ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we examine the possibilities and potential of using dialogue and mobile digital media, specifically iPads, for creative and collaborative composing in ways that enhance and develop artistic creativity and music educational practice. In particular, we will explore how iPads not only provide a medium for composing in higher music education; they also provide opportunities for deepening students’ knowledge and understanding of the educational practices necessary for teaching and learning in a digital- and media-infused world. The millennial generation (born after 1981) has grown up immersed in multimodal messages and participatory online cultures. Our experiences of the digital world have made an impact on how all of us live, think and work. As a result, across all disciplines in education, we see changes in student engagement as well as new forms of content learning and conceptual understanding. Today’s digital mobile media devices also provide new ways of bringing students from diverse musical backgrounds together to create music. There is a need for higher music education to explore innovative practices that embrace these technologies and the challenges associated with educational implementation if we are to make an impact on future music teaching and learning.
