|
Title
|
Auralia
|
| Author |
Writing Software |
| Publisher |
Sibelius |
| Date |
Exact date unknown, but probably about 2000 |
| Content |
Ear training and aural testing |
| Grade/Age |
Secondary and College level |
| Class applications |
Instrumental and classroom Description: This program is more advanced, specifically for musicians, so it wouldn't necessarily be the most suitable software for a general music classroom, but it would work well for a theory classroom. It is also ideal for instrument lessons for students to become more acquainted with theory and aurals. |
| Platform: |
PC
MacIntosh |
| Necessary Peripherals: |
MIDI
Keyboard
Microphone (recommended) |
|
Musical Content
|
There
are 26 topics that range from such topics as singing and recognizing
intervals, melodic and rhythmic dictation, dictating chord
progressions, recognizing sharpness and flatness for tuning, and
various other topics. |
| Procedures/Operation/Flow |
This
program flows at a very appropriate level. The operations are set
so that the student or the teacher may choose which level at which to
begin, and the computer does the work from there. The student
will advance if they succeed, and if they need more work on a certain
level, the program will not allow the student to progress until
satisfactory understanding has been established. |
| Instructional Mode |
Tutorial |
| Program Structure |
Student
Directed |
| Sequence of Materials | This
section would be rated very well. The teacher can choose any of
the 26 topics, depending on what he or she wants the students to
learn. The specific level may also be chosen. Once the
student begins working, the levels will automatically change as they
progress, so the material advances as a result. |
| Pace of Instruction |
This
section would also be rated very well. The pace is set by the
teacher (this is done through the teacher setting the level for a
student). Once a student has mastered a level, the computer moves
them to the next one. The student will never be forced to move
ahead if there is not adequate understanding. |
| Quality of Interaction |
This section rates very
well. The students is able to navigate very easily, especially if
the teacher has preset the levels for each student. All of the
directions are very clear, and there are information boxes geared to
help students who need further clarification and help. |
| Summary Comments |
Overall
the instructional content is wonderful. It is very appropriate
for students wishing to practice their ear training skills.
Because of the MIDI keyboard and the microphone, students are able to
more effectively aurally train their ears than if using other programs. |
| Method of Record Keeping: |
The
computer keeps track of the progress of students. Their test
scores are easily kept for the teacher to review and get a grasp of
where each student is in their abilities. The results are
compiled over time so that the teacher can easily review the progess of
the students over a period of time.
|
| Summary Comments: |
This
program makes evaluation very easy for teachers. There are sample
evaluations, but the teacher also has the liberty to compose his or her
own tests. This way testing can be more personalized to the
specific group of students. Since the computer keeps track of
records, this makes record keeping very easy for less computer-literate
teachers. |
| This
software is absolutely excellent for developing ear training and aurals
skills. It is easy for both students and teachers to use and
understand. The program moves at the level of the student, making
sure that students master concepts before moving on to more complex
concepts. This program would be great to complement any theory
class or instrumental lesson. |