Date of Publication
3-26-2021
Document Type
Event
Abstract / Program Notes
When I adopted the online “textbook” Open Music Theory (OMT) in 2015, I knew no other instructors making the same leap. As a composer by trade, I felt out of my depth. This first-hand experience informs my talk, which covers the benefits and problems associated with my switch to OMT, and describes some of my team’s improvements in OMT version 2 (OMT2). OMT saves students money. Additionally, it is equally effective as proprietary texts: my course evaluation numbers and my students’ average semester grades remained steady after my switch to OMT. This affirms John Hilton III’s 2016 finding that open educational resources (OER) are “comparable in quality to traditional learning resources.” The most significant challenge of OMT version 1 was the lack of accompanying workbook, which led me to author 109 assignments and other course documents. OMT2 includes all these, together with many newly-designed assignments, as its free and fully-editable companion workbook. Another obstacle was the lack of built-in chapter sequencing, requiring a reevaluation of my four-semester curriculum. 13% of U.S. faculty used OER in at least one course in 2017–18, up from 5% two years prior (Babson Survey Research Group 2018). Despite the advantages of OER, music theory trails other academic fields in available texts. OMT2 fills this need for theorists, and for the numerous applied instructors, ensemble directors, and other generalists that often teach theory courses. With an expected launch in time for Fall 2021, it is adoption-ready and poised to make a difference in classrooms everywhere.
Biography
Kyle Gullings is Director of the School of Performing Arts and associate professor at UT Tyler. He is co-author of opemusictheory.com version 2, a free music theory textbook website. His collection of theory assignments is published by Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy. Gullings is a collaborative composer of vocal and chamber works addressing diverse social topics like the American Dream. He was a national finalist in the National Opera Association’s Chamber Opera Competition, and a two-time regional winner of SCI/ASCAP’s Student Composition Competition. He holds Composition degrees from The Catholic University of America, and Concordia College (Moorhead, MN). www.kylegullings.com
Keywords
Music theory, Open Educational Resources
A Brief Introduction to OpenMusicTheory.com Version 2
When I adopted the online “textbook” Open Music Theory (OMT) in 2015, I knew no other instructors making the same leap. As a composer by trade, I felt out of my depth. This first-hand experience informs my talk, which covers the benefits and problems associated with my switch to OMT, and describes some of my team’s improvements in OMT version 2 (OMT2). OMT saves students money. Additionally, it is equally effective as proprietary texts: my course evaluation numbers and my students’ average semester grades remained steady after my switch to OMT. This affirms John Hilton III’s 2016 finding that open educational resources (OER) are “comparable in quality to traditional learning resources.” The most significant challenge of OMT version 1 was the lack of accompanying workbook, which led me to author 109 assignments and other course documents. OMT2 includes all these, together with many newly-designed assignments, as its free and fully-editable companion workbook. Another obstacle was the lack of built-in chapter sequencing, requiring a reevaluation of my four-semester curriculum. 13% of U.S. faculty used OER in at least one course in 2017–18, up from 5% two years prior (Babson Survey Research Group 2018). Despite the advantages of OER, music theory trails other academic fields in available texts. OMT2 fills this need for theorists, and for the numerous applied instructors, ensemble directors, and other generalists that often teach theory courses. With an expected launch in time for Fall 2021, it is adoption-ready and poised to make a difference in classrooms everywhere.