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Francis Ward

Dr

Contact Details


Assistant Professor In Music Education

F129
DCU - St Patrick's Campus
Drumcondra
Dublin 9
Ireland

T:+353 1 700 9008

E:francis.ward@dcu.ie
Profile Photo
Francis Ward is a music educator and ethnomusicologist based in the School of Arts Education and Movement, Institute of Education, Dublin City University.  His varied research interests include music education in formal, informal and non-formal learning contexts, technology in music education and online learning, music education and social inclusion, Irish traditional music and dance, and creative processes in music and dance.  In 2019-20 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholar fellowship and spent six months at the School of Music at the University of Washington.  He completed his PhD studies at University of Limerick as an Irish Research Council scholar investigating the development of a virtual orality in the processes of transmission in Irish traditional music.  He has worked previously as lecturer in music and dance, lecturer in music and educational technologist at University of Limerick, Dundalk Institute of Technology and Mary Immaculate College respectively.  Francis is also a well-respected teacher, performer and composer/choreographer of Irish traditional music and dance.

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2019 Ward, F. (2019) 'Technology and the transmission of tradition: An exploration of the virtual pedagogies in the Online Academy of Irish Music'. Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 12 . [Link] [DOI]
2019 Leahy, S.M.; Holland, C.; Ward, F. (2019) 'The digital frontier: Envisioning future technologies impact on the classroom'. Futures, 113 . [Link] [DOI]
2022 Murphy, Regina; Ward, Francis; McCabe, Una; Flannery, Michael; Cleary, Andrea; Hsu, Hsiao-Ping; Brennan, Eileen (2022) 'Recasting embodied and relational teaching in the arts: teacher educators reflect on the potential of digital learning'. Irish Educational Studies, 41 (1). [DOI]
2024 Byrne, Rachael; Murphy, R.; Ward, F.; Mccabe, U. (2024) 'Playful (music) teaching and learning in Irish primary school classrooms'. Irish Educational Studies, . [DOI]
2024 Byrne, Rachael; Murphy, Regina; Ward, Francis (2024) 'Towards A Model of Playful Learning for Primary Music Classrooms'. British Journal of Music Education, .

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2021 Murphy, R.; Ward, F. (2021) 'Connecting social justice education with the teaching of music' In: Teaching For Social Justice And Sustainable Development Across The Primary Curriculum. [Link] [DOI]

Book

Year Publication
2009 Ward, Francis (2009) Ear Training, Notation and Theory Skills Semester 1 Textbook. Limerick: University of Limerick.

Conference Publication

Year Publication
2018 Leahy, S.; Holland, C.; Ward, F.; Doiron, J. (2018) 12TH INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE (INTED) BEYOND WEB 3.0: INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION EXPLORING LEARNING ECOLOGIES AND TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DIAMOND AGE

Conference Contribution

Year Publication
2019 Murphy, R., Ward, F. (2019) MayDay Group Colloquium 31: Music Education as Social, Cultural, and Political Action ‘The child will be enabled to…’: Re/imagining Socially Inclusive Music Education in Initial Teacher Education Limerick, 20/06/2019-.
2019 Ní Bhriain, M., Ward, F., Ní Bhriain, O. (2019) French Teachers Conference 2019 Action-Orientated Language Learning: The Use of Performative Practices and Spaces in the Development of Creative Pedagogies for Learners of French Athlone, 02/03/2019-.
2019 Ward, Francis (2019) ICTM Ireland 2019: Social Interaction and Change through Music - Applications and Approaches Developing Socially Inclusive Music Education in ITE: Multi and Inter Cultural Music Education for the Primary Classroom University College Dublin, 22/02/2019-.
2018 Ward, Francis (2018) An Dara Comhdháil Taighde Uile-Oileánda ar an Tumoideachas (The Second All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion Education) 'Connections Between Music and Language Learning in Informal and Formal Contexts' as part of symposium on 'The use of music in Action-Orientated language learning' Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, 19/05/2018-.
2018 Ward, Francis (2018) 2nd ICTM Study Group Symposium on Music, Education and Social Inclusion Irish Representative on Study Group Executive Board Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, 7-10 July 2018, 07/07/2018-10/07/2018.
2018 Ward, Francis (2018) The 3rd International ICTM Music Forum: Approaches to Research on Music and Dance in the Internet Era Methodological Approaches to Analysing Big Data within an Irish Traditional Music Virtual Ethnography - TheSession.org Discussion Forum Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, 11/07/2018-14/07/2018.
2018 Ward, Francis (2018) 2nd ICTM Study Group Symposium on Music, Education and Social Inclusion Research Opportunities in the Development of a Curriculum for Socially Inclusive Music Education (SIME) within Initial Teacher Education in Ireland Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, 7-10 July 2018, 07/07/2018-10/08/2018.
2018 Murphy, Regina; Ward, Francis (2018) American Educational Research Association (AERA) Using ePortfolios to Enhance Preservice Early Years Educators’ Engagement with Music Education New York, USA, 14/04/2018-14/04/2018.
2018 Murphy, Regina; Ward, Francis; Bowe, Marie-Louise (2018) International Society for Music Education World Conference 2018 Catch and Release: A Model to Develop Student Teacher Situational Interest in Music Education in a Generalist Teacher Education programme Baku, Azerbaijan, 16/07/2018-.
2017 Ward, Francis (2017) ICTM 44th World Conference Challenges in the Transmission of an Oral Tradition Online: Irish Traditional Music - Approaching a Virtual Orality University of Limerick, 17/07/2017-.
2017 Ward, Francis (2017) Digital Folk Conference Approaching a Virtual Orality: Challenges to the Classic Model of Irish Traditional Music Transmission University of Sheffield, 19/04/2017-.
2017 Murphy, Regina; Ward, Francis (2017) INY Creative Education Symposium: The Increasing Role of Creativity and the Creative Process in Education Designing a Rubric to Measure Creativity in an ePortfolio for Music Education at Third Level University of Limerick, 12/10/2017-.
2017 Ward, Francis (2017) Scenario Forum International Conference Approaching a Virtual Orality: (Virtual) Spaces in the Transmission of Irish Traditional Music University College Cork, 26/05/2017-.
2014 Ward, Francis (2014) Joint Annual Meeting of BFE (British Federation of Ethnomusicology) and ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music) Irish Traditional Music and the Virtual Community: Towards a Netnography of TheSession.Org NUI Galway, Ireland, .
2013 Ward, Francis (2013) Joint Annual Meeting of BFE (British Federation of Ethnomusicology) and ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music) The Transmission of Irish Traditional Music in the Digital Age: Representing the Oral Tradition Online Queen's University Belfast, .
2012 Ward, Francis (2012) Ethnomusicology Programme Irish Traditional Music and Dance: History, Ensemble Playing and Instrumentation Beijing Foreign Studies University, .
2012 Ward, Francis (2012) ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music) Ireland Annual Conference 'Movement and Music: Migration of Irish Traditional Music Online Trinity College Dublin, .
2011 Ward, Francis (2011) Web Science Doctoral Summer School Online Transmission in Irish Traditional Music National University of Ireland Galway, .
2010 Ward, Francis (2010) National Graduate Conference For Ethnomusicology Virtual Fieldwork: The Transmission of Music in the Irish Traditional Music Virtual Community University of London, .
2010 Ward, Francis (2010) National Graduate Conference For Ethnomusicology Virtual Fieldwork: The Transmission of Music in the Irish Traditional Music Virtual Community Institute for Music Research, University of London, .
2022 McCabe, U.; Murphy; R. Ward, F.; Cleary, A; Brennan, E (2022) Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference 2022 A Matter of Presence in Higher Education Classrooms: Virtual and In Person Marino College Dublin, .
2022 Ward, Francis (2022) MayDay Group Colloquium 33 Enabling Pedagogical, Musical and Social Continuities through ‘Participation’ in a Virtual Irish Traditional Music Session Windsor, ON, .

Thesis

Year Publication
2016 Ward, Francis (2016) Processes of Transmission in Irish Traditional Music: Approaching a Virtual Orality. THES [Link]

Television

Year Publication
2016 Ward, Francis (2016) The Vanishing Lake. TV
2011 Ciorras (2011) The Expensive Sneeze. China: TV
2009 Riverdance (2009) Riverdance and Distant Thunder. TV [Link]

Video recording / TV

Year Publication
2014 Ward, Francis (2014) The Vanishing Lake. VID [Link]
2012 Awbeg Ceili Band (2012) Polkas. VID [Link]
2012 Awbeg Ceili Band (2012) Jigs. VID [Link]
2009 Ward, Francis; Mullin, Shauna (2009) Ned of the Hill. VID [Link]

Web Page

Year Publication
2011 Ward, Francis (2011) Studying Irish traditional music, song and dance in Ireland. WEBP [Link]

Grant

Year Publication
2011 Ward, Francis (2011) Marie Duffy Foundation Award for Excellence in Irish Dance Composition. GRANT
2010 Ward, Francis (2010) Irish Research Council Doctoral Scholarship. GRANT

Sound recording

Year Publication
2019 McMahon, Rory; Ward, Francis; Naughton, Ger; Howley, Sharon (2019) Waiting in the Long Grass. SOUND
2011 Éalú: Ward, Francis; Murphy, Ryan; Sheedy, Dermot; King, Ciillian (2011) Escape. SOUND
2006 Ward, Francis; Fromsieir Mortenson, Ditte (2006) Anything Strange?. SOUND

Composition

Year Publication
2011 Ward, Francis (2011) The Vanishing Lake. COMPS
2005 Ward, Francis (2005) Dickeystown Hop. COMPS
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2024) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Professional Associations

Association Function From / To
ICTM Member -
SMEI (Society of Music Education Ireland) Member -
An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha Teacher/Adjudicator -

Honors and Awards

Date Title Awarding Body
01/01/2020 Fulbright Scholar Award Fulbright Commission
01/01/2011 Marie Duffy Excellence Award in Irish Dance Composition Marie Duffy Foundation
01/09/2010 IRCHSS Postgraduate Research Scholarship Irish Research Council

Committees

Committee Function From / To
Music, Education and Social Inclusion ICTM Study Group Music education and music educational institutions - as products of the society and culture in which they are created and function - preserve, maintain, transmit and reproduce socio-cultural values and inequalities embedded in their very structures, forms, discourses and content through curricula, learning materials, teaching methods and so on. We acknowledge that historically excluded and/or marginalized groups such as women and girls; ethnic, racial, linguistic and religious minorities; indigenous communities; the poor; individuals with disabilities; LGBTQIA individuals; vulnerabilities including those of low class/caste and those excluded from citizenship have systematically been un- or under-represented in formal education. This reflects wider discriminatory practices at the societal level that in turn are perpetuated and transmitted in educational institutions, which as such continue to shape society at large. Furthermore, in a number of societies globally, academic discourse and institutions continue to be shaped by and use methods inherited from European and North American music education systems, creating further layers of socio-cultural exclusions and discriminations perpetuated through their educational institutions. The Study Group is likewise informed by publications and guidelines produced by high-level international organizations, specifically: • UNESCO’s Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education of 2009, which advanced the need to reform current approaches to support and welcome diversity in order to develop more inclusive societies by taking a holistic approach to education reform, and which also stressed the importance of developing effective strategies for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. • The United Nations’ 2016 Report on the World Social Situation, Leaving no one behind: the imperative of inclusive development, which highlighted how no single actor or set of policies could singlehandedly promote social inclusion, and which drew attention to the importance of developing and promoting inclusive institutions where exclusionary attitudes are challenged in order to respond to the call to leave no one behind. In line with ICTM acting as a ‘bond among peoples of different cultures and thus contribut(ing) to the peace of humankind’, the MESI (Music, Education and Social Inclusion) Study Group proposes to serve as the place where these calls for action are addressed and discussed in the study of music and transmission practices in music educational settings at all levels. Given that music education and social inclusion are critical concerns for ethnomusicology, the MESI Study Group responds to the need for such discussions within the ICTM, giving specific focus to these issues within music educational settings and institutions. The main aim of the Study Group is to study, practice, uncover, produce, document and disseminate good practices in music education and transmission that can foster and promote social inclusion. In addition, it aims to engage in constructive discussions around systems-level approaches in music, education and related practices that can contribute to increased social inclusion, both in education and in global society at large. We believe the combination of the two approaches – a bottom-up approach in studying and uncovering good practices in music education and transmission, and a top-down approach in analyzing and constructively interrogating/examining music education structures and institutions – will lead to significant and actionable results for promoting and advancing social inclusion in the fields of music education and ethnomusicology. 01/07/2017 -

Creative Outputs

Year Title Type
2021 Cuimhnigh ar Sarsfield: The Wild Geese Suite Recording
2021 Cuimhnigh ar Sarsfield: The Wild Geese Suite Composition
2021 Cuimhnigh ar Sarsfield: The Wild Geese Suite [live performance] Exhibition

Outreach Activities

Year Engagement Type Organisation Description
Community-based learning School of Arts Education and Movement Sing & Move! Two music workshops for children (aged 4-7) and their guardians were hosted by the School of Arts Education & Movement, Music on Culture Night 21st September 2018 see: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/culture-night-at-dcu-st-patricks-campus-sing-move-for-4-7yr-olds-guardians-tickets-50267503456?aff=ebdssbdestsearch# https://www.dcu.ie/arts_education_movement/news/2018/Sep/Culture-Night.shtml
Presentations/Talks to an external audience Public Fulbright Scholar Evening at the Institute of Education. From Dublin to Seattle: My Fulbright Experience Dr. Francis Ward is a music educator and ethnomusicologist who in 2020 was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award and spent a semester at the School of Music at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Fulbright Program, established in Ireland in 1957, is a prestigious exchange programme and offers critical opportunities for cultural exchange, and Francis will share his experiences of teaching, research and engaging with life in the USA as a visiting scholar. These diverse experiences include delivering a module on pedagogy and creativity in diverse musical cultures, teaching music and dance in an elementary public school, developing resources for the teaching of music through CLIL at primary level in Ireland, documenting the emergence of virtual orality in the online transmission of Irish traditional music, and living in the USA through the Covid19 crisis and the Black Lives Matter social movement. The presentation will be of interest to researchers and practitioners of education, the arts and beyond, as well as to Fulbright alumni and applicants.
DCU in the Community Laurelhurst Elementary Teaching music and dance to the pupils of Laurelhurst Elementary School, Seattle, WA, USA.

Media

Title Year Type Authors
DITTE FROMSEIER MORTENSEN Anything Strange? Millstream Records 2005 Newspaper column (online) Siobhan Long
Radio Rince: Interview with Francis Ward ADCRG 2022 Podcast Tew, Richard
World of dance: 'You have to get noticed' 2012 Newspaper article (online) ROSITA BOLAND

Research Interests

  • Initial Teacher Education
  • Music in the Primary School
  • Online and Blended Learning, Teacher Identity
  • Virtual Pedagogies
  • Informal and Non-Formal Music/Dance Transmission
  • Creativity, Embodiment in Irish traditional music and dance
  • The Representation of Oral Traditions on the Internet
  • The relationship between music/dance, teacher/practitioner/student, composer/choreographer
  • Evolving Dance Education in Ireland
  • The Use of Music in Action-Orientated Language Learning

Research Projects

Title Role Description Start date End date
Processes of Transmission in Irish Traditional Music: Approaching a Virtual Orality PI 20/09/2010 01/06/2016
The Use of Music in Action-Orientated Language Learning DCU PI 18/01/2018

Current Postgraduate Students

Student Name Degree Supervision
Coady ,Richard PhD Supervisor

Teaching Interests

  • Music Education / Curriculum Music (BEd and PME)
  • Arts, Creativity, Imagination in Education (Ed D Social Movements 2 Strand 1 ACIE)
  • BEd Music Ed Minor Specialism
  • BEd Music Ed Major Specialism - Socially Inclusive Music Education (SIME)
  • PME Music Education Specialism
  • MEd Teacher Identity
  • Irish Traditional Music and Dance Studies
  • Ethnomusicology (World Music Survey, Music of Non-Western World)
  • Psychology of Music Education and Applied Music Curriculum Studies
  • Popular Music and Dance Studies
  • Histories of Western Art Music and Dance
  • Dance Education
  • Ethnochoreology
  • Music and Human Behaviour

  • Practical teaching including Keyboard Skills, Ear, Notation and Theory classes, piano, dance, music and dance ensembles.

Modules Coordinated

Term Title Subject
2020 Visual Arts & Music Education ED2020
2022  Socially Inclusive Music Education AP406
2022 Innovative Tech. as Enabling Literacy AP211
2022 Visual Arts and Music Education ED1014
2022 Fostering Musical Creativity in SIME II AP307
2021 Socially Inclusive Music Ed. Diversity & SEN AP310
2021 Music Ed as Participatory/Democratic Practice ED8052
2023 ED8037
2024 ED8057