Realization of Music Teaching Mode in Universities with

Combination of Personalization and Humanization

Lin ZHU

Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China

Keywords: Personalization, Humanization, University Music, Education Model.

Abstract: University education has been paid more attention. University teachers are conducting relevant research and

improvement of teaching mode, hoping to optimize the quality and public reputation of university

education. Especially for music education which possesses certain particularity, more teachers try to

integrate personalization and humanization culture into it. Problems in university music education are

expected to be solved in current stage, thus providing support for personnel training in the future.

1 INTRODUCTION

The degree of development and emphasis on music

education can only be described as “generally

satisfactory” in colleges and universities of China.

Professional and high-standard music education only

occurs in specialized music institutions. Music

normal universities pay more attention on teacher

training. Music education courses conducted by

ordinary institutions are mostly perfunctory. This

situation makes people worried about music

education. Meanwhile, gradual departure of music

education from the public also constantly makes

warning to music educators. In comparison, foreign

universities pay more attention to students' musical

literacy and artistic taste. In 360 compulsory credits

for a bachelor's degree of MIT, there are 72 credits

of music courses. More foreign scholars believe that

responsibilities of colleges should include training

scientists to appreciate arts and allowing artists to

read science. In addition, studies show that people

with certain musical literacy have advantages in

understanding, imagination and divergent thinking

ability; art appreciation contributes to formation of

healthy personality for people. Therefore, music

education in universities should undertake more

responsibility, further optimizing teaching mode. All

people including college students should be deeply

inspired by music charm—this is common aspiration

of the whole musicians and music teachers.

2 CURRENT SITUATION OF

UNIVERSITY MUSIC

EDUCATION MODE

2.1 Single Teaching Mode Restricting

Student Development

Although music is an art form and educational

content with less restrictions and limitations, the

lack and stagnation of education forms makes

negative effects on music education. Especially in

universities, students accept outmoded music

education inherited from more than a dozen years

ago. The mission of music education tends to

become blurred. Music knowledge and skills of

students and education activities of music teachers

are also moving away from the core requirements of

university music education. Currently, main teaching

modes in university music classes are still confined

to combination of theoretical courses and practical

activities. Teaching contents cover music theory,

appreciation of music at home and abroad, musical

instruments, and composition, etc. In most of

teaching activities, teachers provide guidance while

students conduct practice. This relatively-stable

teaching model has a very long “history”. Its

structure and details have been more carefully

improved in practice. However, a bottleneck of

teaching practices will appear if conducting the same

teaching activities and arrangements for a long time.

Meanwhile, it will hinder progress and effectiveness

of teachers' teaching as well as students' acceptance

and understanding. In addition, if similar teaching

244

Zhu L.

Realization of Music Teaching Mode in Universities with Combination of Personalization and Humanization.

DOI: 10.5220/0006023302440247

In Proceedings of the Information Science and Management Engineering III (ISME 2015), pages 244-247

ISBN: 978-989-758-163-2

methods lack flexible control or timely reflection of

teachers, they are easy to become “spoon-feeding

education”. Thus, advantages and strengths of this

mode are difficult to be exerted, generating rejection

action to curriculum of music education. Negative

effects of quantity will be accumulated as irreparable

mistakes of quality. When university music

education is in trouble, students with music

education become line products. With lack of

courage and thinking of artistic innovation, students

cannot bring aesthetic enjoyment of music for

others. They may stand still and refuse to make

progress, losing interest and enthusiasm in music

learning.

2.2 Teacher-Directed Music Teaching

Activities

Classroom activities are actually interaction of

“teaching” and “learning” as well as two-way

communication between teachers and students.

Especially for college students, they are equipped

with mature musical aesthetic direction and certain

musical expertise. Thus, classroom teaching of

music should be more inclusive and open, achieving

distinction of college education from basic music

education of other stages. Most university teachers

of music have received professional music education

and pedagogical education, with expertise of music

education and professionalism. Therefore, most

university classrooms of music are relaxed with

enough communication opportunities between

teachers and students. However, teachers should not

over-emphasize their leading roles in the classrooms.

After all, ability and level of music field cannot be

confirmed only by age or seniority. Relationship

respect should be ensured between teachers and

students. Moreover, modesty and piety should be

emphasized in music field, advocating equality of

soul and freedom of thought. However, equality and

harmony of “teaching” and “learning” cannot be

achieved between teachers and students due to

individual factors. Some teachers overly determine

teaching contents, processes, and training direction

of students. Exchanges of academic skills are

difficult to be formed between teachers and students,

seriously affecting relationship between them.

Meanwhile, misguidance will be generated in future

career planning and professional learning for

students. As the main educators, teachers should

gradually weaken their constraints on students.

Overly harsh and arbitrary management is no

different from the ancient “rejecting all kinds of

theoretical schools but Confucius”. If this problem is

not timely corrected, students will be gradually lost

in the wrong road of music learning.

2.3 Two Extremes in Education Mode

Music education in universities has greater

professionalism and systematicness. However,

problems exist in specific practices of teachers and

students. For example, basic music education in

universities has too strict requirements for students

of non-music majors; professional music

curriculums lack pertinence and valuable contents.

These problems indicate that music education

systems in some universities have no complete and

rigorous structures. Teaching modes are unimproved

with lack of scientificity in curriculums.

Construction of music education will be destroyed if

the problems are not solved. Music education modes

in some universities deviate from the mission of

teaching, appearing two extremes. Objective reasons

include impact of other similar music universities,

restriction of school hardware conditions, and

requirements of social reality; subjective factors

cover teaching tendencies and habits of teachers, as

well as scholastic ability and personal choice of

students. Interaction of diverse factors lays hidden

trouble in the polarized situation of teaching.

Although this situation is limited, its important role

cannot be underestimated. University music

education is related to career choice and life

planning of students to some extent. Incomplete

teaching modes without respecting the reality will

directly affect learning outcomes and music literacy

of students. They cannot provide high-quality

practical talents for the society, but interfere normal

music market and good atmosphere of music

education.

3 MAIN APPROACHES FOR

COMBINING

PERSONALIZATION AND

HUMANIZATION IN MUSIC

EDUCATION MODE

3.1 Introducing “Experiential”

Teaching Mode in University Music

Education

“Experiential” teaching has been introduced in many

subjects of university education. In other words,

students will be allowed to participate in the whole

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Realization of Music Teaching Mode in Universities with Combination of Personalization and Humanization

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process of educational activities, fully experiencing

new knowledge and skills. Thus, teaching purposes

can be achieved through direct perception.

“Experiential” teaching was first reflected in

relevant theories of Dewey—a famous educator in

America. Combining the core idea of pragmatism,

this educational model has been supported by many

educators with practice. When the model is applied

in music education, role of students is placed at the

heart of the whole teaching and learning activities. It

emphasizes respect of musical education for self-

pursuit of people. Meanwhile, students will have

clearer understanding of learning contents, achieving

personalization of music education. Teachers more

play the role of guiders, simply providing enough

space for exertion and self-learning of students.

Other educational activities can use music theories,

musical instruments and outstanding musical works

to generate unconscious effects. College students

have the ability and level for self-experience and

learning. Their creative ideas or inspiration are more

consistent with the rules of awareness and

understanding for different people. Based on this, re-

creation of music will have more powerful impact

on students. Music itself provides great convenience

for combination of personalization and humanization

in university music education. Strong emotional

factors will relatively weaken various academic

rules. This flexible teaching mode can be better

applied in teaching contents, making teachers

present good state with more valuable learning

outcomes for students.

3.2 Making Full Use of Student

Feedback in Music Education

Model

For personalization and humanization in music

education, demands and actual situation of students

should be the key to problems solving—only by

“suit the remedy to the case” can reach the goal in a

short time. Objects of university education are

mature adults with ability of self-judgment.

Compared with other age groups, they have more

requirements for self-expression. Therefore, students

should have the right in teaching mode reform of

university music education. Feasible and improved

plans should be developed based on specific needs.

During years of education, students’ acquisition and

understanding of knowledge tend to be mature;

musical personality and preferences will be

gradually formed. In middle and later periods, there

are significant differences in students’ selection of

professional courses, leading to discriminatory

treatment on different subjects for students. Then,

teachers can actively collect feedback of students on

learning, covering preferences of subjects and their

reasons, future career plans, as well as learning

difficulties and needs. These questions will help

teachers to have a good understanding of students’

psychological state, as well as comments and

suggestions on the coursea. On this basis, teachers

can make personalize adjustment for teaching plans

according to findings of the feedback, thus better

adapting to individual needs of each student.

Meanwhile, it provides useful templates for future

personal development of students. In addition, there

are various ways for obtaining student feedback,

including sample survey, interview, and

questionnaires. These methods can quickly and

effectively help teachers to obtain information of

students. Quantitative methods of statistics are used

in music education—a field with more emotional

aspects than rational ones. Thus, scientificity and

effectiveness can be enhanced in reform of teaching

mode. Focusing on students’ feeling tends to

become the main approach for self-break of teaching

mode reform, because its good dynamic and

adaptability will promote development of reform for

university music teaching.

3.3 Leaving Space for Creation and

Expansion of Students in Music

Learning

Music provides great platform for people to express

needs of humanities and personalization. Its unique

containment and creativity allows personalized re-

creation for all people. Music education of

universities provides students with broader space for

free creation based on professional academia. On

teaching mode, “space” with purpose maximizes

supports for learning activities of students,

especially in practice links of vocal music, playing,

arrangement and composition. Teachers can create

more stages rather than challenges, presenting

realistic music ideas of students in front of the

crowd. Scores or rankings are eliminated, with the

main purpose of exchange among students. When

teachers have set up “space” in teaching mode,

students should be encouraged to fill the “space”

with great efforts. Due to greater subjectivity in

music, teachers should provide students with more

opportunities of presentation in teaching programs.

For example, small stages should be regularly

created for report-back performance of students;

small exhibitions activities can be organized to

improve performing ability of students; professional

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activities should be held for intercollegiate

exchange. Works, thoughts and ideas of music can

be appreciated or discussed by teachers and students.

Therefore, self-creation and expansion of music is

greatly enhanced for students, providing diversified

teaching modes and more possibilities for university

music education. Similar activities within the

campus help to form harmonious atmosphere of

mutual progress and promotion among students.

They can become symbolic projects to attract more

“potential musicians” involved, thus deeply

benefiting students and teachers.

4 CONCLUSIONS

As one manifestation form of art, music has various

and distinct individual characteristics compared with

other disciplines. In addition to difference in subject

contents, it has greater aesthetic space and creation

than other educational subjects of universities.

Unique charm of art can be more fully expressed

when music is presented in classrooms. Music

education in universities possesses greater

particularity compared with teaching activities in

other areas and phases. It is necessary for teachers to

combine humanization and personalization in

specific teaching model, for both more professional

teaching contents and more personalized teaching

objects. Teaching ideas should be further updated

with more concerns on individual characteristics and

needs of students, thus leading to optimization and

upgrading of university music education.

REFERENCES

Qiao Xiangjun, 2012(2): 222-227. Discussion on

university music teaching mode big stage.

Su Yang, 2014(26): 70-75. Construction of personalized

and ecological music classroom. Journal of liberal

arts navigation.

Xie Jianzhou, 2013(12): 209-212. Mode of music

education in Chinese universities popular literature:

academic edition.

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