A Reflective Lens: Music Pedagogical Research to Transform Practice

Benefits of Informal Learning Pedagogy and Popular Music with Normal Technical Students: Self-Directed Learning through the Use of Technology Names Joy Serene Age 13 13 Race Chinese Chinese Observable behaviour Soft-spoken, quiet, and studious Chatty Language used in the research A mixture of English and Mandarin A mixture of English and Mandarin Prior kno9e to playing keyboard • Has a mini-keyboard at home • Knows how to play quite a number of popular tunes with both hands • Goes by aural understanding of songs • Has a mini-keyboard at home • Knows how to play some tunes, mostly with right hand • Relies on YouTube videos to learn music Table 2: Profile of Two Case Studies Procedure This research study took place over 14 weeks; from May to September in 2014. Students were assigned to work in pairs on a laptop and a keyboard. Each pair could also work on a keyboard with the help of an audio splitter. The learning outcomes of the programme were: • Students should be able to develop knowledge and skills related to basic piano keyboard techniques and fingering. • Students should be able to play and coordinate at least a verse or chorus of a popular song in pairs. 117

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