Community through Music: Utilizing Class Playlists to Mitigate Lack of Connection in Hybrid Courses
Carlos Davila, M.A. (Sanchez), John Jay College
Bio
Carlos is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at John Jay College, faculty member with the National Fellowship for Black and Latino Male Educators (NFBLME), as well as the TELEOS Leadership Institute. As an educator, Carlos brings a deep understanding of the barriers and challenges faced by underrepresented groups. His research on microaggressions in sports settings and his expertise in intersectionality allow him to provide a nuanced and culturally-relevant class experience.
Course Setting
John Jay’s campus is commuter-focused with a diverse group of students and staff. The program that I incorporated my project into were two sections of Developmental Psychology (PSY 231). The students in these two courses were generally in their second year (with 1 older student in both courses, which added an amazing dynamic when discussing stages of development).
Problem of Practice
During, and after, the “Great Zoom Boom” that occurred during the pandemic, one of the aspects of my course that felt lost was the cultural connection students make when in-person. Creating a sense of community while also honoring the intrusive nature of digital education became a huge challenge. Connection and context are huge parts of the educational process, especially in psychology-based courses, and necessitate a heightened level of engagement that I hadn’t experienced as much in online classes. My inquiry focused on the question: How can I create more space for intentional connection in an online education setting?
Strategy
In gathering data to validate my theory, it was important to establish the impact that music has both biologically and culturally. According to Eck (2024), “Music also lights up nearly all of the brain — including the hippocampus and amygdala, which activate emotional responses to music through memory; the limbic system, which governs pleasure, motivation, and reward…”
This made it clear that music can impact our state of mind, mood, and emotional resonance. But what about the cultural aspect? According to the East End Arts and Humanities council:
“....early forms of music helped to reinforce community bonds and shared beliefs, laying the groundwork for the cultural identities of future civilizations…In contemporary times, music continues to be a catalyst for cultural change. Hip-hop, originating from the African American communities in the Bronx, has grown into a global phenomenon...It reflects the struggles and aspirations of marginalized communities, influencing social and political discourse worldwide. Similarly, K-pop has transcended its Korean origins to become a global cultural force, spreading Korean culture and identity…”
The combination of emotional and cultural resonance became the groundwork for implementing the “class playlist” which created an opportunity for students to add music that was personally relevant to the class experience.
The class observation linked below occurred during one of the in-person sessions of this hybrid course and captures some of the impact of the playlist. “In a really nice touch, he had music playing which allowed for a lovely ambience. Students are apparently able to contribute to the playlist; something I considered fun (and trusting!) touch.” “[Prof] Sanchez had the playlist I mentioned earlier playing in the background which acted as a kind of masking noise and seemed to encourage people to share”
Figure #2: Class Observation
Measuring Impact
Class Playlist Survey
Students were provided a brief survey to gauge their experience of the playlist. The survey captures the positive impact of the playlist on the students that responded. As of the publication date, 20 of the 40 students responded.
Figure #3: Class Playlist Survey View 1Figure #4: Class Playlist Survey View 2
Analysis
Based on professor observations, peer observations, and students statements, I believe that the incorporation of a student-curated class playlist accomplished the goals of the stated Problem of Practice to create increased engagement that was culturally relevant and created a container for increased conversations in a hybrid class setting.
Student quotes:
“Wait who put this on the playlist, I love this song!”—which led to the incorporation of “community convos” breakout rooms.
“I was so excited to hear my song”
“It was cool hearing music I listened to in the playlist (even though I admittedly didn’t add anything) because it was this little “oh someone else in here likes the Wallows :)”
This increased engagement and connection allowed for deeper conversations that felt “safer” (to use the language of the peer observer of one of the in-person classes). This increased safety [final grade data pending], has created an increased level of engagement even when comparing the class that added 33 songs to the class that added 12.
The student survey feedback also points to a positive reception of the playlist and significantly positive impact on students' sense of connection to the course materials.
Being more intentional with incorporating all students into the creation of the playlist was one challenge. One piece of feedback that I received in the survey was to add a speaker to the back of the room to ensure that all students hear the music during in-person classes.
Recommendation
The biggest takeaway for me from this experience is that many of our high school students feel extremely disconnected. I am sure I don’t need to cite the data, we all know this is where this generation of teens are. They feel unseen, left to fend for themselves and unsure about their future. Creating opportunities for not only connection in the general sense, but in a way that also acknowledges culture and background in a safe container, is going to become increasingly necessary for this generation of learners.
The class playlist is a very low-stakes strategy that can easily be transferred from the digital space to the in-person and allows for some continuity and connection between those two spaces for students.
Eck, Allison, (Spring 2024) “How Music Resonates in the Brain: Scientists tune in to the brain’s emotional response to music,” The Senses: Harvard Medicine Magazine. https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/issues/senses