Fully Online Master's Degree Voice Pedagogy (one year, full-time)

Introduction to Academic Skills

Welcome to the beginning of your MA journey. You will bridge the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study, providing a comprehensive induction and preparation for the MA pathway. You will meet as a cohort and form small study groups to develop your academic skills. We run multiple live sessions to facilitate connectivity across multiple time zones and where you are unable to attend, you can follow along on catch-up.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the differences between postgraduate and undergraduate study
• Work effectively with a chosen document management system such as Mendeley
• Discuss and justify choices of literature.
• Show a critical understanding of the hierarchy of evidence.
• Understand the value of and work with quality criteria.
• Understand the Harvard referencing system and the value and need for accurate referencing.
• Deconstruct academic writing and evaluate a range of stylistic devices
• Develop an academic writing style by completing discrete and specific writing tasks.
• Understand the do’s and don’ts of Academic Misconduct
• Effectively access and search the online library and use relevant databases such as Pro Quest Central, EBSCO, JSTOR, Oxford Handbooks Online, Performing Arts Digital Database, PsycARTICLES, Pubmed, Sageejournals, Science Direct, Taylor and Frances and Wiley Online.

Example Timetable: Module 1

Term 1:

(October to January)

Module 1 - Foundations of Voice Pedagogy: Exploring and Evaluating the Research Literature

Welcome to Module 1! After you have completed the introductory academic skills-building course, you will progress onto the first module of the MA. Within this module, you will inform your learning by attending a series of live online structured lectures on voice pedagogy. The aim is to provide an overview of the multidisciplinary influences and core research studies that have shaped our understanding of voice teaching and practice. We will run a series of live sessions where we host visiting lecturers who are leaders in the field. Again, these are all recorded and available for catch-up if you cannot attend live. The syllabus evolves around the following core areas:

• Voice and the Brain
• Respiration
• The Vocal Mechanism: Anatomy and Physiology
• Acoustics and Psychoacoustics
• Alignment
• Vocal Health

On the left is an example timetable that outlines the predicted structure of our sessions (click to expand).

Please note that this is an example timetable, and lecturers, dates and times are still to be confirmed. This timetable is designed to help give you an idea of the session topics and structure.

Example Timetable: Module 2

Module 2 - Developing Research-Based Voice Pedagogy: Applications in Designing Tools and Resources

The Learning Outcomes for Module 2 are as follows.

By the end of the module students will be able to:

1. Critically understand and reflect on principles, theories, techniques, and methodologies related to voice pedagogy, the student's own professional practice, or other voice-related teaching contexts.
2. Evaluate methodologies, develop critiques, and apply them to propose a new solution to a teaching problem or challenge.
3. Reason critically and creatively, make sound judgments and clearly communicate conclusions.
4. Develop and apply relevant theory to create teaching tools or resources.

These learning outcomes will be accomplished by the end of the module.

Assignment

Component 1: Rationale

Devise an evidence-based rationale to support the design and development of a teaching tool/resource (3,000 words).

Component 2: The Practical Output

The practical component will be presented as a finished output.

Examples could include: teaching tools, speeches, dialogue, curriculum design, schemes of work, digital media, song writing, compositions, teaching strategies, or creative performances. (2,000 words indicative).

Reflective Analysis - Critically reflect on the design of the teaching aid/resource and analyse future applications, developments and improvements (1,000 words).

On the left is an example timetable that outlines the predicted structure of our sessions (click to expand).

Please note that this is an example timetable, and lecturers, dates and times are still to be confirmed. This timetable is designed to help give you an idea of the session topics and structure.

Example Timetable: Module 3

Term 2:

(January to April)

Module 3 - Coaching, Mentoring and Teaching: Pedagogical Theory and Applications

The Learning Outcomes for Module 3 are as follows:

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

• Develop advanced knowledge and a critical awareness of motor learning, coaching, mentoring, psychology, and performance coaching theories relevant to practice.
• Develop a critical understanding of the ethical principles and professional codes of conduct that relate to coaching, mentoring, performance coaching and teaching.
• Develop and apply a coaching/mentoring/teaching programme having regard to the differences between them.

Assignment

Component 1:

Choose from a range of topics and critically examine how the relevant theories and methodologies will inform your teaching/coaching/mentoring practice (3,000 words).

Component 2:

Plan and implement a teaching/coaching/mentoring session relevant to a client/group having regard to relevant ethical considerations (2,000)

Critically reflect on your coaching/mentoring session (1000 words).

On the left is an example timetable that outlines the predicted structure of our sessions (click to expand).

Please note that this is an example timetable, and lecturers, dates and times are still to be confirmed. This timetable is designed to help give you an idea of the session topics and structure.

Module 4 - Research Methods: Understanding and Applying Research Methods in Voice Practice

The aim of this module is to provide you with a theoretical and practical foundation in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The module aims to support the development of practical skills for conducting qualitative and quantitative research using methods and approaches key to your respective fields of study.

It will support and facilitate your research literacy and skills in critiquing and evaluating qualitative and quantitative research.

Alongside furthering your practical and evaluative skills, the module aims to support your understanding of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of qualitative and quantitative research.

Module 5 - Dissertation: Completing and Reporting an Original Research Project

Term 3:

(April to October)

This module is the culmination of the MA Voice Pedagogy, allowing you to develop and present a substantial dissertation.

This module is an opportunity for you to develop theoretical perspectives, ideas and practices that have emerged in your studies within the context of a dissertation. You will synthesise previous learning and develop new perspectives to address a problem within your professional practice.

You will hone a research question, scope out appropriate peer-reviewed and practice-based literature and select a research approach to garner valuable data regarding an aspect of your professional practice. You will apply qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods methodologies to execute a research design. Effective methods will be applied and evaluated, having regard to the moral and ethical implications of their processes. You will develop data analysis strategies, present data, and evaluate the relevance and impact of the data on your professional practice and wider field.