Diploma in Music Education

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to equip graduates with the skills and qualifications to teach practical music (individually or groups) and theory of music in schools or in private practice.

Rationale

Graduates will be equipped with knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in a number of fields of music that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth and to make rewarding contributions to society, in the form of arts and culture. This qualification will provide South Africa with significant number of diplomats in a number of musical traditions, in order to ensure the continuity of the local leadership base of innovative musical expertise in Western Classical, Jazz and African Music and Dance.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Senior Certificate.

N/A

1. Demonstrate the ability to utilise skills to enter the teaching profession and critically understand written texts of creative, descriptive, prescriptive and argumentative characters.
2. Demonstrate the ability to appreciate the significance of research, performance and creative expression in the various musical genres, in the context of national and international developments in the arts, so as to be competent to apply them creatively and effectively in the contexts of teaching performance (e.g. in the study of new works) and theoretical concepts (e.g. in musicology, ethnomusicology and historical research.
3. Analyse and communicate effectively, in the context of performance, research and creative expression to music audiences and the community at large, using appropriate musical methods, skills, tools and information technology.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1

• Produce written texts of creative, descriptive, prescriptive and argumentative characters to accepted international standards in his/her specific field of training.
• Find information of professional relevance efficiently and independently.
• Use and organize information to conduct systematic and creative research aimed at providing answers to questions whose resolutions are not antecedently known, or to verify answers that are assumed on the basis of 'accepted wisdom'.
• Understand, participate in and critically appreciate the contribution of major artistic and cultural activities and performances to community and national life.
• Use information-technology, including the internet, to find and access information efficiently and independently.
• Understand when and how to acknowledge the limitations of his or her own expertise and elicit the more appropriate expertise of others.
• Appreciate the importance of life-long learning and the importance of self-initiative in pursuing it.
• Understand and internalize as a personal value the importance of conducting professional and cultural activity within the scope of national, provincial, municipal and international law.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2

• Produce solutions to both familiar and novel creative problems as these arise in the course of professional activity.
• Communicate his or her understanding and interpretation of creative and performing issues to others in ways that are clear but not arrogant or presumptive.
• Critically receive and understand the interpretations of colleagues and audiences.
• Understand the difference between personal and social goals.
• Understand the importance of commitment to the latter even when they diverge with his or her personal interests.
• Appreciate the contexts in which specific creative and technical competencies identified below can best be integrated with the general competencies just identified.
• Work effectively as an individual music teacher in a school or in private practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3

• Read, critically understand and integrate musical data and reports so as to apply them creatively and effectively in the context of teaching performance (e.g. in the study of new works), and theoretical concepts (e.g. in musicology, ethnomusicology and historical research).
• Appreciate the significance of research, performance and creative expression in the various musical genres, in the context of national and international developments in the arts, so as to be competent to.
• Pass entrance examinations of international standard to Postgraduate study in various fields of music depending on the individual's choice of options during the programme.

Integrated Assessment

A top-level domain (TLD) programme structure is such that a candidate's developing abilities in the required outcome areas are continuously assessed - i.e. in all years of study.

The competencies (as set out in Learning Outcomes) will be assessed across all programme courses, through a mixture of both formative and summative assessment methods, for example:

Foundational Competencies will be assessed by the student's ability to

a) Organise ideas and facts in a logical coherent way.

b) Perform publicly and/or in examination situations.

c) Complete assignments in subjects that require notation and related conceptual skills.

d) Demonstrate understanding to the need to cite reference accurately.

e) Demonstrate the capacity to represent and consider views and perspectives alternative to his or her own.

f) Demonstrate computer literacy, critical literacy, critical reasoning and numeracy.

Practical and Reflective Competencies

The TLD programme consists of theoretical and practical components. Theoretical studies are designed to enhance the practical part of the programme. The two components are assessed in the following ways:

• Practical assessment is done through regular technical tests, public performance as well as performance and practical teaching under examination conditions.
• Theoretical assessment takes the form of research projects, class tests, listening tests as well as end-of-year oral and written examinations.

In the final year there is a general shift of focus to the application of knowledge and skills in more integrative formative tasks. Competence testing becomes more vocation related. Students are integratively assessed on the basis of their combined competencies through their participation in:

(a) Apprenticeship in the school system which draws on both practical skill and theoretical knowledge, and teaching techniques.

(b) Theoretical and practical examinations which are internally and externally assessed.

It must be emphasised that in all cases the successful completion of these tasks depend on the ability to use all relevant skills cohesively in order to complete these vocation-related tasks successfully.

Viva Voce and written examinations, seminars, public performances and teaching all form part of testing procedures. Outcomes testing in the final year can therefore be considered integrated as well as strongly based in the realities of students chosen vocational specialisation.