Music in the virtual classroom is very important. According to an article published in The Sydney Morning Herald, music education is proven to be beneficial when it comes to improving the cognitive abilities and academic achievement of students. However, this is something that is usually given the least importance in Australian schools.
This might be a big mistake and oversight on the part of educators. Admittedly, music in a traditional classroom is not used extensively – especially during discussions. After all, it takes an effort to make your voice heard across the room. The effort will be greater when you have to deal with the constant student chatter. If you add music to that, you need to add more effort to speaking. This is probably why music in the classroom is not really given that much importance.
However, a virtual classroom is different. You do not have the same benefit of a face to face interaction with students. You need to use other means to make sure your learners are concentrating on the subject and lesson being taught. Music is one of the tools that you can use to make this happen.
In fact, here are three benefits of using music in a virtual learning environment.
It heightens knowledge retention. One of the measurements of an elearning course is knowledge retention. The more students remember from the course, the more it is deemed valuable and effective. If you want to increase the retention rate of your online course, it is important to use the right music. As the course is being played, the background music can help learners absorb more ideas – thus increasing the chances of having it stored in their long-term memories. How does this happen? Music triggers the emotions. When the lesson becomes an emotional experience, it is easier to tap and recall the information learned.
It involves the senses. Another benefit of listening to music while studying is it engages the learner’s senses. It is not only for the sense of hearing. Believe it or not, music can effectively connect your mind and heart. This is what makes it an emotional experience. It heightens the feeling that the learners go through. You can use music to condition the learners to better absorb the lesson that will be presented. For instance, if you want them to be calm, you can use soothing music. If you need them to be interactive, a more upbeat music is appropriate.
It can be utilized to highlight lessons. Finally, music can be used to support the lessons in the virtual classroom. If there is an important concept and you need the learners to give it their full attention, you can use one track or type of music repeatedly. When they get used to that and associate it with important concepts, the next time it is played, learners will automatically focus. You only have to play that music to get the attention that you need from them. This can also be used for other areas in the virtual classroom too. You can choose a specific music for recaps or assessments. That way, learners will automatically condition their minds in accordance with the next phase of the lesson.
When used properly, music can be a great way to improve the learning experience in your virtual classroom. Just make sure to understand what type of music should be used and how you should implement it so it does not become a distraction.
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