Computers in the Schools

ISSN: 0738-0569 (Print) 1528-7033 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcis20

Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in

Portugal: Using Podcasts for Learning

Clara Coutinho & Pedro Mota

To cite this article: Clara Coutinho & Pedro Mota (2011) Web 2.0 Technologies in Music
Education in Portugal: Using Podcasts for Learning, Computers in the Schools, 28:1, 56-74, DOI:
10.1080/07380569.2011.552043

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2011.552043

Published online: 14 Mar 2011.

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Computers in the Schools, 28:56–74, 2011
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 0738-0569 print / 1528-7033 online
DOI: 10.1080/07380569.2011.552043

Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education

in Portugal: Using Podcasts for Learning

CLARA COUTINHO and PEDRO MOTA

Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

This article presents a report of a pedagogic experience car-

ried out in a Portuguese 6th-grade music education class
during the 2008–2009 school year. A podcast was created
(www.podomatic.com) and several activities were developed, in
classroom context, taking advantage of the tool’s potential for
teaching and learning. Although the podcast was managed by
the teacher, the published contents were developed mostly by the
students, therefore becoming themselves producers of the informa-
tion on the Web and having an active role in the construction of
the global society of the 21st century. The informal learning ac-
tivity was evaluated at the end of the year, using both qualitative
and quantitative data collection techniques. Results show that the
podcast activity involved students in the learning process, making
them aware of the new roles they will play in the global information
society.

KEYWORDS podcast, music education, 6th-grade class, 21st cen-

tury skills, technology integration

The Internet explosion at the end of the 20th century opened new op-
portunities for teaching and learning. It widened our vision of the world,
modified and created other languages, suggesting new ethical patterns, and
new ways of apprehending society. It surpassed the support function and
presented challenges to teachers, broadened teaching and learning methods,
and created new logics, competencies, and sensibilities.
The evolution of the Internet service toward the so-called Web 2.0
generation transformed the global network from a space destined for infor-
mation search toward a more open and interactive environment designed

Address correspondence to Clara Coutinho, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar,

Braga 4710-057, Portugal. E-mail: ccoutinho@ie.uminho.pt

56
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 57

for sharing, communicating, and creating (Ferreira, 2007). Web 2.0 offers ed-
ucators an assortment of technologies and tools with enormous educational
potential; and, although the studies carried out in Portugal are not yet system-
atized, the results obtained forecast a promising future for the integration of
these technological tools in the teaching and learning process (Coutinho,
2008). These are free and versatile technologies that offer many unique and
powerful information-sharing and collaboration features that are easy to han-
dle and allow users to focus on the learning tasks. Wheeler, Kelly, and Gale
(2005) call it “transparent technology” in as much as the user is able to
concentrate more on the learning task by seeing through the technologi-
cal environment in which they are immersed. An important question arises:
Why not take advantage of these new tools’ potential and use them in the
teaching/learning process?
In the particular case of music education (ME), the podcast is an ex-
tremely powerful Web 2.0 technology (Bottentuit & Coutinho, 2007), with
pedagogic potentialities that are still to be explored. The researchers did
not find any studies carried out in Portugal that reported pedagogic experi-
ences on using this technology in the context of ME, and therefore provided
incentive to conduct the field study reported. The podcast’s characteristics
are well suited with the specificity of teaching and learning of music 21st
century citizens—providing students with digital competence and, above all,
with the digital wisdom of which Prensky (2009) recently spoke, an essential
requirement for success in a learning society.
This study involves a sixth-grade class during the 2008–2009 school year
and centers on the creation of a podcast, which was used throughout the
year as a support for face-to-face ME classes. The teaching project aimed to
evaluate the podcast’s potential for teaching and learning in the ME class-
room. This article presents the teaching Music on the Web project, describing
how the pedagogical activities were carried out and presenting the data col-
lected during the informal evaluation of the project, both from the teacher’s
and the students’ perspectives.

MUSIC EDUCATION IN THE PORTUGUESE CURRICULUM

The Portuguese educational system is structured as follows: Three-to-5-year-

old students attend pre-school; between the ages of 6 and 9, they attend the
first cycle of basic education, which is organized in four years; from 10 to 11
they attend the second cycle of basic education (grades 5 and 6); from 12 to
15, they attend the third cycle of basic school (grades 7, 8, and 9); and finally
they enter secondary education (grades 10, 11, and 12). The final mandatory
grade is the 12th year. Higher education follows.
The ME discipline is part of the curriculum of the second cycle of basic
education and is mandatory, giving place to the music discipline in the third
58 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

cycle, despite its being optional. In the first cycle, ME is present only in
curricular enrichment activities.
According to the ME program, four major common competencies are
developed: (a) interpretation and communication; (b) creation and exper-
imentation; (c) sound and musical perception; and (d) musical cultures in
different contexts. The Department of Basic Education (2001) considers that
these competencies are developed through diversified processes of appro-
priation of senses, techniques, reproduction, and creation and reflection ex-
periences, in accordance with children’s development levels. The main goal
is to provide artistic practices adequate for different contexts in such a way as
to allow the construction and development of literacy in nine dimensions:

1. Development of the imagination and musical thinking,

2. Domain of vocal and instrumental practices,
3. Composing, orchestration and improvisation in different styles and musical
genres,
4. Comprehension and acquisition of different codes and conventions from
the different musical universes,
5. Appreciation, discrimination, and critical sensibility of sound and music,
6. Comprehension and creation of different types of musical performances
in interaction with other artistic forms,
7. Knowledge and valorisation of national and international artistic and mu-
sical heritage,
8. Valorisation of different types of ideas and musical production, and
9. Acknowledgement of the role played by artists as thinkers and creators.

Since this project was developed for the 6th grade, which is the last year
of a cycle, the student should be able to: (a) analyze different interpretations
of the same ideas, structures, and musical pieces, and varied styles and
genres; (b) prepare, direct, present, and evaluate different musical pieces;
(c) use different structures and technologies to develop a composition;
(d) handle concepts, codes, conventions, and instrumental and vocal tech-
niques; (e) identify and compare musical styles and genres in the light of past
and present socio-cultural frameworks; and (f) produce written, audiovisual,
and multimedia content (Department of Basic Education, 2001).
In the last decade, a significant increase in the use of information com-
munication technologies (ICT) has been seen throughout society. Schools
were not slow to adapt to the introduction of new technologies, the computer
in particular, which gained an increasing importance in the teaching/learning
process.
Since the introduction of ICT in schools, a division between teachers
has been noted. There are those who see the technologies as something
to avoid; while others see them as an extremely powerful learning tool. As
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 59

Bossuet (1985) said, “The computer is a machine that brings fear and love”
(p. 28).
In Portugal, several educational projects were initiated in 1984 in schools
and universities to acquaint the educational community with new infor-
mation and communication technologies. In the current Portuguese project
‘e-schools,’ all the students from the 1st through 12th grades can acquire
portable computers with Internet access at a low cost, allowing them to get
closer to technology and providing conditions adequate for a greater inte-
gration of ICT in the classroom. Recent research also revealed that there is
an increase in the number of Portuguese teachers who use information tech-
nologies in the classroom and believe in their potential to encourage new
educational practices (Alves, 2002).
In fact, the introduction of technology in Portugal at the educational
system level was done in a progressive and gradual manner so that ICT is
now a reality in all schools. Analyzing the National Basic Education Curricu-
lum (Department of Basic Education, 2001), we noted that the technologies
are present in the curriculum from the first cycle onward. Their use as an
instrument and as a musical resource progressively increases as the student
moves on toward the 12th grade. The reference to using technology in two
out of the four specific competencies described reinforces the technology’s
importance in the ME curriculum.
At the higher education level, the music student usually chooses one of
two academic paths: either he/she attends a course for general ME teachers
in a higher education school, and is qualified to teach in the first or second
cycle, or he/she attends a music course in a certain specialty in a university
or higher education school, and is qualified for vocational teaching and
for the second and third cycles of basic education teaching. In most of
the teaching institutions, technologies are considered in the curriculum, one
semester being specifically reserved for the disciplines specifically related to
technology (Cunha & Palheiros, 2006).
From all the music teaching levels in Portugal, it is in higher education
that there is a greater incidence of disciplines related to ICT, especially
regarding the use of music technology in the basic education curriculum,
music courses, and teacher training.
Owing to the innumerable advantages of technology, and in partic-
ular the computer, its potential in ME is undeniable. According to Bossuet
(1985), the introduction of the computer in the teaching-learning process has
brought several advantages: It allows for an individual and/or personalized
training; it allows improved communication and therefore learning quality;
the student progresses at his/her own pace, being autonomous and better
able to assimilate the learning content.
Introducing these technologies in schools should not be done randomly,
without any rules. ICT should be included and used in the pedagogic context
in a coherent manner. Ponte (1986) observed that the simple act of a teacher
60 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

taking a computer into the classroom tends to raise a favorable reaction

from students. Meanwhile, for its successful use, it needs to be included
in a well-structured activity plan. Marques (1998) noted that intelligent and
careful use of technologies makes all the difference, but technologies alone
are insufficient, requiring their integration in more globalizing educational
strategies. With regard to pedagogy, the computer is one more resource
available to the teacher, creating new classroom work dimensions which
will only be fruitful if its use is well planned and carried out.
Miletto et al. (2004) stated that computer use in education, and in partic-
ular in ME, should follow two important premises: first, the programs should
be seen as a means to aid the teacher in the teaching practice and not as
a teacher substitute; second, the teacher decides the most adequate ways
of using those programs to enrich the learning environment. Regarding this
perspective, Swanwick (1979) observed that in ME, one should promote
specific music experiences of different kinds, allowing students to take on
several roles in a variety of musical environments.
Webster (2002) referred to three factors that have stimulated the tech-
nological environment in the music teaching-learning process during the last
decade: (a) technological development that allows any user to acquire a com-
puter that has important functions such as recording, editing, and composing
music; (b) the growing availability and consequent integration of technol-
ogy in the activities carried out by students and teachers; and (c) a teaching
philosophy based on constructivism, in which the student is a builder in
the learning process. Nord (2005) reinforced Webster’s idea, suggesting that
constructivism emphasizes the ‘located’ learning, in the music case, and that
the students are active, since they create original music and are both critics
and performers of their own music and that of others. Placing the techno-
logical resources in the students’ hands leads to the active production of
music (Rudolph, Richmond, Mash, & Williams, 1997). The technology allows
students to become actively involved in the study of music, while they have
the pleasure of creating original compositions.
The integration of technology, from a constructivist perspective, empha-
sizes its function as a tool model to create music (Nord, 2005). According to
the same author, like in any other teaching process, a balance between the
integration of technology is the best way to maximize the students’ opportu-
nities (Nord, 2005). Rudolph et al. (1997) defended a similar position—that
the students gain confidence, learn better, and are more receptive to other
studies when they become more active participants in the learning process.

WEB 2.0 AND PODCASTS IN MUSIC EDUCATION

Other factors of great importance in ME, and in music in general, were the
digital revolution and the developments in equipment portability, both in
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 61

recording and in reproduction. The development of the Internet, constituted

by a series of new and easy-to-use free applications called Web 2.0, offer
huge opportunities in exploring the teaching and learning of ME, namely
the possibility for students to become producers of content and to publish
it on the Web. This change in the role of the user is one of the more signif-
icant characteristics of the Web 2.0 paradigm. For Alexander (2006), “Social
software has emerged as a major component of the Web 2.0 movement”
(p. 33); that is, the Web 2.0 or social Web, is concerned with the users’
participation, propelling the development of collaborative activities and in-
formation, as well as knowledge-sharing. The authors consider Web 2.0 as
synonymous with new potential, implying an intensified participation of the
net effect: More active participation implies more shared or collective in-
telligence, strengthening the concept of the transformation of information
and collaboration of the Internet with sites and virtual services (Coutinho,
2008).
Among the many applications of the Web 2.0 tools available on the
Internet, the podcast stands out, and it is of particular interest for teach-
ing music education. The development of this technology began in 2004
when Adam Curry (MTV DJ) and Dave Winer (software developer) created
an application that allowed automatic download of radio broadcasts on the
Internet directly to an iPod. There is, however, no consensus on a defini-
tion for the term. Primo (2005), for example, defined podcasting as “media
processes that emerge from the publication of audio files on the Internet”
(p. 17), and for Moura and Carvalho (2006) podcast refers generically to the
possibility of being able to download audio content from the Internet. In
the case of this study, the definition suggested by Bottentuit and Coutinho
(2007) will be used, for whom the podcast is a Web page that resembles a
blog, which allows the use of text, image, audio, video and audio files that
are available for downloading to portable devices.
The use of the podcast can be done in three ways: (a) direct interaction
via the Internet, (b) by listening to the podcast episode directly, or (c) by
downloading the audio files to a computer or portable devices such as iPods,
MP3 players, etc. The possibility of downloading files to portable devices
makes listening to audio files possible in any place and at any time, without
the need for an Internet connection, and is one example of learning in
the future—that is, learning anywhere and anytime (Bottentuit & Coutinho,
2008).
Podcast technology is being used in very diverse contexts: in business
as a way to release the contents of meetings, on TV news programs and
entertainment, as well as scientific programs, and in education, where it is
used for the transmission and evaluation of classes (Bottentuit & Coutinho,
2007).
There are numerous advantages that can be derived from using educa-
tional podcasts. Bottentuit and Coutinho (2007) listed the following:
62 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

1. The podcast induces a greater interest in learning because it provides a

strategy for teaching and learning in different classrooms,
2. The podcast is a feature that adapts to different rates of learning,
3. The podcast facilitates learning within and outside the classroom,
4. The podcast allows interaction between the act of talking and listening
and learning processes apart from the simple act of reading,
5. The ability to work on the podcast in groups enables collaborative learn-
ing, bringing advantages over the individual, as shown by numerous stud-
ies.
6. The recording of events means students have a greater interest in prepar-
ing a good text to be heard by the teacher, by colleagues, or by all surfers
using the Web. Other potential assets reported in the literature and asso-
ciated with this technology are the RSS (Real Service Syndication) and the
ease of creating and recording episodes directly on the Internet. Through
subscription to RSS, the user is notified via e-mail whenever there are
changes in the podcast, reducing the need to visit podcasts daily, and
keeping the user aware of news released by the author of the podcast
(Bottentuit & Coutinho, 2008).

THE MUSIC ON THE WEB PROJECT

This project—available at the URL: http://musicanaweb.podomatic.com—

involved six different activities, which were classified according to the pod-
cast taxonomy proposed by Carvalho et al. (2008).The first activity available
in the podcast was called “A Little Diversion,” a presentation/informative
audio podcast. A song was chosen from among those that the students had
studied in the first semester. After this, students proceeded to write the in-
terpretation of the main melody for the flute. For students to visualize what
was being done, the teacher used a laptop connected to a projector. Thus,
the students saw live the steps that the teacher took to obtain the record-
ing. The first recordings served as the experience and explanation of the
functioning of Audacity, a free Web 2.0 software that allows the creation of
audio podcasts (available at www.audacity.com). The various interpretations
(in the recorder, in chorus, and solo) were recorded on different tracks, so
that students could experience duplication/sequencing of different interpre-
tations. After the creation of this “A Little Diversion,” the final result was
published on the podcast (Figure 1). Since the activity was developed inside
the classroom, the final result of this activity was available “raw” without
any further audio processing. All the students enjoyed participating in this
activity. For the teaching process, it was a contextualized way of showing
students how the podcast software worked.
The second activity, available monthly, was an audio game called “Se-
cret Composer,” an instructional audio podcast according to the Carvalho
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 63

FIGURE 1 “A Little Diversion” (figure available in color online)

et al. (2008) taxonomy. Every month a composer was chosen to become

the secret composer. This activity included an extract from the repertory of
the composer, as well as a distorted image, and some clues concerning the
biography. The students had to find out who the secret composer was, leav-
ing a comment/response on the activity. Every 10 days, a new excerpt from
the same composer was included, a new image (less and less distorted) and
other biographical details, for a maximum of three excerpts, with the last
being one of the best-known works of the chosen composer (Figure 2).
This activity was most interesting because, as soon as the activity was
presented and available online, on the very same day most students left their
answer in the podcast. In general, all participants were able to find out who
the secret composer was—one found out after the very first track—whereas
others needed clues. This was observed in both the first phase and second
phase of this activity. It is also important to note that other students from
other classes of the school participated in this activity.
The third activity, “My Song,” was a task based on a song choice and
was conducted in groups or individually. First, each student or group chose
their favorite song. Then they recorded the melody of the song, through
the flute, other musical instrument, or even by voice. They could not use
the lyrics of the song. After recording, each student or group published
an excerpt in the podcast from the song they had chosen. The remaining
students had to find out the name of the song and the singer. To make this
64 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

FIGURE 2 “Secret Composer” (figure available in color online)

work well, it was presumed that it would be more interesting to use effects
available in the Audacity software. In the presentation of this activity, the
teacher demonstrated how to add effects to tracks. The songs chosen were
generally not very difficult (Figure 3). The only exception was a song in

FIGURE 3 “My Song” (figure available in color online)

 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 65

FIGURE 4 “Let’s Play” (figure available in color online)

which an effect was applied to reverse the song. Greater participation by

the class was observed in discovering the song chosen by their peers than
in creating their own song.
The fourth activity, “Let’s Play,” also an instructional audio podcast, was
the interpretation of a song with the flute (Figure 4). At the beginning of
the activity, an instrumental accompaniment of a song was provided, as well
as the score. Each student had to study it on the flute and record his/her
interpretation. The song chosen had a high degree of difficulty, because it
contained musical figures unknown to students, and was a song for two
recorders. To help them, the version of the song with the main melody was
provided, so that students heard the melody and tried to play, even without
knowledge of some elements of music. The high degree of difficulty of this
activity was reflected in the low level of participation; only four students
presented their interpretation.
The fifth activity, an informative enhanced podcast called “A Little More,”
was implemented in group work and involved the entire class in a global
project (Figure 5). As the history of music is one of the parts of the course that
students dislike, this activity enabled the development of this subject/content
in a fun and focused way, where students took the lead in the process. Each
group was responsible for an era of music history, with the aim of creating a
podcast episode that illustrated the historical period, using for this purpose
books, pictures, and texts researchable on the Web. The intervention of
the teacher was required to provide help in the choice of texts, images,
and even the writing of texts. The recording of the narrative was done
66 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

FIGURE 5 “A Little More” (figure available in color online)

by students at home and then sent to the teacher via e-mail. Approved
recordings were published by the teacher in the podcast, using the sequential
order of the history of music: early, Middle Age, Renaissance, Baroque,
Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary.
In general, the contributions were very interesting. The main difficulty
of this activity was the writing of resumes that forced students to select and
organize a wealth of information that students had found on the Web and/or
documents found in the library. It was also a task that students were not very
accustomed to, but which allowed the development of several skills essen-
tial for a citizen of the 21st century: seeking information, selecting relevant
information, and working collaboratively to share and publish information
online (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2004).
As the activity “Secret Composer” attracted great interest and participa-
tion, we decided to create a new activity, “My Secret Composer” (Figure 6).
This activity was not initially planned, but as this was a study in which the
methodological level was flexible, it was possible to adapt it to the study.
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 67

FIGURE 6 “My Secret Composer” (figure available in color online)

In this activity the students were responsible for creating their secret
composer, and becoming producers of content for the Web, with the teacher
assuming the role of adviser and facilitator of learning as advocated by
Hartnell–Young (2003). Each student had to select a song by the composer
of his/her choice, along with two clues taken from his/her biography, and
a picture of the composer. After the creation of a new episode, the other
classmates were invited to discover the secret composer of their colleagues.
In this task seven different composers were presented (each composer
was chosen by a group of two elements, dyad). It had almost the same
number of participants as the “Secret Composer,” which was the sole re-
sponsibility of the teacher. In general, the composers chosen by the students
were very easy to find, and the students expressed a clear preference for
today’s composers.
This activity required an educational approach in which students learned
from and taught one another, not only by constructing their own knowledge,
but also through interactions between colleagues, active involvement in the
process of construction, and social sharing of knowledge, known in the lit-
erature as communal constructivism (Ramos et al., 2003). This perspective
fit conceptually with the current project, especially in this activity because
the students had to build their own knowledge, share it with colleagues, be-
come involved in constructing knowledge of other colleagues, and provide
the same information to the global community.
68 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

AIDS AND CAUTION

The empirical study carried out involved a class of 20 students from the 6th
grade of the ME discipline. The choice of the class had to do with the fact
that one of the authors was a teacher of this class, who had basic knowledge
either at the Portuguese language level or at the informatics level. Another
factor that motivated the choice of this particular class was the school level,
since the new technologies were part of the ME program for the 6th grade.
Regarding gender, 50% of the participants were male and 50% female.
Fifteen percent of the students were 10 years old, 70% were 11 years old, 5%
12 years old and 10% 14 years old. Seventy-five percent of the students did
not know what a podcast was, three had already accessed a podcast, and
one had already created one.
The project was evaluated/monitored in several steps, using different
data-gathering techniques. In an initial phase, a questionnaire was admin-
istered to identify the students’ profile in terms of age, gender, ownership,
place, frequency, and use of the informatics equipment (computer, laptop,
and MP3 player). In that same questionnaire the researchers also sought
to discover (a) if the students knew the podcast and (b) if they had cre-
ated or accessed any podcast. The researchers also wanted to (c) evaluate
the students’ attitudes and perceptions regarding ME, as well as (d) capture
their perceptions on the ideal ME class. To monitor the different activities
performed, an onboard diary was used, with field notes, student reactions,
participation, and interest demonstrated being registered, since most of the
activities were developed in a classroom context.
At the end of the experiment, a final questionnaire was administered to
gauge eventual differences regarding the taste for ME, as well as the students’
perceptions with respect to the usefulness of the podcast in the ME discipline
and the implemented pedagogic strategy.
The students’ work was also evaluated, as well as comments posted
on the podcast. This part of the project evaluation was carried out by the
teacher, peers, and each student (evaluation and self-evaluation).
The final questionnaire sought to verify the students’ reaction to using
podcasts in ME. The questionnaire was divided into four sets of questions:
participation in the project, proposed activities, podcast use in ME, and final
assessment of the project.
The first question asked participants if they had enjoyed participating in
the project and also asked for justification for the given answer. All students
said they had enjoyed participating in the project. When justification for
the answer was requested, the answers varied: “knowing new documents or
information about music,” “amusing activity,” “having our own site,” “learned
new music,” “new experience,” “I think it’s cool that the teacher makes a
project for the students,” “I like music and computers,” “I am very proud to
have a site in the Web,” and “interesting” among others.
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 69

FIGURE 7 Adjectives used to tag the project.

In the second set of questions, the students were asked about the im-
pression/feeling they had when the project was first proposed. Sixty percent
indicated that they had a “good” impression, 25% indicated “very good,” and
only 15% indicated “indifference” to the proposal. In terms of the choice
made, there was a balance among the questions: “newness,” “construction
of a web page,” “fun,” “interesting,” “amusing,” “show what I was capable
of,” “worth,” and so on.
The following question asked for three adjectives which, in the students’
opinion, best characterized the accomplished project (Figure 7). The most
quoted adjectives were “interesting” (N = 16), “fun” (N = 12), “good” (N =
6), “educational” (N = 4), “cute” (N = 3) and “amusing” (N = 3). The re-
searchers note that all of the objectives reflect a positive connotation with
the pedagogic activity, valuing, mostly, the entertainment component and its
innovative character. With regard to the justification for the choices made,
participants stated: “I love music projects in the Web” (N = 3), “very interest-
ing” (N = 4), “amusing activities” (N = 3). Some participants did not answer
the question (N = 4).

TABLE 1 Podcast Activity Students Liked Most

Task N %

“The Secret Composer” 13 65

“First Experience” 3 15
“Let’s Play” 2 10
“My Song” 2 10
“A Little More Of. . .” 0 0
70 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

TABLE 2 Reasons Justifying Students’ Choices Regarding Using Podcasts

It motivates us to learn. 14
It is interesting. 11
It helps us to learn the curricular topics. 10
It complements the class activities. 9
It enhances group work. 7
Classes are amusing. 7
It develops individual work. 2
I don’t think the podcast activity is useful. —
It is a useless pedagogical resource. —
It is a waste of time. —
I have difficulties in understanding what this is useful for. —
I prefer classes without podcasts. —

Students were asked with the next question to indicate the podcast
activity that they enjoyed most. As shown in Table 1, the activity that obtained
the greatest number of choices (65%) was the “Secret Composer,” the second
most popular activity was the “First Experience,” followed by “Let’s Play” and
“My Song,” which obtained 10% each. The activity “A Little More Of. . .” was
not chosen by any student. In terms of justification, most of the students
stated that they had chosen the “Secret Composer” because they “enjoyed
discovering new composers,” and “liked the competitiveness inherent in the
activity.” Other justifications were “enjoyed working in group,” and “enjoyed
the music,” among others. Only one element did not justify the given answer
(Table 2).
The following questions concerned the importance of using the podcast
in ME. The first question was Do you think that the podcast was helpful for ME
learning? All the students responded affirmatively (100%) to this question.
Students were next asked to indicate the three options which best justi-
fied the given answer (Table 2). The option “motivates students in terms of
the discipline” was the most popular, followed by “interesting” and “it makes
the learning of some themes easier.” The options “complements the class,”
“stimulates group work,” “classes were fun” and also “develops individual
work” follow in descending order. The researchers observed that no student
chose the option “I don’t see any use in the podcast,” and “it is a waste of
time,” which advocates in favor of the interest that students showed in the
proposed activity.
When questioned about using podcasts in other disciplines, 75% stated
that they would like to use them. The disciplines considered to be the
most suited for using this tool were visual and technological education,
followed by foreign language and natural sciences; religious education being
apparently the least well suited.
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 71

In the last question students were asked if they would like to continue
this project in the third term; all participants stated that they wished to do so
(100%).
Since this project was developed in ME classes, an onboard diary to
record the reactions as well as the interest and student participation through-
out the project was utilized by the researchers. In the project’s presentation
class, most of the students displayed great curiosity, questioning the teacher
about what they were going to do.
The 90-minute classes were organized in such a way that half of the class
was allocated to presenting the activity and the other half to developing
and to helping the students in its fulfilment. The activity which attracted
the greatest interest was the “Secret Composer,” because almost as soon as
the activity was presented, most of the students had already left an answer
in the podcast. It was interesting to see that, when a participant saw the
teacher, he/she would immediately come to him to ask if the answer given
was the right one. With this activity, healthy competition was developed, in
which each student tried to be the first to answer correctly. On the other
hand, the activity which drew the least interest was “Let’s Play,” since it was a
difficult piece to perform in dyads and one in which students did not receive
help from the teacher. Only four students presented their interpretation.
The activity “A Little More Of. . .” occupied the greater number of classes.
The work on the epochs of music history was complicated, since at this level
students still had difficulties in summarizing a text, and they required more
help from the teacher. In spite of this difficulty, however, almost all of
the students searched for books in the library and carried out research on
the Web, looking both for texts and music from each epoch. Globally, the
researcher considered that the project was quite interesting and motivating
for all students.

FINAL REMARKS

When the project was started, it was not known what the effect and impact
on the students would be. As ME is a discipline with particular emphasis
on the use of audio, it makes sense to use this tool in the context of the
classroom and/or as complementary to ME.
Through the activities in this study, participants were concerned with
the four elements of ME:

1. interpreting and communicating,

2. creating and testing,
3. sound and musical perception, and
4. musical cultures (Department of Basic Education, 2001).
72 C. Coutinho and P. Mota

Participants developed musicality and controlled technical and artistic

skills in activities like “My Song” and “Let’s Play,” because they were asked
to interpret, alone or in groups, one song and to examine and evaluate
songs chosen by colleagues, thus acquiring the codes and conventions of
reading, writing, and musical notation. In the activity “A Little More Of. . .”
participants had to understand music in relation to society, history, and
culture, and understand the relationship between music and other arts and
areas of knowledge. Through the activity “Secret Composer,” participants
needed to use skills already acquired to find the secret composer; namely,
the understanding of music embedded in a societal and historical period,
as well as understanding and appreciating music through hearing various
products, relating them to other arts, and areas of knowledge.
According to the teacher, the use of the podcast proved to be innovative
and helpful in creating a relaxed and pleasant class, serving as a complement
to ME. By analyzing the results of this study, the researchers conclude that
the mere use of the podcast can positively influence student learning. This
was observed in the good results obtained in the activity “A Little More
Of. . .” a subject in which the majority of students did not usually achieve
good results.
The main difficulties encountered by students were focused on the
technical features of the software. These difficulties highlight the treatment
of audio: normalization of the volume and keeping sound levels as they
were captured directly from the microphone. Other difficulties encountered
by students were the texts, and the simple use of the computer, including
the writing of texts, browsing the Internet, and research. Throughout the
activities, these difficulties were largely overcome.
This study proved that the podcast activity was interesting for these
students. When asked, in the final questionnaire, for three adjectives
to describe the project, all the adjectives proposed reflected a positive
connotation—“interesting,” “fun,”“good,” “educational,” “cute,” “funny,” “dif-
ferent,” and even “puzzling.” Other factors highlighted by the students in this
study on using podcasts in the ME classroom were motivation, interest, fa-
cilitation of learning, and complementing classroom activities.
At the end of the study, and as a final evaluation of the same, the
researchers believe that this tool has great potential for the ME discipline,
particularly in terms of audio recognition. The podcast is a new tool for the
ME classroom, and can and should be explored by the teacher, and especially
by the student, and may even serve as a tool to involve the whole classroom
in innovative curricular projects, since classes are increasingly diverse and
complex.
With hindsight, the researchers would change some activities, including
the selected song in “Let’s Play,” because the music chosen had a high degree
of performance. Perhaps a more accessible song should have been chosen.
 Web 2.0 Technologies in Music Education in Portugal 73

It would also be interesting to create other activities, such as the devel-

opment of musical composition by the inclusion of several episodes where
the students compose an original song. This might develop some skills that
were not enhanced (composition and music creation) in the present study.

LIMITATIONS

The number of participants in the study was relatively small and the instru-
ments used in the survey lack validity that limits the scope of the study.
Future research with more participants and a completed reliability analysis
will certainly lead to more robust results. The course instructor was also the
researcher and the single evaluator of the teaching experience.

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