Solfeggio Teaching in Tonal Language Environment: Comparing Online-Offline Effectiveness in Chinese Higher Education

Abstract

The influences of tonal languages in Chinese higher education were the primary focus of this study, which compares the effectiveness of online and offline solfeggio teaching. The study employed a mixed methods approach with 60 undergraduate music students from three Chinese universities over two semesters. Participants were randomly assigned into online and offline instructional groups. This research examined solfeggio skill performance, patterns of tonal language interference, and teaching effectiveness using pre-test and post-test evaluations, surveys, and interviews. The statistical evaluation confirmed significant differences in the effectiveness of different teaching modalities. Both methods enhanced students’ solfeggio skills, but offline teaching was more effective for rhythmic precision (p < 0.01) and had advantages for pitch accuracy (p < 0.05). Online teaching showed effectiveness in theoretical components and individual practice. Qualitative results revealed challenges in the online environment, including audio quality issues and limited multimodal feedback, along with adaptive strategies among online learners. The interference from tonal languages had a more pronounced effect on online learning (r = −0.67) compared with offline instruction (r = −0.48), indicating a need for pedagogical strategies tailored to online environments. This study contributes to music education in tonal language contexts by offering recommendations for online solfeggio teaching while informing curriculum planning where online instruction is utilized.