Learning effectiveness of applying automated music composition software in the high grades of elementary school

• Automated Composition for Music Education (ACME) software has been developed.
• ACME has been used as the experiment for the high grades of elementary school.
• Analyses of learning effectiveness for ACME at various levels were performed.
• The experimental group using the ACME showed a better learning effectiveness.

The paper is mainly to explore the automated music composition experiences for the students in the high grades of elementary school who are unfamiliar with the professional music theory. The proposed Automated Composition for Music Education (ACME) software was developed to help the students to compose the rhythm and melody themselves, while chord configuration and arrangement are automatically generated. Subsequently, sixth-year students of a non-experimental school were recruited to use the software for the completion of its development. Analysis of learning effectiveness at the reaction level, analysis of learning-level learning effectiveness, correlation analysis of the reaction- and learning-levels learning effectiveness has been performed with a significant result. The correlations between each component of learning effectiveness at the reaction and learning levels were also found. Finally the students in the experimental group using the ACME teaching materials showed a better learning effectiveness at both reaction level and learning level, than those of the students in the comparison group.