Shaping the IN.TUNE approach to eLearning: In-presence meeting in Vienna
The eLearning Working Group, part of the work package on Seamless Mobilities for Students and Staff, held its annual meeting from 19-21 March 2025 at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). The meeting focused on sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices related to learning management systems for music education and low-latency systems for distance music performance. These discussions will help shape IN.TUNE's approach to eLearning.
Over two days, the eLearning Working Group members, which brings together eLearning advisers and AV experts from all partner universities, exchanged ideas on a unified approach to distance learning in music and arts education. They also explored effective ways to use low-latency systems for remote performance.
On the final day, the group further explored how learning management systems can support the development of joint educational formats and student-led projects that foster collaboration across institutions.
Focus on the low-latency systems
The eLearning Working Group's first live meeting began with a tour of the mdw, which focused on the Future Art Lab, which is home to the Department of Composition Studies and Music Production, and the mdw's distance teaching room. During the tour, key topics such as low-latency systems, distance learning and learning management systems (LMS) were already addressed.
In the distance teaching room, the mdw presented its Signal Flow and discussed alternative solutions, especially for situations in which no specially equipped room is available. Colleagues from the mdw IT department presented the network structure and set themselves the goal of promptly developing a guide to configuring the network structure for low-latency systems and sharing it with the IN.TUNE partners. In addition, a standardised and efficient test procedure is to be developed and the minimum requirements for the AV environment to ensure high-quality standards are to be further specified. A working group has been set up for this purpose.
Another topic was the needs-based selection of transmission systems depending on the teaching situation, in order to specifically provide resources for low-latency systems. Furthermore, it was discussed how the number of projects and requests can be reduced to a manageable amount. For many partners, the focus was on making existing systems known in their institutions and encouraging teachers to use them more actively.
The organisation of low-latency sessions was also a central topic. The Working Group chair Mika Autere presented the guidelines for creating an online course at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. The extent to which similar processes could be established at the partner universities was then discussed.
Tuning our learning management systems (LMS)
On the second day of the meeting, the focus was on LMS. The aim was to gain an overview of the use of different learning management systems at the partner universities in order to create more uniform structures within the courses in a next step – also taking into account different LMS platforms.
Christine Seblatnig (International Office mdw) gave a presentation about the Global Conservatoire and, together with Martin Hufnagl (Web Developer mdw), showed their approach to content and user management. Using concrete examples, the development process of a course in the Global Conservatoire was demonstrated, with particular emphasis on proven time sequences.
In addition to the structural standardisation of the courses, further guidelines on the quality standards for AV content are to be developed in the LMS area. A central concern was also the further training of staff and teachers in the area of digital skills. Through targeted training, LMS is to be used for blended and online learning in new joint educational formats (joint online courses, blended intensive programmes, joint modules and joint programmes) that are being developed in the work package 3 Deep cooperation through joint educational offer. A working group has been set up for this purpose, which will be dedicated to the structure and design of the courses.