Sound Explorations Playtesting: Initial Steps
Since playtesting is part of a research study, we need permission forms to be signed before we can receive any feedback from you or the students in your program.
Before beginning playtesting please make sure you have:
Step 1) Returned completed and signed permissions forms from:
- Your school or organization
- You (the adult facilitating the playtesting)
- Youth participants
- Parents/guardians of youth participants
How do I return the forms?
You can choose from the following two options:
Option 1 – Digital You can return scanned & signed forms to Michael Ferraro [michael dot ferraro at asu.edu], our playtesting coordinator.
Option 2 – Mail You can return paper forms to:
Evan Tobias re: Sound Explorations Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
School of Music
PO Box 870405 | Tempe, AZ 85287-0405
What happens if only some youth return the forms?
This is fine. Any youth in your program can engage with the pilot learning experiences.
However, we can only receive feedback from youth who have provided their own permission and their parents/legal guardians who have also provided permission.
Please, only provide us with feedback from youth who have returned signed forms.
Step 2) Introduce Youth to the Project
Please read the following message to youth before giving out the forms:
The following message is from Dr. Evan Tobias from the Music Education Department of the School of Music at Arizona State University.
Dr. Tobias is conducting a research study to learn more about the perspectives of people your age on activities and projects that are organized into “music learning playlists.” I will be representing our program to help Dr. Tobias design and develop the music learning playlists. He is recruiting individuals to try out activities and projects that will become parts of the music learning playlists.
If you choose to participate you would try out parts of the music learning playlists and share your perspectives with an online survey and some discussion with me and some of your peers. Some of you might also be invited to journal your reactions or create video logs of your perspectives on the music learning playlists, which would be used by Dr. Tobias and others to help make better versions of the music learning playlists. We would try out the playlists about 1 – 4 times this school year but you can also try them out at home if you like.
Your participation in this study is voluntary. You can still participate in the project even if you don’t want to participate in the study and you can quit the study at any time. If you have any questions concerning the research study, please call Dr. Tobias at 480-965-5193 or email Dr. Tobias at evan dot tobias at asu dot edu.
Step 3) Setting Up Your Communication With the Sound Explorations Team
We will provide you with 3 main ways to communicate with us:
- Google forms for feedback
- A Google Doc for you to take notes and share observations with us
- Email or Videochat with our playtesting coordinator
