Online learning: Rockschool diplomas

As most MT readers will know, Rockschool – also known as part of the umbrella brand RSL Awards – has been offering graded exams in popular music for many years. But the exam board is so much more than that. It also offers exams in other performing arts (dance and musical theatre), vocational courses for students at Key Stage 4 as an alternative to GCSE, and diplomas in performance, teaching and creative enterprise. It is these last qualifications that we'll be looking at here. There are two different levels available, with diplomas at Level 4 and Level 6 (equivalent to first-year and third-year degree standard respectively). These diplomas have no entry requirements and can be completed within a year, but the board can extend this if needed to allow the candidate more time to complete successfully.

Many exam boards that offer instrumental exams have also offered diplomas in teaching in performance for many years. But Rockschool has introduced a new method of study for these qualifications that makes them much more accessible to a large number of people – all the study is independent, and all work is submitted digitally. The work is marked and graded without participants ever having to enter an exam room. However, students following the teaching path are advised to arrange a mentor who works in the profession so that they can put what they have learnt into practice. Further, it is encouraged that students on all pathways have access to appropriate teaching and study materials to help them undertake the different modules.

Teaching

The first of the three pathways is the teaching route. All the modules are open to each route, but the teaching pathway requires core modules with an education focus. These modules explore the key concepts of teaching, and expect students to develop a good understanding of teaching, learning, assessment and evaluation. There are other educational modules, including safeguarding, and all involve an element of reflective practice.

The submission materials include schemes of work, lesson videos and reflections. The outcomes should lead to better teaching by asking candidates to trial the created schemes of work and lessons, and then reflect on the outcomes for pupils.

Performance

Performance diplomas are probably a bit more familiar to a lot of musicians – the idea that post-Grade 8 students may want to challenge themselves further with a performance diploma has been around for a long time. However, there are some taught modules within this diploma and, although there will be a lot of playing, performance diploma candidates can still undertake a large amount of study in other areas.

The other core module on this pathway is ‘artist analysis’. The candidate studies in depth one artist that has been an influence on their craft (musician, dancer or other performer), analyses what influence they have taken from that artist, and then creates a performance drawing on some of their material. An important part of this is Rockschool's willingness to approve repertoire. If you are preparing for one of the performance modules and aren't sure if the piece you want to play is of an appropriate level, the board will check the music for you and indicate if it meets the required standard.

Creative enterprise

The last of the three pathways is aimed at people working in a variety of creative industries, including theatre, dance and music, but it is quite broad in how it can be interpreted. Its aim is to develop candidates’ understanding of all elements of production, including collaboration. However, it includes all elements of production, from documenting the planning stages to evaluation of the process as a whole and the candidate's contribution to it. This pathway has quite a strong business focus, with modules looking at how to work successfully in an industry that relies on freelancers and short-term contracts.

Other options

As mentioned, although there are core modules for each of the three pathways, all the modules appear as options for every pathway. Because the core modules only take up some of the allocated points required to pass, the participant needs to complete the rest of the course with other modules. So, if you were undertaking the performance pathway but felt that some study on promoting yourself as a freelance musician would help, you could take a module from the creative enterprise pathway. Equally, if you thought it likely that you would become a portfolio musician with a number of different elements to your career that might include some teaching, then selecting a module on basic lesson planning and assessment might benefit you.

Learning and assessment

What makes these diplomas different is the way they are undertaken and assessed. I took a master's course a few years ago that was largely distance learning, but even that required a trip to the university a couple of times a term (and sometimes more).

Rockschool's diplomas can all be studied in your own time, wherever you are in the world. Although submissions need to be submitted in English, there is no reason why you couldn't complete them in any country with a decent internet connection. This online submission makes them potentially very useful for international schools or candidates.

Once someone has enrolled on one of the diplomas and completed the application procedure, they are provided with a link to a virtual ‘hand in’ box. This provides them with a space to submit work remotely and receive feedback when it is marked. This is bespoke platform for the exam board, and if you've ever entered yourself or a pupil for a Rockschool exam, you'll notice that it looks very similar to the regular exam entry system.

Each module has a reading list and a suggested set of methods. This isn't a scheme of work that allows someone to teach themselves – rather, they are materials that show the candidate what is needed to pass the assessment. The candidate will need to locate teachers and learning materials themselves.

The online platform allows you to submit work remotely

Home-based working

It could be possible to complete your entire diploma without leaving your house. For example, if you were taking the performance route, you could find an instrumental teacher to work with and have all your lessons via video conferencing platforms such as Skype or Zoom. There are some companies that are now beginning to offer entire Rockschool diplomas remotely, such as Dime Online (https://dime-online.org/). Therefore, if you live in a remote location or in a different time zone to your preferred teacher – or indeed find yourself living under imposed social distancing rules – it would be possible to complete your diploma entirely remotely.

A further implication of remote entry is that it allows candidates to re-sit a module more easily. Usually, you would have to repeat a whole lot of travel to re-sit the exam. With Rockschool, you can simply resubmit online when ready without worrying about any additional travel expense.

Summary

The implications of entirely online completion make these qualifications highly accessible, which wouldn't be possible without the underlying technology. The three different routes available make the course accessible to artists with different specialisms, or to portfolio artists. If you or one of your students is looking for the next challenge, I thoroughly recommend having a look at the Rockschool website for more information.

Find out more at www.rslawards.com/diplomas