Student review [#100712] for Songwriting
at Melbourne Polytechnic

Formative Assessment in Music Education: A Personal and Academic Reflection

I graduated from Melbourne Polytechnic in 2021, and my experience there continues to shape how I understand music, creativity, and learning. During my current Master’s degree in Education in New Zealand, I chose to write an academic essay based on what I learned there, particularly the role of formative assessment in music education.

That essay was rejected.

However, I stand by the ideas presented in it. Music education does not always align with traditional academic expectations, and this essay reflects that tension. What I experienced at Melbourne Polytechnic was not only valid, but deeply effective, and it deserves to be recognised within educational discourse.

Here is the essay I wrote about the University. I hope if New Zealand doesn’t approve, Melbourne Polytechnic will approve:

Formative assessment is essential in music education because it improves learning through feedback, enhances memory, and supports inclusive and meaningful educational practices.

Music learning operates as a continuous cycle of practice, feedback, and adjustment (Reybrouck & Schiavio, 2024). These processes align closely with formative assessment. Black and Wiliam (1998) define formative assessment as an ongoing practice in which teachers collect real-time evidence of student learning and use it to adapt instruction, while students use feedback to deepen their understanding. Within music education, this process is especially significant because learning is inherently performative and iterative. Students do not simply acquire knowledge; they refine skills through repeated engagement and reflection.

Each student processes musical information differently, particularly those with additional needs. Therefore, learning environments must be flexible and responsive. Formative assessment enables educators to tailor instruction to maximise each student’s potential.

Research supports this perspective. A study published in the International Journal of Music Education found that teachers’ positive attitudes, supportive environments, and confidence in using formative assessment significantly influence its adoption in music education contexts (Westerlund, 2025). This reinforces the idea that formative assessment is not only effective, but necessary in fostering meaningful learning.

This essay explores why formative assessment is crucial, drawing on both academic literature and personal experience as a student in the Songwriting and Music Production program at Melbourne Polytechnic. It argues that formative assessment plays a vital role in developing musical capacity and that educational institutions should actively support its implementation.

There are four main reasons why formative assessment should be applied in education. The first is its role in providing feedback. Black and Wiliam (1998) explain that formative assessment includes a range of practices designed to generate feedback that improves teaching and learning. At its core, feedback helps close the gap between a student’s current understanding and their learning goals (Wyse et al., 2020).

Formative assessment allows teachers to identify misconceptions and guide students in adjusting their learning strategies. Activities such as class discussions, interactive exercises, and performance-based evaluations enhance engagement and motivation. Online quizzes and progress tests also support this process by providing immediate insights that inform teaching practices (Blundell & O’Brien, 2019).

Importantly, feedback is reciprocal. Students also play a role in communicating their understanding (Lambert, 2012). Simple strategies such as hand signals allow teachers to quickly assess comprehension, creating a safe environment where students can express uncertainty without pressure. This shifts learning into the classroom, rather than leaving students to struggle independently.

Another effective method is the one-minute paper, where students summarise key ideas within a limited time (Blundell & O’Brien, 2019). This promotes active listening and reflection. Ultimately, effective feedback is not overwhelming, but incremental—helping students build mastery step by step.

Draft submissions also support learning by allowing teachers to provide guidance before final assessment. This strengthens academic skills, self-regulation, and confidence, enabling students to recognise and correct errors (Blundell & O’Brien, 2019).

In music, this process can be understood through centrifugal and centripetal elements. The centrifugal aspect refers to the production of sound, while the centripetal aspect relates to how that sound is perceived. Similarly, formative assessment involves performing, receiving feedback, and refining performance. This continuous loop reflects how musicians learn—not only improving technical skill, but also creativity and expression over time (Reybrouck & Schiavio, 2024).

The second function of formative assessment is “feedforward,” which focuses on future improvement rather than past mistakes (Blundell & O’Brien, 2019). Unlike traditional feedback, feedforward guides students on what to do next. This is particularly important for maintaining motivation, especially for students who may find criticism discouraging. It encourages growth without defining students by previous errors.

The third aspect is its connection to memory. Formative assessment strengthens long-term retention by revisiting concepts through low-stakes activities, feedback cycles, and continuous engagement. These practices support deeper understanding rather than short-term memorisation (Blundell & O’Brien, 2019).

The fourth reason relates to inclusivity and alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which promotes equitable and high-quality education (Unterhalter, 2021). Formative assessment supports continuous learning and ensures that students are actively engaged in their educational journey. It allows for diverse learning needs and helps prevent students from being left behind (United Nations, 2015; Kunuba, 2022).

In Indonesia, formative assessment is commonly implemented through classroom discussions and group projects. With class sizes of 30–40 students, teachers often divide students into groups and provide immediate feedback during presentations. This allows educators to identify challenges and support students effectively (IPGCE, 2025).

In conclusion, formative assessment plays a critical role in music education by supporting continuous learning, strengthening memory, and promoting inclusive practices. It enables meaningful interaction between teachers and students, allowing misconceptions to be addressed in real time (Black & Wiliam, 1998). Additionally, its connection to cognitive processes, such as memory formation, highlights its broader educational significance.

Formative assessment represents a shift from rigid evaluation toward a more holistic understanding of learning. In music education, growth is not defined solely by final outcomes, but by the ability to reflect, adapt, and improve. It is not only about how music sounds, but how it is experienced and understood.

Formative Assessment in Music School: A Personal Reflection

Formative assessment plays a vital role in music education because musical growth depends on feedback—both internal and external. Continuous practice, emotional engagement, and reinforcement contribute to stronger memory and long-term learning.

As an undergraduate student in the Songwriting and Music Production program at Melbourne Polytechnic, I experienced a learning environment with no traditional exams. Instead, students were challenged through real-time creative tasks.

One such task involved composing a song within 30 minutes based on a Halloween theme. Students were required to perform their work regardless of completion. Some worked individually, while others collaborated in bands. This emphasised effort and process over perfection.

After performing, students exchanged written feedback and discussed their work as a group. The teacher facilitated the session, followed by peer input. This immediate feedback loop allowed students to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

This process demonstrated key aspects of formative assessment, including identifying learning gaps, providing feedback, supporting progression, and encouraging student involvement (Schildkamp et al., 2020). Students became aware of their limitations in real time and were given opportunities to improve.

However, this method may present challenges for some learners, particularly those who experience anxiety in spontaneous performance settings. This highlights the need for adaptability in teaching approaches to ensure inclusivity.

Despite this, such practices enhance cognitive function and creativity. Repetition strengthens neural pathways, supporting memory formation (Amaral & Lavenex, 2006). Emotional engagement in music activates brain regions associated with sound processing and emotional response, reinforcing learning.

Ultimately, formative assessment enables students to refine their skills continuously, fostering both technical ability and artistic expression.
References

Amaral, D., & Lavenex, P. (2006). Hippocampal neuroanatomy. In P. Andersen, R. Morris, D. Amaral, T. Bliss, & J. O’Keefe (Eds.), The hippocampus book (Chapter 3). Oxford University Press.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139–144, 146–148.

Blundell, L., O’Brien, R., & Centre for Innovation in Education. (2019). A spotlight on formative assessment. University of Liverpool.

Carney, E. A., Zhang, X., Charsha, A., Taylor, J. N., & Hoshaw, J. P. (2022). Formative assessment helps students learn over time: Why aren’t we paying more attention to it? Intersection: A Journal at the Intersection of Assessment and Learning, 1(1).

IPGCE. (2025). 2025 guide to assessment & evaluation methods in Indonesia. IPGCE @ UWE.

Kunuba, A. C. (2022). Evaluation of teaching and learning using formative assessment for Sustainable Development Goals. World Journal of Innovative Research, 12(5), 1–6.

Lambert, K. (2012). Tools for formative assessment. OCPS Curriculum Services.

Reybrouck, M., & Schiavio, A. (2024). Music performance as knowledge acquisition: A review and preliminary conceptual framework. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1331806.

Schildkamp, K., van der Kleij, F. M., Heitink, M. C., Kippers, W. B., & Veldkamp, B. P. (2020). Formative assessment: A systematic review of critical teacher prerequisites for classroom practice. International Journal of Educational Research, 103, 101602.

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

Unterhalter, E. (2021). Evidence, SDG 4 targets and indicators: Surveying the field. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 10(2), 85–101.

Westerlund, H. (2025). Music education, democracy, and the ethics of care: Reimagining the relational foundations of the field. International Journal of Music Education (Advance online publication).

White, A. (2018). Andy White. Melbourne Polytechnic.

Wyse, D., Brown, C., Oliver, S., & Poblete, X. (2020). Education research and educational practice: The case for a stronger relationship. Review of Education, 8(2), 305–344.