A Reflective Lens: Music Pedagogical Research to Transform Practice | Page 118

Benefits of Informal Learning Pedagogy and Popular Music with Normal Technical Students:
Self-Directed Learning through the Use of Technology

These new technologies also necessitate changes to
teaching styles and the role of the teacher. Teacher-centric
practices of the past become increasingly irrelevant.
Odam & Paterson (2000) suggest getting students to work
either in pairs or individually, each with a workstation and
a set of headphones. When students do not understand
how to play certain parts of a song, they need not consult
the teacher. Instead, they simply have to replay the videos.
Characteristics of 21st Century Competencies,
Self-Directed Learning and Student Centricity
With the implementation of an informal approach to music
learning, the focus will be on student-centric learning, with
particular emphasis on self-directed learning in a group.
Green (2008) advocates for choice to be given to students to
choose their group members, and facilitating an environment
where learning can take place independently for students,
with intervention from teachers only when necessary. When
students are in their groups, there is conscious peer direction
and unconscious learning through peer observation, imitation,
and discussion. When peer learning takes place, students
can be taught by a peer, rather than by a teacher. This has
several benefits, including the absence of power differential
between peers and complex technical vocabulary used by
the teachers (Green, 2008). Also with the informal learning
approach, the intensity of peer-directed learning is especially
high when they work in their friendship groups.

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