Technology

Technology could certainly be an asset for certain kinds of assessment. I think for assessment during an actual performance, it could be very helpful. Being able to video tape, or record concerts to listen to afterwards could be very valuable. In the classroom, however, there are certain kinds of problems that it could create. If students are being video taped or recorded, they often get very nervous. This effects them in two ways. Either they will try much harder than they might if they weren't being recorded, which may show you what they are really capable of, or they will be so nervous and flustered by it that they won't be able to do anything right. So a student who may be a very good sight reader could completely fall apart when staring into a video camera. Also, often having technology makes an assessment seem much more "official" which is why it can be so intimidating. i have talked to one choir teacher who has a few samll high school choirs. She has 4 or 5 recording devices which get passed through the choir. Each student will wear it for one day, and then pass it on the next. But what this allows them to do is take the recording device home with them that night so that they can listen to how they sound and assess how they are doing, and hear their progress, and it allows the teacher time to hear each student throughout the class and assess their progress throughout the year.