Advanced Studies in Curriculum Development
Advanced Studies in Curriculum Development
The development of the new BTEC National Diploma in Music course will be discussed, specifically looking at the revision of the Studying Music from around the World Unit. Firstly the rationale and reasoning for its place as an important area within music as an educational and vocational context will be touched upon.
Music is seen as a major art form and as a result offers students the possibility of developing their imagination, creativity skills and also stretching their individual intellectual capabilities. As an art form it provides a means of expression and communication. The BTEC specification provided by EDEXCEL: ‘Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Music For first teaching September 2007 © Edexcel Limited 2007’ leans towards the idea of a vocational education, therefore requiring the students to experience music within a ‘real working environment’. The specification for this area enables the practical, theoretical and contextual study of music to be studied, allowing the learners to create, perform and critique all aspects of the Music world.
Over the past six months a new syllabus has replaced the old and as a result many units have been updated, with one of them being the Studying Music from around the World Unit. Within the old syllabus there were many criteria that had to be achieved in order to pass the unit. This caused many problems as some criterion were vague and others unrealistic within the amount of time given on the subject. This has now been developed and the unit content and criteria more transparent. This allows the learners to achieve both the theoretical and practical aspects of the units. In the past quantity was reined over quality. The unit used to focus briefly on seven or eight countries instead of conducting in-depth analysis on three or four. The changes that have been implemented means that the learner really does learn and acquires knowledge at a steady effective pace. The scheme
The development of the new BTEC National Diploma in Music course will be discussed, specifically looking at the revision of the Studying Music from around the World Unit. Firstly the rationale and reasoning for its place as an important area within music as an educational and vocational context will be touched upon.
Music is seen as a major art form and as a result offers students the possibility of developing their imagination, creativity skills and also stretching their individual intellectual capabilities. As an art form it provides a means of expression and communication. The BTEC specification provided by EDEXCEL: ‘Edexcel Level 3 BTEC Nationals in Music For first teaching September 2007 © Edexcel Limited 2007’ leans towards the idea of a vocational education, therefore requiring the students to experience music within a ‘real working environment’. The specification for this area enables the practical, theoretical and contextual study of music to be studied, allowing the learners to create, perform and critique all aspects of the Music world.
Over the past six months a new syllabus has replaced the old and as a result many units have been updated, with one of them being the Studying Music from around the World Unit. Within the old syllabus there were many criteria that had to be achieved in order to pass the unit. This caused many problems as some criterion were vague and others unrealistic within the amount of time given on the subject. This has now been developed and the unit content and criteria more transparent. This allows the learners to achieve both the theoretical and practical aspects of the units. In the past quantity was reined over quality. The unit used to focus briefly on seven or eight countries instead of conducting in-depth analysis on three or four. The changes that have been implemented means that the learner really does learn and acquires knowledge at a steady effective pace. The scheme
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