GAME: Als muziek in de oren: Ontwikkeling van een innovatieve lesmethode voor en met pianodocenten

Previous research suggests that auditory training, tailored to the individual and delivered in an attentionally demanding but user-friendly format, could improve hearing for people with a Cochlear Implant (CI). Guided Audiomotor Exploration (GAME) is an innovative method of teaching piano based on current neuroscientific insights which makes it possible for hearing impaired individuals with a CI to learn to play without first learning to read music. In a recent Random Controlled Trial, GAME was shown to enhance speech comprehension,
indicating that transfer effects were taking place from the music to the language domain. Although GAME was designed for use in the regular teaching practice, the question arose to which degree teachers would be able to implement a method so different from those for which they were trained and if not, which measures should be taken to facilitate successful implementation. To answer this question a Participatory Educational Design Project was undertaken together with six piano teachers, a critical friend and eleven CI-users. Teachers used GAME to teach a CI-user for 18 weeks. They participated in online meetings and were invited to keep a logbook and to email feedback to the researchers. An interview was conducted with each teacher prior to and following the series of lessons. Both authors kept a research journal. Qualitative data were analysed with thematic analysis. Findings suggested that piano teachers would benefit by
having (1) extensive revision of the manual, (2) demonstration videos, (3) sample lesson plans, (4) workshops, (5) individual coaching and (6) online peer learning. Participating teachers found the combination of explanatory texts and demonstration videos particularly valuable considering the huge difference between GAME and traditional methods. Future research may explore implementation of GAME for pupils with normal hearing or dyslexia.