This article discusses a study that investigated how interactive music video games could potentially support children's musical development. The study found that music teachers acknowledged the games' ability to be incorporated into traditional music curriculum, but felt they needed more development to allow for greater composition and creation. Additionally, the article notes that interactive music video games are highly engaging for children and that video games in general can incorporate effective learning principles when designed well. The role of music education is also changing as it needs to engage modern technologies and be responsive to students' interests in digital media. In conclusion, interactive music video games may provide a beneficial and meaningful way for students to learn musical elements if their full potential is realized within music education.

1. ARTICLE REVIEW
INTERACTIVE MUSIC VIDEO GAMES AND
CHILDREN
EDU 702 Research Methodology
PREPARED BY :SHAMSUL AZRIL BIN SAMSUDIN
ID NO :2013362235
PREPARED FOR :DR. JOHAN @ EDDY LUARAN

2. This article by Lily Gower and Janet McDowall from B.J Music, Ed. 2012 page 91-105 talking
about Interactive Music Video Games and Children’s Musical Development. Interactive music video
games are readily available, mainstream technology but they are not generally sees as educative
tools. This study investigated children’s use of these games from a musix education prespective.The
music teachers acknowledged the potential of interactive music video games to be incorporated into
traditional music curriculum but they each expressed a belief that ideally the technology needs
further development, including a greater capacity to compose and create using the programs. Based
on the article, there may be a place for these games in music education.
From the article, nowadays people are living in increasingly digital age where video games
have become a key element of child and youth culture. Playing video games is an engaging practice
that allows children to be active participants rather than being passive viewers, such as with
television. Some authorities in the field argue that video games are not a waste of time, and in fact
good video games incorporate many effective principles of learning. The finidngs goes so far as to
suggest that humans have an innate desire to learn and, when video games are pleasurable, the
learning that occurs while playing is often of a much greater depth than the learning that occurs in
schools today.
The playing of video games is now so commonplace that it could be considere a fundamental
literacy in its own right. In an increasingly digital age, ‘digital literacy is now being considered the
‘fourth cultural technique’ alongside reading, writing and mathematics and this has Implications
for school education. Literacy learning in schools needs to shift from a focus on reading print text to
teaching children to interpret a range of multimodal texts. That is, children need to learn to interpret
more than one way of meaning-making including linguistic, audio, visual, gestural and spatial modes
as well as a combination of all of the above.

3. The role of music education can be defined as ‘teaching children to lovemusic’ (Hargreaves
& North, 1997). However, as mentioned above, there is some evidence suggesting that
music education is not engaging children and young people as educators may wish (Dillon,
2004; Goble, 2009). Goble (2009) examines this decline of music education in depth and
suggests ways by which this situation may be rectified. Among his recommendations is
the incorporation of modern technology in the teaching of music, including the use of
video games such as Guitar Hero and RockBand. Green (2006) also recognises a decline
in interest in music education.
In summary, it can be suggested that the use of interactive music video games in music
education may in fact be a beneficial inclusion. While there is a dearth of literature on the
topic, what little there is suggests that these games may be a meaningful way for students
to learn about the elements of music, and may be a way for music educators to breathe
life back into a dwindling curriculum. What can be said for certain is that, thus far, the
potential uses of interactive music video games have not been realised.
The literature pertaining to video games and children suggests ways in which video
games are highly enticing to young players. It also points out the importance of video
games and digital media as a multimodal literacy. Further, there are indications that music
education needs to be responsive to such changes. In view of this background, research
was undertaken that examined interactive music video games, a gaming technology that is
sweeping the world.

4. In 2003, a movement was started for usingvideo games in teaching and training.
This initiative, known as serious games, has changed theway that educators viewed instruction to
meetthe needs of the Net generation. Serious games have impacted the military and firefighters
(Har-mon, 2003; Macedonia, 2002), medical (Cos-man, Cregan, Martin, & Cartmill, 2002; Hmeloet al.,
2001), and higher business education (Bos,Shami, & Naab, 2006)