Facilitating self-regulation of instrumental practice with digital technology: a framework, a synthesis of literature and a call for research

Instrumental practice is vital to musical development. Between lessons musicians need to employ considerable self-regulated learning strategies to solve learning problems and to manage their practice. Many children lack these self-regulatory skills for effective and independent practice. Digital technology advancements are offering teachers new ways to support music learning and to scaffold self-regulation in classroom settings. This semi-systematic literature review explores scholarly research in these areas to understand the implications for instrumental practice. Firstly, through examining the process and learning factors of instrumental practice, this paper identifies Self-Regulated Learning Theory as an appropriate framework to explore children's development of self-regulation. Secondly, a synthesis of literature reveals the limited extent of research on the use of technology in facilitating this learning context. This paper highlights the fundamental need for further research into the role of technology in supporting students to become more independent learners and effective musicians.