The ITM Community: Part III, Dr. Ailbhe Kenny and the OAIM

An MLIS Case Study

Dr. Ailbhe Kenny. Mary Immaculate College. 2024

In my introductory post about the Irish traditional musician community, I mentioned a peer reviewed paper that discussed the nature of online learning within the community. Dr. Ailbhe Kenny, an associate professor in music education at Mary Immaculate College in Ireland and an Irish Research Council Laureate, has spent her life dedicated to understanding and teaching music education (MIC, 2024). Kenny has written many influential papers on the subject of music and education including, Communities of Musical Practice and co-editor of Musician-Teacher Collaborations: Altering the Chord and Sonic Signatures: Music, Migration and the City at Night.

One of her papers that holds particular interest is her study of practice communities pertaining to the Online Academy of Irish Music (OAIM) in 2013. In 2010 the OAIM was found by flute player Kristen Allstaff and her husband and concertina player Matthew Curley (OAIM, 2024) Since its inception the OAIM has been a mainstay in the online teaching of Irish folk music and Kenny’s analysis of the platform and the communities developed though it offers insight into the ITM community at large.

Kenny’s paper, titled The next level: Investigating teaching and learning within an Irish traditional music online community (2013), is a case study that seeks to expand upon the theories of communities of practice (CoP) as presented by Lave and Wegner in 1991(Lave & Wenger, 1991). The case study was conducted over a 9 month period in 3 phases, and the findings are presented in 3 categories: the pedagogy of e-learning, shared practice, and roles and relationships.

On the note of data collection and the 3 phases. Each phase lasted 3 months and focused on gathering different aspects via different methods. During the first phase analysis of the website, it’s content and its pedagogy was completed, as well as an informal meeting with the co-founder. After access was negotiated and relationships were established, Kenny was able to move on to phase two. During this stage, observations were made of the OAIM websites discussion forums as well as their Facebook group chats. The data gathered was compiled in the NVivo qualitative data analysis software to allow for inductive and reductive analysis. And in the final stage, as observations continued, interviews with the users were also conducted to further insight.

As for the results and insights of the case study, I’ll start with pedagogy, as it may be the most significant factor in the success of the OAIM. The pedagogy of the OAIM was designed to mirror traditional learning methods found through out history. Kenny notes the tutors are “mindful of retaining a sense of authenticity in this environment.” (Kenny, 2013, p.245) As such, a focus on aural and oral teachings using repetition and attention to technique and musical nuances is brought to the masses using technology. This style of teaching not only protects the old way of teaching within the ITM community but brings it to the forefront. Which is an important aspect in online music education, as Mansfield points out “technological literacy and literacy in the arts ought not to be taken on without this sheltering and protection of musicality and its being” (2004, p. 53).

With regards to shared practice, this data was organized into 5 categories: clarification, requests, progression updates, relating experiences, knowledge sharing, and feedback. Samples from posts made by users reflect the community development an impact the pedagogy has on their overall sense of progress and satisfaction. What this highlights is the effectiveness of online spaces in the ITM community. “In this way the chat forums emphasize both individual and group learning reflection processes within the OAIM.” (Kenny, 2013, p.246) It is evident that the ability to quickly and easily converse with musical peers expedites and enhances the learning process, as well as creates more engagement and indeed the very sense of community. It also establishes accountability which is something that people of many practices and many fields struggle with. “In this way the chat forums emphasize both individual and group learning reflection processes within the OAIM.” (Kenny, 2013, p.246)

The final case study results category is that of roles and relationships. Within the OAIM there are two primary roles, instructor, and student. Kenny impresses upon us the importance of the high quality and professionalism of the instructors, as well as their own reputations within the ITM community at large. She states, “the type of online teaching provided by the OAIM is seen as distinct from other internet sources due to its focus on high quality teaching and caliber of tutors,” (Kenny, 2013, p.249) and the student logs support this notion using frequent adjectives to describe the instructors such as “knowledgeable, assured, nice, engaging, patient, and encouraging.” (Kenny, 2013, p.249) The key takeaway from this section of the findings is the inclusive atmosphere the OAIM creates among musicians of all backgrounds, skill levels, and locales.

Kenny’s case study on the OAIM highlights the factors the lead to a successful implementation of e-learning within the ITM community. With this information we can begin to analyze other community spaces and adjust and improve them to create a more successful environment. Thus, improving the chances of success for education, community, and preservation of ITM culture.

Resources

Kenny, A. (2013). The next level: Investigating teaching and learning within an Irish traditional music online community. Research Studies in Music Education, 35(2), 239–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X13508349

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Mansfield, J. E. (2004). The musical subject, technoculture and curriculum in the postmodern condition. Research Studies in Music Education, 23(1), 42–58.

Mary Immaculate College. (2024). https://www.mic.ul.ie/staff/237-ailbhe-kenny

Online Academy of Irish Music. (2024, March 9). Our story. https://www.oaim.ie/about/