Give Me a Beat
This eLearning project aims to demonstrate different teaching techniques commonly used in both academic and professional environments to influence the behavior of adult learners. The course is designed to be both enjoyable and interactive, allowing learners to engage in a fun learning experience.
Audience: Beginner music producers, adults, teens, corporate professionals
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Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design, Animation / Motion Graphics, Sound Design, Video Production
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Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Ableton Live, Quicktime Video, Canva
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Goals/Desired Outcomes: To reduce the confusion of using music production software in order for the learner to create the most common and widely used beat to create dance music successfully. Upon achieving this goal the learner will have the foundational skills needed to start making their own original music.
Solving the Beginner’s Conundrum
In my experience of teaching eLearning courses and multi-year programs on topics such as music, music production, audio engineering, and business, I have observed that many participants already have a knowledge foundation. Although their prerequisite skills and abilities varied, most had some experience making or playing music.
At the schools I worked at, we offered evening classes and corporate team-building experiences that catered to beginners. Some learners had no prior knowledge of music, including how to create a beat, a musical key, or where middle C is on a piano. Despite their passion, lacking basic skills could challenge them to reach their goals. However, we always provided the necessary attention for them to succeed.
Using elaboration theory, the aim was to eliminate the distractions often present in the early stages of learning music production. The aim is to modify the learner's approach and equip them with skills that will prove valuable throughout their career. This course lays the foundation for their lifelong journey in creating dance music.
My Role as the Designer/Educator
As a skilled music producer, artist, and educator, I utilized my music creation and teaching expertise to design an interactive experience to inspire learners to produce their own music.
I developed this course by using my existing knowledge and skills to teach music to anyone effectively. Using backward design, my goal was to make sure that everyone could learn how to make music, and to achieve this, I analyzed the common challenges beginners face and focused on providing solutions to overcome these obstacles.
I identified a set of unique issues and proceeded to conceptualize, storyboard, and build the assets for this course. I aimed to create an immersive learning experience that enables students not only to acquire but also apply the skills taught.
Challenges as the Course Designer
During development, I encountered some technical challenges related to building the course. Though I have prior experience using different LMS and custom programs to create course content, I chose to use Storyline for this project. This allowed me to create an enjoyable and interactive learning experience without requiring the user to have any music-making software, which some learning management systems may not provide.
Before creating the course, I invested many hours in mastering Storyline, creating sample projects, and consulting with experts in the field. The final outcome showcases a variety of Storyline's features and inventive techniques to enhance the user's experience, all while maintaining a focus on essential learning concepts.
One of the challenges I faced was ensuring that learners could create music without the need for special software. To achieve this, I developed a mechanism within the course that allows users to create beats of any style. I accomplished this by providing drum hit samples and assigning them to play when the user selects a specific point on the grid. However, I encountered some issues with Storyline's audio engine, which required me to refine the process and adjust certain triggers for timing.
The outcome is a complete beat-making grid that allows students to create, jam, and play beats in any style they desire. This is a fundamental skill required for producing music electronically and is available in all music-making software on the market.
Learning Design and Strategy
Although the course subject matter is not typically found in a corporate or work setting, this experience was designed based on proven principles for adult learners. The aim was to demonstrate how these principles can be applied to various subjects to achieve desired outcomes. The course design and implementation focus on imparting knowledge and changing learners' behavior, drawing from my experience in this area.
During the course, I utilized different learning concepts and methods to effectively instruct the students on producing a dance music beat. I used a mix of learning theories, such as discovery and experiential learning models. I heavily depended on several significant techniques, such as:
Engaging the senses: During the training, I ensured that the activities involved visual and auditory components. Acknowledging the significance of the auditory aspect of learning is crucial, particularly for this subject matter. The learner must see how the beat is constructed and hear how it sounds individually and in a complete musical composition.
Repetition: Gaining and mastering a new skill requires repetition, which was a key factor in the design of this course. During the later part of the course, I ask learners to program their beat up to four times. While this may seem repetitive at first, it is critical to mastering the foundation of the entire music production process.
This course aims to ensure that every participant can confidently use music-making software to create a dance beat. They will become skilled in programming these grooves by the course's end through repetition and practice.
Skill Building vs Knowledge Dumps: Instead of relying on extensive knowledge sharing, I emphasized practicing and programming the specific beat repeatedly. Unlike a typical school environment, I didn't overload the learner with too much information. I aimed to provide enough basic knowledge for them to perform independently while offering additional resources and links for those wanting to learn more about the course topics.
Adult learners often desire practical context for building and executing new skills without being overwhelmed by academic-level information. This principle was prioritized throughout the entire process, from start to finish.
Some other notable techniques that were used include:
Casual and encouraging language: Research has indicated that adult learners tend to connect better with individuals who speak their language. A course that employs an academic style that lacks liveliness may fail to engage the learner as effectively as one that employs a more casual tone.
Allowing someone with prior knowledge to move forward: When creating a course, it can be difficult to cater to learners who have varying levels of experience. Unlike in a school curriculum where all students must move forward regardless of their prior knowledge, we have the advantage of being able to tailor the learning experience to suit those with a little or extensive background in the subject.
At the beginning of this course, there is an optional knowledge check/quiz for individuals who are confident in their understanding of basic music production concepts. If they pass, they will skip ahead to the interactive portion of the course. For those who are new to music, they can choose to begin at the start of the course to learn the fundamental concepts.
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Rewards/gamification: Providing rewards to learners is an age-old practice that continues to be highly effective in instilling a sense of achievement. When students feel that they have successfully reached their goals, they are more likely to persist. Instead of offering rewards through games or badges, I opt for a more understated approach.
During the course, once the learner passes a knowledge check, they can choose a creative artist's name. Additionally, they will receive complimentary gifts for successfully programming the beat and completing the course.
Measuring Success
I have a favorite saying about commitments: "You can't have a 'yes' without a 'how'." This applies to learning experiences like workshops, job aids, or eLearning classes as well. Learning can't happen in isolation. The purpose of any learning mechanism is to help students gain new skills that they can actually apply in the real world or on the job. To know if a learning experience was successful, it's essential to measure its outcomes both immediately and long after it has been completed.
When I created this course, my aim was to make it comprehensive and easy to follow. My background in vocational education and teaching inspired me to design courses and workshops that equip learners with practical skills. In this course, I have employed the same approach so that learners can start making music once they complete the course successfully. They will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that their time and effort were well-spent.
