Abstract

This study addresses the educational challenges associated with diverse learning needs in the AI era by redefining music activity based on the concept of "Musicking" and verifying its effectiveness when implemented in classes at a Distance Learning High School. Specifically, the research aimed to clarify the influence of "Musicking" activities on students' cognitive processes and creative thinking using a quantitative and objective method, namely cluster analysis. Applying cluster analysis to survey data collected after the intervention revealed that the activity promoted four statistically significant components of students' thinking patterns: Information Conversion Ability, Social Sensitivity, Structural Exploration, and Critical Immersion. The discussion further utilized protocol data to deeply analyze why and in which practice scenarios these thinking patterns were generated.

Crucially, the findings suggest that the facilitator’s pedagogical flexibility—specifically the transition from an Initial Plan to Emergent Plans—played a key role in fostering these high-level thinking patterns. These results substantiated the academic validity of "Musicking" by demonstrating its potential to quantitatively promote creative thinking and socioemotional skills, thereby offering an effective model for both Individualized Optimal Learning and collaborative learning, with potential implications for broader frameworks such as STEAM education.