EarSketch is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning intervention that combines a programming environment and API for Python and JavaScript, a digital audio workstation, an audio loop library, and a standards-aligned curriculum to teach introductory computer science with music technology and composition. It seeks to address the imbalance in contemporary society between participation in music-making and music-listening, and a parallel imbalance between computer use and computer programming. It also seeks to engage a diverse population of students in an effort to address long-standing issues with under-representation in both computing and music composition.

EarSketch is free and browser-based and is used widely in computing and music technology classrooms from elementary school through college and in all 50 states and over 100 countries.

To learn more about EarSketch and use it yourself, click here.

Publications

• Freeman J., Magerko B., Edwards D., Mcklin T., Lee T., Moore R. (2019). "EarSketch: engaging broad populations in computing through music," in Communications of the ACM.
• McKlin T., Lee T., Wanzer D., Magerko B., Edwards D., Grossman S., Bryans E., Freeman J. (2019). "Accounting for Pedagogical Content Knowledge in a Theory of Change Analysis," in Proceedings of the 2019 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education.
• McKlin T., Lee T., Wanzer D., Magerko B., Edwards D., Grossman S., Bryans E., Freeman J. (2019). "Exploring the Correlation Between Teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Content Knowledge in Computer Science Classrooms," in Proceedings of the 2019 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education.
• Xambó A., Lerch A., Freeman J. (2019). "Music Information Retrieval in Live Coding: A Theoretical Framework," in Computer Music Journal.
• Smith J., Weeks D., Jacob M., Freeman J., Magerko B. (2019). "Towards a Hybrid Recommendation System for a Sound Library," in IUI Workshops.
• McKlin T., Wanzer D., Lee T., Magerko B., Edwards D., Grossman S., Freeman J. (2019). "Implementing EarSketch: Connecting Classroom Implementation to Student Outcomes," in Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education.
• Wanzer D., McKlin T., Edwards D., Freeman J. and Magerko B. (2019). "Assessing the Attitudes Towards Computing Scale: A Survey Validation Study," in Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education.
• Sarwate, A., Bunch, C., Freeman, J., and Siva, S. (2018). "Grading at Scale in EarSketch," in Proceedings of the Fifth Annual ACM Conference on Learning at Scale.
• Xambo, A., Roma, G., Shah, P., Tsuchiya, T., Freeman, J., and Magerko, B. (2018). "Turn-taking and Online Chatting in Remote and Co-located Collaborative Music Live Coding," in Journal of the Audio Engineering Society 66 (4), 253-266.
• Siva, S., Im, T., Freeman, J., Magerko, B. (2018). "Using Music to Engage Students in an Introductory Undergraduate Programming Course for Non-Majors," in Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE).
• McKlin, T., Magerko, B., Lee, T., Wanzer, D., Edwards, D., and Freeman, J. (2018). "Authenticity and Personal Creativity: How EarSketch Affects Student Persistence," in Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE).
• Roma, G., Xambo, A., and Freeman, J. (2017). "Loop-aware Audio Recording for the Web," in Proceedings of the Web Audio Conference (WAC).
• Im, T., Siva, S., Freeman, J., Magerko, B., Hendler, G., Engelman, S., Miller, M., Villa, B., McKlin, T. (2017). "Incorporating music into an introductory college level programming course for non-majors," in Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC).
• Engelman, S., Magerko, B., McKlin, T., Miller, M., Edwards, D., Freeman, J. (2017). "Creativity in Authentic STEAM Education with EarSketch," in Proceedings of the 2017 ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE).
• Magerko, B., Freeman, J., McKlin, T., Reilly, M., Livingston, E., McCoid, S., Crews-Brown, A. (2016). “EarSketch: Thick Authenticity in a STEAM-based Approach for Underrepresented Populations in High School Computer Science Education,” in ACM Transactions on Computing Education (accepted and in press).
• Freeman, J. and Magerko, B. (2016). “Iterative Composition, Coding, and Pedagogy: A Case Study in Live Coding With EarSketch,” in Journal of Technology, Music, and Education, Intellect, 9:1, 57-74.
• Im, T., Freeman, J., Magerko, B., and Siva, S. (2016). “Using Music to Enhance Learning Outcomes for Non-Majors in an Introductory Programming Course,” in Proceedings of Envisioning the Future of Undergraduate STEM Education (EnFUSE 2016), Washington, DC.
• Freeman, J., Magerko, B., Edwards, D., Miller, M., Moore, R., and Xambó, A. (2016). “Using EarSketch to Broaden Participation in Computing and Music,” in Proceedings of Sound and Music Computing (SMC 2016), Hamburg, Germany.
• Moore, R., Edwards, D., Freeman, J., Magerko, B., McKlin, T., and Xambó, A. (2016) “EarSketch: An Authentic, STEAM-based Approach to Computing Education,” in Proceedings of the 2016 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Helms, M., Moore, R., Edwards, D., and Freeman, J. (2016). “STEAM-Based Interventions: Why Student Engagement is Only Part of the Story,” in IEEE Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT 2016), Atlanta, Georgia.
• Xambó, A., Freeman, J., Magerko, B., and Shah, P. (2016). “Challenges and New Directions for Collaborative Live Coding in the Classroom,” in Proceedings of the 2016 International Conference on Live Interfaces (ICLI 2016), Sussex, England.
• Mahadevan, A., Freeman, J., and Magerko, B. (2016). “An interactive, graphical coding environment for EarSketch online using Blockly and Web Audio API,” in Proceedings of the 2016 Web Audio Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
• Martinez, J. and Freeman, J. (2016). “A JavaScript Pitch Shifting Library for EarSketch with Asm.js,” in Proceedings of the 2016 Web Audio Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.