The Online Challenge: Why Not Teach Music History Unconventionally?

As the proliferation of online courses reaches into the fields of music history and music theory, more colleagues are contemplating the efficacy and desirability of getting involved, while some institutions are pushing faculty into the new medium of instruction. This essay explores one such instance of online instruction by first outlining the format and implementation system at a major state university, then reflecting on both the positive and negative experiences encountered by the instructor, who has taught online music history and music fundamentals courses for the past seven years.