Part 3. Front-End Analysis Report

Section 1: Characteristics of Participants

Instruction is being designed for general music teachers in School District 109, a

K-8 district comprising four elementary schools and two middle schools in Deerfield,

Illinois. There are currently seven general music teachers in the district, of which I am

one. All six of the other Deerfield teachers took the survey, as did 28 other music

teachers. After the survey window closed, data from the six Deerfield respondents was

manually added to that collected from non-109 respondents, 34 in all.

For purposes of this report, respondent-specific data will be limited to the six

Deerfield teachers and survey data, in general, will reflect all 34 respondents. Complete

survey results may be viewed online:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=FYrfNErZfSuazDt9mMbxPZLMvNGk_2b3kc

cWyapgOIpv0_3d

Participant Years of Experience

Grade Levels

GarageBand Experience

Used a Mac

Before?

Learning Preference

1 More than 15 years

Middle School (6-8)

Beginning User

Yes Instruction in a class or workshop with teacher present along with self-paced materials to complete on my own.

2 Less than 15 years

Primary (K-2)

Intermediate (3-5)

Experienced User

Yes Instruction in a class or workshop with teacher present.

 

3 More than 15 years

Primary (K-2)

Intermediate (3-5)

Beginning User

Yes Instruction in a class or workshop with teacher present along with self-paced materials to complete on my own. I need time to figure things out so they soak in.

4 11 – 15 years

Primary (K-2)

Intermediate (3-5)

No previous experience

No Instruction in a class or workshop with teacher present along with self-paced materials to complete on my own.

5 More than 15 years

Middle School (6-8)

No previous experience

No Instruction in a class or workshop with teacher present.

6 5 - 10 years Primary (K-2)

Intermediate (3-5)

Experienced User

Yes I like to figure it out by myself. As a last resort, I will read the manual or search for answers to my questions.

 

Years of Experience

Deerfield teachers are an eclectic group in many ways. Our least experienced

teacher just completed her first year of teaching and our most experienced teacher has

been eligible for retirement for a number of years. Of the four survey participants (12%

of total) with more than 15 years of experience, three of them are from Deerfield. While

50% of learners in the Deerfield group have 15 or more years of teaching experience,

the majority of those who will likely use the materials are teachers with significantly less

experience in the classroom.

 

Teaching Experience - General Music

Survey participants will teach grades preschool through grade 12 during the 2009-

2010 school year, with the most common grades taught (70%) being grades 3 - 5.

Deerfield percentages are comparable in that Intermediate is the largest sub-group,

followed by Middle School. One Deerfield teacher will teach a preschool special needs

class and none will teach high school, as it is a K-8 district.

Teaching Experience - Other

On the survey, teachers were asked to list any teaching experience outside of

general music. My purpose here was twofold: 1) Even though the survey was

"anonymous" I wanted to be able to match Deerfield teachers with their responses.

Knowing which information went with which learner will help me to address individual

needs more efficiently. 2) Since survey data will be shared on the MusicTechieTeachers

blog, I wanted to provide information that would be of interested to the wider teacher

 

community. In retrospect, had I worded the question a bit better,

I would have gotten more complete information. It was not always clear whether other

teaching duties listed were in addition to, or in place of, general music and whether or

not duties were concurrent. Respondents listed a variety of instructional duties, most of

which could be enhanced

by use of GarageBand to produce media for class use. Also, many of those responding

have the capability of using GarageBand with their students.

See chart:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/u.boisestate.edu/ccc?key=0AraAQcsMu2HZclRsTG

dDNkY2ZEZ5VTVFSDQ2eXdwMFE&hl=en

Non-music teaching duties listed were children's literature instructor (college level),

dance, drama, elementary classroom teacher, Physical Education, preschool, school

librarian, substitute teacher and YMCA assistant site director.

Computer Experience - Hardware

Participants were asked what type of computers they currently use at school, at

home, and in the past. Since GarageBand software is only available for Mac, it is helpful

 

to know that how many learners (82% in all) have used a Mac in the past. While the

instruction that is being design assumes that the learner will have the hardware and

software required to complete all tasks, the amount of previous experience learners

have with the hardware and operating system will impact their progress. This area is

one in which data for Deerfield teachers is less similar to the survey

group.

DEERFIELD TEACHERS

Home - Current School - Current In the Past

Mac Only 3 (50%) 0 0 PC Only 3 (50%) 5 (83%) 1 (17%)

Mac and PC 0 1 (17%) 4 (67%) Other 0 0 1 (17%)

OTHER TEACHERS SURVEYED

Home - Current School - Current In the Past

Mac Only 7 (25%) 9 (32%) 0 PC Only 13 (46%) 14 (50%) 4 (14%)

Mac and PC 8 (29%) 5 (18%) 24 (86%) Other 0 0 0

The Deerfield teacher listed as "other" indicated that she currently uses PCs both

at home and at school. Computers she has used in the past are PC, Apple and IBM

mainframe computers. It is interesting to note that while 29% of other teachers use both

Macs and PCs at home, Deerfield teachers seem to have stronger allegiance one way

or the other. None use both Mac and PC at home and they are evenly split between the

two. Not only will these learners be new to GarageBand software, the potential is there

for them to be somewhat resistant to using a Mac.

In regard to computer use in the classroom, 50% of Deerfield teachers and 65% of

all respondents, indicated that computers are used only by the teacher. One Deerfield

teacher (17%) and 26% of all respondents indicated that computers are used by

teachers and students alike. Two of the three respondents, overall, that indicated that

computers are not used in their classrooms (by teacher or students) are from Deerfield.

 

While that is 9% of all respondents, it represents 33% of Deerfield teachers. This

disparity is likely due, at least in part, to the fact that 76%-82% of all survey participants,

members of the MusicTechieTeacher Ning where the survey link was posted, are self-

proclaimed "techies."

Computer Experience - Software

Survey participants were asked to indicate which types of Mac and PC software

they felt comfortable using. While this information will not directly impact the nature of

the instructional design, it does provide a general impression of the comfort level

learners will have toward learning new software. Those with more limited experience

may find the task of learning new software to be more daunting, while those who

already use a wider variety of software may feel quite at home with the task. A greater

awareness of learner experiences and attitudes will aid in the design create instruction

that will be more appealing.

 

82% of survey participants indicated that they have used Macs in the past, so one

thing I looked at was the relative ease at which both types of computers were used. In

looking at the number of software programs each participant indicated comfort with, the

total number for both Mac and PC was calculated. Although five of six Deerfield

teachers indicated past experience with both Mac and PC, data related to software use

indicates greater experience with PCs. This is contrasted by data from other teachers in

which those with more PC experience (43%) is very similar in number to those with

more Mac experience (46%). The table below indicates the relative difference between

the number of programs participants are comfortable using on PC and Mac.

Same Number

Difference of One

Difference of Two

Difference Greater

Than Two

More PC

More Mac

Deerfield Only

2 (33%) 2 (33%) 1 (17%) 1 (17%) 3 (50%) 1 (17%)

Other Teachers

3 (11%) 8 (29%) 8 (29%) 9 (32%) 12 (43%)

13 (46%)

 

The chart below indicates the total number of programs that participants are

comfortable using on Mac and PC. All participants indicated that they are comfortable

using PC software for email and word processing. With PCs being more widely used, it

is not surprising that a greater number of participants are comfortable using at least two

types of PC software.

See chart:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/u.boisestate.edu/ccc?key=0AraAQcsMu2HZckFrMk

h5OE1FZmtVVnpzaW5hSXRoLXc&hl=en

Section 2: Explanation of learning needs discovered

Data show that participants' years of experience teaching and teaching duties are

varied. Although Deerfield teachers surveyed teach only K-8 general and vocal music,

the wider audience must be considered. Designing more "generic" instruction will help

to ensure that it will be appealing to all who may want to learn how to use GarageBand

software. The largest sub-groups taught are grades 3-8, and many teachers teach more

 

than just general music, so audio examples should be varied to appeal to a somewhat

diverse group of learners.

While most respondents (82%) have used both, survey data show that learners will

likely have more experience and a greater comfort level with a PC than with a Mac.

Instruction will be designed with the assumption that learners have the hardware and

software required, but their experience using Macs will vary greatly between those who

own a Mac and use it at home regularly, those who use Macs only at school, and those

like the Deerfield teachers, who will be new to both Macs and GarageBand. Instruction

is not intended to be a tutorial on how to find your way around a Mac, but cannot take

for granted that learners are experienced Mac users.

While previous data help to create an overall impression of the learner, survey

questions related specifically to GarageBand provide more concrete information upon

which to base instruction. To help determining learner needs, I approached this from

two fronts. First, I asked what participants could already do. Knowing what people are

already comfortable with helped me prioritize tasks and guide the sequencing of

instruction. Data show that32% of survey participants have never used GarageBand,

50% consider themselves beginning users, and 17% consider themselves experienced

users. The Deerfield group is evenly split with two teachers at each level. Those

participants with experience using GarageBand (19 of 34) were asked to indicate tasks

that they felt comfortable completing: 74% felt comfortable importing files from iTunes

and editing files/tracks. 68% felt comfortable using loops and exporting to iTunes, and

58% felt comfortable recording with real and software instrument. The two participants

(both from Deerfield) who indicated "other" said they did not feel comfortable completing

any of the listed tasks.

 

My second approach to determining learner needs was to include an open-ended

question asking just that. While some responded "all of the above" or "lots," there were

specific tasks that can be addressed. Five of the tasks listed in the previous question

(chart above) were listed as things survey participants wanted to learn and will be

included in the instruction being designed. In addition, respondents listed five things that

they wanted to learn that I had not previously considered:

• Sync up loops better • Improving sound quality • I would like more unit ideas (and more computers) to get kids using Garageband in

concrete ways • Good lesson plans for teaching students • I'm not sure...maybe more complex projects

Syncing loops and improving sound quality can be easily incorporated into instruction.

Unit ideas, lesson plans and more complex projects are outside the score of this

instruction, but additional resources may be included as part of instructional materials.

 

Section 3: Explanation of learner preferences

Instruction will be in the form of self-paced instructional materials, but learner

preferences can guide how those materials are developed. Participants were asked to

select one of five statements describing their comfort level using computers. While it is

interesting to know how all participants answered this question, I was particularly

interested in the Deerfield group as this is my primary target audience. As expected,

Deerfield teachers do not feel as comfortable as those who are associated with the

MusicTechieTeachers site.

Deerfield Only Survey Total I do not feel comfortable using computers.

1 (17%) 3%

I feel comfortable with the basics (email, word processing).

2 (33%) 9%

I feel comfortable using several types of software.

1 (17%) 21%

I feel comfortable using software and online tools (blogging and Internet, for example).

2 (33%) 69%

I am a technological wiz – the computer is my best friend.

0 6%

I expect that those who will access materials through the MusicTechieTeachers

site will be eager learners seeking out instruction. They have greater experience with

computers in general, and Macs in particular. Because those learners are strewn about

cyberspace, there is no chance that instruction would be anything other that self-paced

independent work. They have more experience using a variety of software and most

(69%) are comfortable using software and online tools. I would expect this group of

learners to have a very positive attitude toward the subject matter and instructional

materials.

The Deerfield group is comprised of two very distinct sub-groups. The three

 

teachers who already use Macs have the greatest comfort with computers, the most

experience with technology, and have already used GarageBand. Based on

observational data, these three teachers are eager and excited for the new

opportunities that the addition of Macs and GarageBand will have for their classrooms.

They will be very willing learners. The three teachers who have little or no experience

with Macs have the least comfort with computers, the least experience with technology,

and don't use computers in their classrooms. They will likely be a captive audience,

taking part in mandated instruction. While I hope they will also be willing learners, there

is every chance that they may feel overwhelmed and less than eager to tackle this

unfamiliar task. Despite these facts, no one checked "I would rather not learn new

software," so I am hopeful that all learners will have some degree of openness to the

instructional tasks.

For the Deerfield group, it would be my recommendation to the school district that

face-to-face instruction occur. The self-paced instructional materials being developed

could provide the bulk of the instruction and an instructor could be on hand to assist

learners and answer questions. This is in keeping with the learning preferences that

Deerfield teachers indicated on their surveys. Five of the six said they preferred that

teacher-led instruction be part of learning new software. Three of those five, preferred

self-paced instructional materials along with teacher-led instruction. One teacher

indicated that her preference was to figure it out on her own and, as a last resort, read

the manual. If Deerfield teachers are able to work their way through instructional

materials during common meeting time, it would be beneficial to arrange seating so that

home PC users were in close proximity to home Mac users so that help would be near

at hand.

Section 4: Influence on general goals or approach

The tasks, and their sequence, that will comprise instruction were modified from

my original plan based in large part on survey data from teachers with previous

experience using GarageBand. Data from survey participants originally targeted for

instruction (Deerfield) is limited due to the small size of that group, so it was

 

tremendously beneficial to have data from the 28 other teachers who took the survey.

Instruction will not be limited to just those tasks that more experienced users are

already comfortable with, however. In order for instruction to meet the needs of all

learners, tasks involving more advanced skills must also be included. One respondent

wants to learn how to sync loops better, which can be incorporated into Task II: Create

an original composition using loops. Another survey participant wants to learn how to

improve sound quality, which can be addressed in Task IV: Convert files for use with

GarageBand. The challenge will be to design instruction that meets the needs of novice

users and provides a bit of challenge for more experiences users, while remaining

within the constraints of the required time frame.

Because learners have a wide variety of experiences and comfort levels, I would

expect the pace at which they move through instructional materials to vary greatly.

Learners with some previous experience are likely to be comfortable with the first three

tasks already (see below), whereas novice users would benefit from taking extra time

on just the first two tasks. I decided to order tasks in such a way that, at any point,

learners are able to skip to Task VI and thus complete the final step necessary for

completing a GarageBand project - exporting audio.

Tasks for GarageBand Instruction: I. Import and edit existing audio file from iTunes.

II. Create an original composition using loops.

III. Record using read and software instruments.

IV. Convert files for use with GarageBand.

V. Import audio files, including MIDI, .ogg and loops, from online sources.

VI. Export audio in a variety of file formats for CD and web.

Regardless of previous experience or learner attitudes, it is my hope that all

learners can come away from instruction with specific skills they are able to use to

complete a GarageBand project from beginning to end.