Digital Little Music Makers: Incorporating Emerging Technologies, Immersive Practices (AR, VR), Artificial Intelligence, and STREAM Methods into Music Teaching and Learning

Recent technological advancements have consistently redefined the ways in which individuals engage with music, fostering novel perspectives on expression, interaction, and learning. Children of the digital age are growing up in environments that expand their musical experiences and preferences, while also posing challenges to music education. This scholarly investigation explores the emergence and evolution of learning environments through the design and implementation of STREAM-based instructional scenarios in primary education. Specifically, it examines the experiences of students in grades three through five and analyzes the utilization of emerging technologies, including music production, ubiquitous and mobile music computing, creative coding, immersive technologies, and artificial intelligence. The intervention was conducted as a music club at a private educational institution over three academic years, each comprising thirty weeks. The research approach was based on Design-Based Research, which integrates theory, design, and practice through iterative cycles aimed at developing and continuously refining authentic learning experiences. The findings indicate that students enhanced their creative expression, autonomy, self-regulation, sensory engagement, and collaborative problem-solving capabilities, while also advancing computational thinking by integrating physical and digital musical realms. Overall, this study advocates for a pedagogically sound, human-centered, and post-digital framework for music education, emphasizing a paradigm shift that aligns with the new perspectives and opportunities presented by the contemporary digital landscape.