James Douthit is an Assistant Professor of Music at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, providing instruction in keyboard and theory. Dr. Douthit holds piano performance degrees from Mars Hill College, Northwestern University, and the Eastman School of Music. His teachers have included: Rebecca Penneys, Kenneth Drake, Gui Mombaerts, and May Jo Gray. Active as a performer, Dr. Douthit has performed extensively as a soloist and collaborator. He lectures frequently on the compositions of the nineteenth-century pianist and pedagogue, Theodor Leschetizky. In addition to his performance activities, Dr. Douthit has adjudicated a number of competitions at the local, regional, and national levels. Dr. Douthit is currently president-elect of the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association.
James Douthit
Department of Music
Bloomsburg University
400 East 2nd Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570.389.4292
jdouthit@bloomu.edu
Introduction
Class piano presents a variety of challenges related to the assessment of the progress and achievement of the individual student. Often, the level of student is as varied as the course material itself. Even with the administration of placement examinations, the mixture of students within one section of class piano can vary from those who have no piano background to those who have studied many years. Many colleges and universities have programs that necessitate the placement of students with varying levels of skill and background. Developing a grading approach, which is fair across the span of these skill and background levels, is necessary in order to preserve the academic integrity of the course. This article will examine three testing procedures that are commonly used in the class piano setting to grade the performance of the individual student: the placement examination, quizzes, and unit tests or exams.
The Placement Examination
The first testing procedure facing the class piano student is usually the placement examination. Many academic institutions require freshmen and transfer students to participate in an examination to determine their placement in the class piano sequence. The materials in this examination are critical in assessing the proper placement of the class piano student. Placement examinations should be structured, organized, and scored similarly to the eventual examination that the student must complete to successfully demonstrate their keyboard proficiency, i.e. the final exam or keyboard proficiency exam.
Placement exams that prioritize repertoire over the functional keyboard skills of harmonization, transposition, score reading, and sight-reading can lead to the erroneous placement of students into courses for which they are not prepared. As one example, in the ideal world, students performing repertoire of the early to late intermediate level are able to identify the tonic and dominant harmonies of the keys in which they are playing. However, it is more common that the student can perform repertoire above the level in which they can cognitively comprehend the various components of music theory, keyboard skills, and technique. Students who play well but have little or no theory background can grow from their participation in elementary class piano levels. While the repertoire of the beginning levels may appear too simple for them, they need the slow and careful introduction of the skills of harmonization and transposition and can utilize the beginning level material to practice their sight-reading. Students with more advanced repertoire backgrounds can be utilized to perform the "teacher accompaniments" to many of the exercises and ensemble pieces found in the early chapters of most class piano texts. When initially placed too high in the class piano sequence, students who have some background, but are weak in skills and fundamentals may slow the pace of the class and eventually affect the amount of material covered in the semester. A thorough explanation of the placement procedure together with the class content and objectives generally leads students to an understanding of their placement and individual goals for the semester.
Assessment at Specific Intervals
The administration of announced quizzes at a specified time gives the students small objectives to master before tests with larger amounts of content are attempted. A simple check of a technical exercise, theory skill, or section of repertoire takes only a few minutes to administer, but yields several long-lasting results. First, the student becomes increasingly comfortable with the testing procedure. Many students feel a heightened sense of anxiety as test time approaches. Broken into smaller blocks of quizzes, the anxiety of the students can be eased by repeated exposure to the testing procedures. Additionally, the instructor can gain a more realistic picture of the progress achieved by the class before major tests are administered.
Written quizzes can be an excellent tool for assessing the level of comprehension of the cognitive areas of class piano. A small written quiz gives the student an opportunity to illustrate their cognitive understanding of the class topics. Interval identification, chord spelling, and many other theoretical skills can be brought into clearer focus if the student has the opportunity to complete written exercises. For beginning piano students, a quiz labeling finger numbers, note names, or counting syllables can provide mental organization for the barrage of information foisted upon the unsuspecting novice. An open book quiz affords the students the opportunity to relate the material in the text to problems or questions that might require them to paraphrase or rethink the material in a slightly different manner.
Performance quizzes can provide excellent opportunities for students to become comfortable playing in the group setting. Creating an environment conducive to supportive performance opportunities allows the students to effectively demonstrate their skills to their peers. It is imperative to offer an explanation of the varying levels of skill that the students possess. The class members are generally supportive of their peers who might be at a slightly lower level, while in turn; the students at a slightly lower level can be motivated by hearing their classmates in short performances. Accompanying and harmonization skills can be reinforced as classmates participate as singers while a student provides a harmonized accompaniment complete with introduction. Quizzes give the student a greater motivation for preparation and when properly administered can provide a wonderful learning experience for the entire class.
Tests
Major tests should be announced well in advance with the testing materials clearly delineated along with the criteria used to evaluate the progress of the student. A testing sheet (see Example 1) can convey all of this information to the students and (when given to the student in advance) can provide a useful tool as the student prepares for the examination. The testing exam sheet should include: the time, date and place of the examination; the material to be covered by the examination; and the criteria upon which each activity will be evaluated. The student can bring the sheet into the examination and simply give it to the instructor at the start of the exam. As the exam progress, the instructor can use the exam sheet as a scoring device. This can provide both numeric and qualitative for the student.
Pretest simulations can prepare the student for the examination process. Each student in the class can be given an exam evaluation sheet to use in the adjudication. One student may play the exam as the other students rate their peer on the exam sheet they are given. Instructors may discuss the content with the class, or simply pass the examination sheets to the student who has demonstrated the practice exam. This activity encourages students to utilize objective tools in their evaluation process. As they relate their evaluations of the practice exam to their own potential exam performance, students can "step outside" of their efforts and gain a more realistic picture of their own performance. Students who have taken the practice examination can read their evaluation sheets from their classmates. This will reinforce points that the instructor has made in class or generate new ideas for students to consider as they prepare for the real examination. When utilizing this activity, it is essential to remind the class that all comments should be constructive in nature and should support the work of each student.
Flexibility in testing material can compensate for the variety of skill levels found within the class piano setting. For example, a section on harmonization in the chapter may include several melodies to be harmonized. Allowing the student to select two out of the given six for the examination will accommodate the varying levels of the skill in the class while maintaining the focus on the objectives of the chapter. Another method, which adds flexibility to the testing procedure, is allowing the student to pick one melody to harmonize while the instructor may pick the other melody to be demonstrated. This allows the student some flexibility, but ensures that all of the examples will be practiced in anticipation of the examples that may be chosen by the instructor.
Allowing students to select their own repertoire examples within a chapter or unit can accommodate the variety of skill levels that are often found in the class piano setting. For the students that play beyond the average level of the class, this will allow them to choose repertoire from more advanced chapters, but ensure that they have achieved the relevant keyboard skills covered in the chapter. For students with less than average skill level, it allows them to choose pieces that they can comfortably prepare and execute during the brief timeline of the semester. The prerequisite that the instructor preapprove exam repertoire can greatly assist students in their repertoire selection and ensure that their repertoire can be adequately prepared and performed during the preparation period for the examination.
The environment surrounding the exam can have a strong effect on the performance of the student. Students can be divided in the time allotted for the class period, so that each student has 8-10 minutes to present their examination individually to the instructor. If necessary, allotting more than one day for the exam or utilizing outside times such as office hours or other prearranged appointments can accommodate larger classes. Informing the students of the exam procedure before the first exam of the semester can greatly assist the students in their performance. Students should be well aware of the materials they will need for the exam. The use of paper clips or post-it notes can aide students in locating their material quickly without having to turn through each page of the chapter or unit. As students enter the room they can submit their examination sheet to the instructor, take their seat at the piano or keyboard, and begin the examination.
Encouraging the student to use the keyboard they find most comfortable can eliminate last minute confusion. If students have had little or no experience on the acoustic piano, they will generally perform best on the electronic piano they have been accustomed to using during class. Students with more keyboard performance experience may prefer the use of the acoustic piano.
As students are made aware of the exam process, they should be told that the exam procedure will move along at a reasonable pace; however, they should feel as comfortable as possible as they are presenting their material. Students who feel rushed in the exam process can become extremely nervous, which adversely affects their performance. Likewise, students who come into the exam and flip lethargically through every page of the text to find their examples, and then start by counting the notes from middle C and reviewing the number of each finger can delay the exam schedule and force the students at the end of the testing period to rush through their exams.
Finally, the attitude of the instructor administering the examination can greatly influence the outcome of the tests. Instructors should greet each student in a positive and supportive manner. Encouraging the students to sit comfortably at the piano with good posture can be a good beginning to the testing procedure. As students begin the exam, many will indicate they are nervous. Supportive phrases may be utilized, such as: "Your practice exam was well prepared" or "Play each item just as you did in the quiz." Allowing the students to choose the first item of the examination gives them the opportunity to play exercises with which they are most comfortable. Though some students may choose begin with the most difficult items in order to feel more relaxed and confident at the end of the examination.
Conclusion
Even for advanced pianists, increasing the level of keyboard skills is a very difficult and time-consuming task. It is unlikely that the improvement of all students will be confined to the fifteen weeks they are enrolled in the class piano course. However, as academia necessitates this confining time line, it becomes necessary to grade those enrolled in the class with a fair, yet substantive assessment. Keyboard skills are extremely useful to musicians in all career areas. Careful thought and planning of the assessment tools and procedures utilized can greatly assist the instructor in designing a course that will be effective and practical in the education of all musicians.
Class Piano Examination Sheet Example
This example can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0. To obtain Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, visit www.adobe.com.
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