Affordance theory defines a technology in terms of the uses, interactions and possibilities that the technology affords to its users; and affordances can be categorised – according to their potential for achieving outcomes – as Functional, Perceptual, Maintenance and Contextual (Best 2009; Evans et al. 2017). These categories of affordance have been adapted in this project and re-named as Functional, Perceptual and Adaptive, to reflect the fact that contextual application does not constitute a separate affordance and to differentiate known and unknown contexts. For the purposes of this project, affordances are categorised and defined as follows:

Functional affordances relate to the operation of technology; this includes naming, knowing and operating the features of a technology/technologies to perform tasks.

Perceptual affordances relate to interpretation and being discerning about technology tools and practices for their suitability and in-context operation in known contexts.

Adaptive affordances relate to imagining, adapting and extending technology use in previously unexplored and emerging contexts; this requires some functional knowledge/skills and perceptual experience.

(Source: adapted from Best 2009; Evans et al. 2017; Fray et al. 2017)

The Functional, Perceptual and Adaptive capabilities are hierarchical but integrated. Adaptive capabilities are underpinned by some Functional knowledge/skills and Perceptual experience.

A second Descriptor for Music Industry has been designed for thinking differently about the composition/performance software ‘Ableton Live’ in terms of affordances. There is clear demand from industry for these skills and the teaching approach has been reconsidered, reflected in the Descriptor below. While software will change, students can learn about its different characteristics and explore possibilities.

In this Descriptor, the first domain is Whole-of-platform application. ‘Then Recreate genre-based and/or Artist signatures’ was the component of the software selected and the subject broken out into its own domain (2: Replicate).  

The aim of the planned teaching intervention is to address the scaffold of affordances of technology, using ‘Ableton Live’ as a testbed to focus on perceptual and adaptive capabilities. The intervention will take the form of online modules (through Canvas) and workshop exercises, most in the later part of the semester once the students have gained confidence with the ‘basics’ and have sufficient skills listed under Operate.

This domain relates to the entire Ableton Live platform.

This domain relates to the part of Ableton Live that focuses on recreating genre-based and/or Artist signatures