Linking assessment practices, unit-level outcomes and discipline-specific capabilities in contemporary music studies

Adopting a non-traditional approach to musical learning at tertiary level, music at Macquarie University is offered as a Major pattern of study within a Bachelor of Arts program. Focusing on current assessment practices in the final third year music production unit and in the third year music capstone unit, this chapter discusses the ways in which music has been progressively aligned to its discipline-specific capabilities while reflecting the diversity of its student body. The discipline-specific capabilities are also discussed in relation to the Australian Creative and Performing Arts Threshold Learning Outcomes (CAPA TLOs) (Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project: creative and performing arts, learning and teaching academic standards statement. Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Sydney, p. 12, 2010). While both the production unit and the capstone unit address musical creativities from multiple perspectives including compositional, collaborative, theoretical, technical and interpretative techniques, the challenge of designing appropriate assessment tasks and rubrics without limiting creative practices is discussed. Strategies for effective grading and validity measures are also outlined. The discussion concludes with implications for creative practices and offers suggestions for assessing musical creativities and associated creative processes.