Teaching College-Level Jazz Skills Using Interactive Digital Technologies and the Flipped Classroom Model

After introducing arguments in favor of teaching with technology, this essay provides a review of several current interactive digital technologies and describes the author’s experiences teaching jazz skills at the college level using the flipped classroom model. The flipped classroom model, in which lecture material is studied outside of the classroom and class time is spent on practical application, was facilitated by the use of MusicFirst’s suite of online music education software. MusicFirst incorporates online playing assessments, instruction, and ear training modules. The paper concludes that there is great potential to improve teaching and learning efficiency by using interactive digital technologies, however some of MusicFirst’s software programs would benefit from modification to facilitate ease of adoption by college-level educators. In broad terms, the relationship between jazz and technology is also addressed in the conclusion