Date of Award

Summer 7-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Robin Roth

Second Advisor

Dr. Caroline Heller

Third Advisor

Dr. Susan Edgerton

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of college professors using an assessment approach, descriptive review, to assess undergraduate music compositions. College professors, and educators in general, often debate best practices around assessing student work. A literature review showed a debate amongst music educators over approaches to assessing student compositions, with rubrics being especially controversial. Descriptive review uses collective discussion and a series of non-judgmental exercises that aim for participants to become more intimate with a student and their work. As an assessment technique that had been used to look at student artwork, albeit at the elementary grade level, descriptive review has the potential to be a fruitful method for looking at student musical composition. An exploratory research design was used to examine the adaptation of the descriptive review process to music composition at the undergraduate level instead. Two descriptive review sessions with eight music theory-composition faculty were conducted to gather impressions of using descriptive review to assess undergraduate music compositions. These impressions were coded and thematically analyzed in relation to four research questions: What are the experiences of participants in a descriptive review of a musical composition? What are the perceptions of participants regarding the efficacy of the descriptive review design for assessing college student's musical compositions? What challenges and future uses, if any, do participants see in implementing descriptive review as an assessment practice; how would they compare descriptive review to their own assessment practice(s)? What modifications, if any, would participants suggest to the descriptive review process? Findings reveal that the overall design of the descriptive review was considered efficacious with debate over the paraphrasing and syntax rounds. Possible challenges included time commitment and institutional expectations around quantifiable grading. However, participants also saw opportunities to embrace descriptive review in their classrooms and department meetings. Finally, participants suggested clearer instructions and modeling of descriptive language and modifications to the order and structure of some rounds. The findings from this exploratory study indicate that descriptive review provides unique insight and can be helpful in assessing music composition as well as in wider conversations around assessment.

Keywords: music composition, descriptive review, assessment

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