music to my ears

Here’s one reason why I love my job…

I got a call from a professor of music education at the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). Seems she got my name from a person with the Kauffman Enitiative project (a project UC supports with web site design and content management). The VPA professor is writing a grant to design and develop an online music education course.

After meeting with the professor, I’ve agreed to assist with the grant in any way that I can. Specifically, I think I can help with costing out the course design and development activities. That’s fun, but it’s not why I’m excited. What’s really got me geeked up is the possibility that the grant will get accepted. I’m already imagining the possibilities of teaching a tactile skill, such as instrumentation, in an online environment. I’m seeing three different levels of courses, each engaging the instructor and learner with varying modes of interactivity. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to exploit a virtual space (such as SecondLife) for something other than pedantic navel gazing, porn, or gaming.

This is an extremely exciting project – a chance to work through challenging design requirements with some wonderfully bright and progressive people.