Because of its deep content, ARMA allows instructors to create effective courses easily. The ability to customize courses makes ARMA ideal for both topical approaches and chronological ones, and serves instructors particularly well when they use both approaches. This post offers tips on using ARMA’s features to make course materials that go beyond surveys to give students the outstanding content they need as practicing musicians.
Single syllabus or multiple modules? ARMA makes it possible ot organize course materials in a single syllabus or in multiple modules, depending on the needs of the instructor and their students. With modules, ARMA does not restrict the number of ccourses an instructor can make: the size and number of modules or courses can vary in ARMA’s responsive environment. More importantly students with current subscriptions do not pay anything additional when when access multiple modules. This flexibility opens the door for creativity with course design, so that ARMA can serve various needs to deliver the content instructors share in their courses.
Topical courses are a natural for ARMA! The number of scores in ARMA makes it a prime choice for courses on music literature and repertoire. Instead of the one of two representative selections of genres and forms customarily foundin print collections , ARMA offers full scores for many more works. More than that, ARMA brings to scores to you wherever you are. ARMA opens readily so that you can launch into the content quickly. As one instructor commented, with ARMA her entire class is on the same page from the start. Likewise, ARMA’s architecture allows you to make courses that fit your needs. There is no binding, physical or otherwise, to tie you to an historical framework. In this unbound environment, it is easy to make courses that support topics by using the scores, articles, and commentaries in ARMA to make as many topical courses as you need.
Seminars are another option for ARMA. As with literature and repertoire courses, the depth of materials fits the needs of instructors when they plan seminars. It is easy to search in ARMA to view the amount of materials available right away. Search results appear as soon as you enter your criteria, a process that some call “lightning speed.” Yet you can even shortcut searching by using ARMA’s resource pages to focus on specific composers or genres, including one on women composers. The resource pages summarize the contents of ARMA for the music of Bach or Beethoven or explore the depth of women composers ARMA offers. Genres like sonatas and symphonies have their pages, along with resource pages that focus on other content.
Information literacy instruction can take various forms with ARMA as instructors use the work lists and bibliographies that are part of more than fifty articles. Our authors offer outstanding bibliographies that reflect important research, including significant recent studies. More than that, bibliographic items include links to WorldCat and other sources, so that you and your stsudents can find the materials you need right away. As to intengrating information literacy into your courses, our content guides offer useful points of departure as you explore the literature on music history and music theory in ARMA’s interactive environment.
ARMA’s instructor login offers more than a desk copy of a printed bookso that you can test your ideas in ARMA. With our functionality for making courses, you can create module that you might have in mind, but had not made into something tangible. Let your thoughts take shape as courses or modules in ARMA, so that you can see how the ideas are borne out. You can share courses with your TAs to get feedback, and you can also instruct your students to add additional modules to the materials you already use with them. The options in ARMA make it a dynamic place for exploring music history and theory with fresh approaches and the energy you bring to courses that you’ve always wanted to create. Use ARMA to make this a reality for your students!
Move into the twenty-first century by making ARMA your choice for music history and music theory. Take advantage of its features to create the courses you really need. You can enhance your students’ experiences with the resource pages, course guides, interactive bibliographies, and other resources in ARMA. Your memorable courses start in ARMA!
