Abstract:

This paper presents research summary of the author's collaboration achieved through the student-mentor relationship during the implementation of the course Disruptive Innovation and Design Thinking at the University North. Through the course students use problem solving approach: "identify a problem - solve a problem” by applying the Design Thinking method. Starting from idea generation and innovation development to proposing innovative solutions and their potential application, students actively participate in the development of the university's innovative culture. According to recent research, digital technologies and tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) as one of them, are recognized as important elements in improving the quality of education and access to education at all levels. This requires advancements in three directions: educational content, learning experiences, and recognizing different learning styles. The challenge lies in maintaining traditional educational values while simultaneously integrating digital technologies into the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills. This is precisely the focus of this paper, examined from the perspective of a music school teacher. The vast amount of short-form content available on various social media platforms drastically reduces children's attention spans. Moreover, constant decline in interest in music schools in Croatia is noticed, accompanied by a decreased interest in other forms of cultural events. The conclusion that most teachers intuitively draw in response to these trends is that oversaturation with irrelevant digital content is a cause, which seems unavoidable and will become more pronounced in the future. The question arises, whether this is really the case? Is the problem in the content itself or the way it is delivered? In order to address observed problem, the Design Thinking methodology was applied and a potential solution was developed through the following stages: (I) Empathy, (II) Definition, (III) Ideation, (IV) Prototyping and (V) Testing. As a result, the conceptual model of the innovative software solution called TailorScore was designed. TailorScore is an AI-based application that generates didactic etudes tailored to the developmental levels (equivalent to grade levels in primary or high school) for a specific technical problem in any musical style. The model was theoretically tested through a pilot study conducted by a representative sample of guitar students from seven music schools in Croatia. The research employed methods such as focus groups, interviews, and surveys to investigate the students' attitudes, perceptions, and opinions regarding the TailorScore application as an innovative AI concept for interactive music education content. By applying qualitative methods and descriptive statistics, the hypothesis stating that the implementation of innovative teaching methods, forms, and tools significantly influences students' creativity and motivation to acquire new knowledge and skills was confirmed. The results and conclusions, extensively elaborated in the paper, provide a relevant basis for further complex research and can serve as a conceptual framework for related international studies.

Keywords:

Innovative teaching, design thinking, stimulating creativity, artificial intelligence, TailorScore.