Abstract:

This paper describes a computer-based learning environment presenting the pedagogy and part of the curriculum of Schoenberg's harmonic teaching method. The pedagogical constraints which guided the design and construction of the environment are presented and compared with the constraints found in traditional harmony teaching. Results from studies involving the prototype learning environment are presented: a formative evaluation was carried out with music experts with the aim of assessing its interactive music notation interface and to inform changes and improvements to be made to the prototype; and a summative evaluation was conducted with music lecturers to assess not only the degree of faithfulness of the environment to the method, but also the educational benefits that such an environment can potentially bring to harmony teaching. The results of the studies suggest that materials of the method can be delivered, and can be made accessible to the user, by a computer-based environment embodying a computer model of Schoenberg's method of teaching harmony.