Recording Arts
Master the technology that makes the music

The University of Colorado at Denver's Recording Arts program prepares students for careers as creative musicians, producers or technicians in the music industry, by studying contemporary analog and digital technology as it is used in studio recording, sound reinforcement and electronic music.  While mastering the high-tech, students also study the artistic applications of technology to recording, reinforcement, composition and performance.

The University of Colorado at Denver hosts a student section of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), an organization whose membership ranges from students to professionals from the Rocky Mountain area.  Student officers of AES are active in organizing special events, which reach a large audience.  In the past, students have organized events such as regional conferences on Stereo TV/Audio, Composers and Technology,  and Rocky Mountain Avalanche, a national electronic music symposium.

Music Assessment Glossary

Alternative Assessment
Any assessment technique that uses strategies for collecting and analyzing information different from traditional paper-and-pencil tests.

Assessment
The collection, analysis, interpretation, and application of information about student performance or program effectiveness in making educational decisions.

Authentic Assessment
Assessment techniques that gather information about students' ability to perform tasks that are found in real world situations.

Benchmark
The comparison of student performance against an established standard that provides information as to the student's progress toward attaining the standard.

Criteria
A description of the standard of performance for a particular task.

Criterion-Referenced
Determining the value of a student's performance by referring to criteria that were specified prior to the student's performance of a task.

Evaluation
The collection and use of information to make informed educational decisions.

Formative Assessment
On-going assessment within an educational program whose purpose is to improve the program as it progresses.

Norm
The midpoint in a set of scores taken from a large number of representative individuals where 50 percent of the scores are above the norm and 50 percent are below.

Norm-Referenced
T value of a student's performance determined by referring to a norm established by a large number of representative individuals that indicates how a student performed in relation to other individuals previous performance.

Performance Assessment
An assessment technique that determines a student's ability to perform on assigned tasks rather than on the ability to answer questions.

Performance Task
A student demonstration that shows ability to handle complex material in "real-world" situations.

Portfolio Assessment
A collection of student work used to demonstrate student attainment in a content area. Student progress is determined by reviewing the collected works in light of previously established criteria.

Program Assessment
The determination of an educational program's strengths and weaknesses through a well-conceived and implemented plan of data collection and analysis.

Reliability
The consistency of an assessment instrument to obtain comparable scores across time.

Rubric
A set of scoring criteria used to determine the value of a student's performance on assigned tasks. The criteria are written so students are able to learn what must be done to improve their performance in the future.

Self-assessment
Analyzing and making decisions about one's own performance or abilities.

Standard
The content, level, or type of performance expected by students at a particular point in time or stage of development.

Student Assessment
The determination of one or more students' capabilities in a subject matter made from information gathered on meaningful performance tasks that are referenced to well-defined, educationally sound performance criteria.

Summative Assessment
Assessment performed to determine the overall effectiveness of an educational program.

Validity
The ability of an assessment instrument to measure what it is supposed to measure. It is also the appropriate use of assessment information and results.

Assessment Artifacts

Alternative Measures
Capstone Courses
Common Multi-Sectional Course Exams
Communication
Concert/Gig Recording Projects
Ensemble Recording Projects
Internship
Interviews
Knowledge Surveys
Non-Course-Based Exams
Oral Presentations
Portfolio Evaluation
Post-Graduation Surveys
Senior Project
Standardized Tests
Student Self-Evaluations and Applied Lesson Reflections
Technology Projects
Written Papers or Reports

Showcase Artifacts

Digital Audio
Digital Video
Multimedia Presentations
Student-Centered Goals
Student Self-Assessment Reflections
Web Development Projects

Student Portfolio Links

Senior Capstone Portfolio links in the four MEIS program areas.
 

Assessment Artifacts