Written version of RIME paper (GCID) for MER, Exeter 2007
Group learning
One aspect involves ‘group learning’, by which I mean learning that occurs more-or-
less unconsciously or even accidentally, simply through taking part in the collective
actions of the group. This includes learning through watching, listening to and
imitating each other during music-making, involving group cooperation in the form of
various ensemble skills. As one pupil described it, a girl with learning difficulties and
who spoke English as a second language:
-Olivia: We learned how to work in a group and also learn how to, if one
person come and another person come, we learnt how to come in and how to
come out, and I thought that was great because, it was quite hard, you know
when other person playing and another person had to come in after a hard part,
but when we get used to it we find it quite easier. I know what to do now.
Pupils also reflected on how they had cooperated, not whilst they were playing or
singing, but whilst they were discussing and organising their learning:
-Stacey: In partners, like, I worked with someone on the drums and then they
went on the piano, and two people were on the guitars, and that was all sort of
like just in partners, so like lots of little groups in one big one...
We asked: ‘What, if anything, have you learnt from the project so far?’. Many
pupils identified musical skills such as playing instruments, and several reported
improvements to their listening abilities (see Green 2008). However, as well as
specifically musical outcomes such as those, some pupils also said things like:
-Daniel: I think I’ve learnt to, like, work more as a team, like listen to each
other, whereas before like I used to like, always be speaking over everyone
kind of thing, but I’ve like got used to working as a group now better.
As time went by, a number of pupils became increasingly aware of the make-
up of personnel in their group. They were able to reflect on ability differentials, and