Instructional Design: Piano Basics for Online Mobile Learning

The direct correlation between cognitive wellness and applied music knowledge has been effectively demonstrated and empirically proven by a wealth of research studies to be a powerful cognitive development tool for people of all ages. Recent studies have shown that the listening and playing of musical compositions on the piano helps to stimulate and enhance an individual’s cognitive “working memory” and spatial-temporal reasoning, which is widely applied in work related fields such as art, architecture, mathematics, engineering, and science. This online instructional module was geared toward the introduction and facilitation of basic musical concepts and principles for the piano as a foundational springboard for cognitive wellness. The module was delivered via an interactive web-based interface supported by videos and supplemental learning materials. The study findings revealed a substantive increase in score improvement between pre and post quizzes. Survey results also indicate that the large majority of participants found they learned more from the module than they had originally anticipated and that they feel more confident in their understanding of the piano. The data collected from this study could be used to assist other educators interested in revisiting and refining the module’s didactic approach.

• Adam Halemano, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA