‘Collaborative learning’ is becoming a familiar phrase in higher education, and Helena Gaunt and Heidi Westerlund's edited volume is timely in offering varied, international perspectives on that concept and its potential for generating meaningful musical education. They begin with an editorial chapter of definitions, stating that collaborative learning ‘has come to be associated particularly with processes of developing new knowledge in contemporary contexts that are characterized by fast moving change, the imperative for networking and innovation, and the necessity of being able to negotiate cultural differences’ (p. 1). These ideas are familiar from the past decade or so of research into the changing nature of conservatoire education, and indeed that setting is well-represented, with several chapters focusing on masterclasses, group learning and one-to-one tuition. However, the scope of the book is much broader, featuring discussions of popular music programmes, music teacher training in various countries, and doctoral studies, as well as instrumental teaching. As with many edited books, this broad remit brings the risk of disparate chapters and some repetition, but also means that the concepts outlined in the first chapter and revisited in Peter Renshaw's engaging Postlude are illustrated in ways that will be of relevance to a wide readership. Readers who dip into the book to read about familiar settings first, and then broaden the canvas to seek similarities and differences in other contexts, will rewarded by unexpected connections and overlaps that illustrate, sometimes unexpectedly, the shared endeavours of higher music education in all its manifestations.

The 23 chapters of the book are divided into Part 1, ‘Theoretical perspectives and research studies’ and Part 2, ‘Practitioners’ reports and narratives’ – a nice illustration of the collaborative learning which is the focus of the book, as in their selection of authors the editors ‘attempt to overturn traditional divides and silos in order that we can learn from each other’ (p. 3). Different readers will have their own highlights, but mine included a thoughtful chapter from Heidi Westerlund and Sidsel Karlsen on encouraging collaborative doctoral learning through group work on real academic tasks, such as joint writing and seminar discussions. The students’ exposure to mentoring, peer review and conference programming offered a reminder that these tasks would be better viewed collaboratively, rather than hierarchically, as a matter of course – and indeed the book as a whole gives the subtle but persistent message that collaborative learning, once applied in one context, can readily become a new way of thinking about all aspects of academic practice.

The authors are not averse to addressing the challenges of these new approaches: Don Lebler is amongst those who consider mechanisms for fair assessment of collaborative learning, using peer- and self-assessment to develop students’ critical skills. Julie Ballantyne and Tammie Olm-Madden engage with strategies for overcoming resistance to pedagogical change, in this case working with an online community of music teachers and trainees in Australia. The book offers a good balance of ideals and practicalities throughout, and the heading of Part II therefore offers a slight puzzle, since the ‘Practitioners’ reports and narratives’ of this section include the voices of several established academics, and follow a Part I in which there has already been much practitioner research. The editors explain the difference as being that ‘Part I offers [. . .] wider theoretical underpinnings of collaborative learning [while] Part II comprises compact descriptions of concrete exemplars of practice that may open the door for constructive change and innovation’ (p. 5). The chapters in Part II do tend to be more focused on the solving of a pressing practical problem, and offer some honest insight on the challenges of moving from stale or unsatisfactory pedagogical practice to the innovative methods and discoveries reported here. Along the way, the definitions of collaborative learning become ever broader, with chapters covering topics including peer feedback, employability, student attitudes and motivation, staff and student diversity, critical reflection and mentoring.

The blurring of theoretical and practical boundaries across the two sections is possibly no bad thing, but does highlight the difficulty of navigating the diverse chapters of the book; a problem which would have been slightly mitigated by having abstracts for each chapter to allow readers to orientate to (or away from) their particular interests. The breadth of discussion is an enjoyable feature of the book, but might mean that some of the chapters do not reach their widest potential readership: I would not have thought to look here, for example, for Biranda Ford and John Sloboda's interesting discussion of the differences between theatre and music audiences (p. 29). Another challenge for the book lies in its multiple interpretations of collaborative learning, which bring the risk that this could be dismissed as the next passing fad in higher education; following enquiry-based learning, enterprise education and creativity as terms which quickly become subsumed into everyday practice and cease to hold any meaningful pedagogical challenge. Less cynically, this high turnover of pedagogical terminology matters very little, so long as these terms and others like them cause practitioners to search for a collective language to talk about imaginative, ambitious teaching.

The Postlude by Peter Renshaw confirms that collaborative learning has at its heart some essential and lasting values for higher education: ‘mutual respect, trust, tolerance, honesty, humility, sincerity, integrity, authenticity, compassion, empathy and openness’ (p. 238). He argues that these need to pervade the organisation and leadership of all universities and colleges, so that their ‘philosophy and spirit [is] responsive to fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration’ (p. 239). At a time when higher education, at least from a UK perspective, seems beset by anxieties about student numbers and satisfaction, this book is a welcome reminder of the rich variety of teaching and learning within those institutions, and should encourage both practitioners and researchers to grasp the challenges of their professional practice with confidence and optimism.