well as between musicians and technicians and that the teachers must be able to instruct the
technicians about their specific needs. For example, an unacknowledged difference in sound
experience may lead the teacher to instruct students to adjust their technique or
expression/interpretation of the music in ways that may appear “wrong” in an analogue performance.
This points to the need to explore means of expression that can mediate the pedagogical intention of
a specific session and allow transfer from pedagogical needs to operational technological solutions.
The RDAM teachers had to let go of physical interaction such as conducting, counting the beat or
playing simultaneously due to the slight delay that persists despite extremely high bandwidth. The
teachers modified their practice and adjusted to the conditions of the technology by verbalizing their
body language. Finally the teachers experienced that the students may feel uncomfortable if they do
not know their teacher well or if the set-up makes it difficult for them to see and sense the teacher.
They also want to know who else is present in order to relax and experience telepresence. The
challenge that needs to be explored here is that the communication between teacher and learner
changes modality. In order to develop a robust pedagogy it is important to know the consequences of
changes in modality as they may open up to new possibilities as well as losses as not all
communication is fit for remediation.
In the discussions, the teachers proposed solutions to these challenges. Some solutions apply to the
technology used and the physical set-up, some to pedagogy and yet others to the need to create trust
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