Using mobile applications in the study of vocal skills

Abstract

This article reflects the results of a study involving second- and fourth-year students from Harbin University (Harbin, China), the Chinese Academy of Arts (Hangzhou, China), and the Central Academy of Drama (Beijing, China). The work analyzed the impact of specialized mobile applications Vox Tools: Learn to Sing and Swiftscales Vocal Trainer on the vocal learning process, depending on the age and gender of students. The study, which ran from February to June during the academic year 2020-2021, involved 180 students. The study confirms the effectiveness of multimedia, demonstrating the higher scores of the experimental groups on the five assessment criteria, compared with the control groups, which did not use mobile applications. It was also found that age in two groups of students (second and fourth year) had no effect on performance, regardless of whether the mobile app was used for vocal training. A correlation was found between age and overall student performance, with second-year students showing lower grades in all groups compared to their fourth-year counterparts. Research on current mobile vocal training apps can help improve vocal learning.