The Effect of Digital Scaffolds on Performance Gains Made in Practice by High School String Players

Independent practice is a cornerstone of musical development but one that many music students struggle to carry out effectively. In this study, we examined how digital supports affect the practice of high school string players. Sixty students completed four short practice sessions, each in a different condition: (a) control (no scaffolding), (b) aural model only, (c) aural model with audio playback, and (d) aural model, playback, and visual evaluative feedback. The results showed that all three scaffolded conditions produced significantly greater performance accuracy gains than the control. The combination of model, playback, and evaluation yielded the largest improvements. Notably, the supported conditions required less active playing time, suggesting more efficient practice. In contrast, when in the control condition, participants often overestimated their progress, sometimes misjudging performance accuracy declines as improvement. Visual evaluative feedback eliminated such errors, showing its potential to help students develop self-monitoring and error-detection skills. These findings support using technology-based tools to improve student practice and highlight the need to address the cognitive skills underlying music performance.