Assessment in Music in the European Context: The Polifonia Project

This chapter reports on the on-going work of the Polifonia Working Group (WG) on Assessment and Standards in Higher Music Education (HME) in Europe. As this cycle of the project began in 2011 and is not due to be completed until September 2014, this is presented, on behalf of the WG, from the perspective of work-in-progress. The first part of the chapter provides some background on the Polifonia Project and on the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) and the role it plays in the context of developments in higher music education in Europe. The second part of the chapter focuses on the WG process and provides information on progress to date along with future plans and projected outcomes. The chapter reports on the outcomes of a preliminary survey which highlights the diversity and lack of standardisation to be found in relation to performance assessment processes and practices in HME. It also focuses on the concept of consensus moderation, as defined by Royce Sadler, and provides an account of Training Seminars, organised by the WG as part of the project with a view to working towards shared understandings of standards within the European context.