Proceedings of the 2nd International Education Conference
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Enhancing Accessibility in Musical Conducting: The Role of Technology as a Pedagogical Resource
Erickinson Lima
ABSTRACT:
Promoting accessibility of the technical content of musical conducting for blind students is an urgent pedagogical need, especially considering that this field of study is already offered as a higher education course in public universities in Brazil. An exploratory study conducted by the author of this work surveyed 30 conducting professors from public universities that offer conducting as a course of higher musical education, covering the period from 2015 to 2019. Preliminary results indicate that 54,5% of the respondents consider themselves pedagogically unprepared and that their institutions lack adequate resources for training, inclusion, and integration of blind students. These data supported the development of the Maestro technology, an assistive software developed to enhance the teaching and learning of musical performance for blind students, using artificial intelligence to analyze gestures and body postures, providing real-time auditory or haptic feedback. This innovative tool aims to increase students’ autonomy and facilitate the teaching process for teachers. Maestro was designed based on User-Centered Design, which highlights the needs, abilities, and preferences of the user. Its functionalities were evaluated by comparing the technical actions of 25 blind conducting students, with and without the use of the technology. The results revealed a significant reduction in technical errors and the promotion of students’ autonomy during their individual studies. Maestro provides the conducting teacher with a powerful tool to promote accessibility and effectiveness in teaching, allowing for a more personalized and inclusive approach.
keywords: Conducting and blind students; Inclusion of Blind Students; Maestro technology; Music and Inclusion; Teaching resources in conducting