Modern Technologies in Teaching Music Therapy

By Mariya Ivannikova & Thomas Wosch

Modern Technologies make it possible to get new information, to communicate, to work without leaving the home place. The internet is one of the main discoveries of the past century. It connects people from all over the world: we learn about the existence of each other, exchange ideas, share our knowledge. All this does not take so much time, comparing with employing the "good old methods."

Internet linking of computers from education institutions, social centers, and different kinds of agencies also takes an important place in passing informations about events happening inside the home country. This way is especially helpful for the specialists working in the same field of activity. So the Eastern and Western parts of Ukraine learned about each other's steps in teaching music therapy last year. Since that time a new music therapy event has happened in Zaporozhzhie.

So in spring 2003 in the period of March 11th - 14th the group of 12 students of the 8 th semester of the faculty of Social Pedagogy and Psychology studing in the State University Zaporozhzhie, Ukraine, took part in the fourth section of the module in music therapy taught by Dr. Thomas Wosch, lecturer of music therapy of the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Germany, as part of the course "Social-padagogical rehabilitation with music", which is taught in cooperation with both universities. Section two and section four were lectures and seminars over the internet. A year before, these lectures were the first internet-lectures of Ukraine and also the first, which were sent by University of applied sciences Magdeburg-Stendal.

The first section, March 2002, were lectures of "Introduction into active group music therapy (AGMT)" (see also here in voices the column of Thomas Wosch from April 2002: Internetseminar with Ukraine or Unknown II). It became an impulse to the search of new possibilities for increasing the effectiveness of using of modern technologies in the learning process. The effectiveness was that a lecture could be sended live from Germany to Ukraine and after each 60 minutes students could ask for different details of the last lecture. So the lecturer could get different and very important feedback: how was the understanding of the last lecture, which are the points that need further clarification and what are the next possible contents for this group for the next 60-minute lecture? After the 4-hour-lectures five days one week the students in Zaporozhie studied further in the afternoon in their university and the foreign lecturer worked further in his German university, what is very effective in time economy. But before that internet-teaching lecturer and students did know each other in section one of experiential training in AGMT at Asov Sea and in lectures of psychology and social pedagogy at State university Zaporozhie in September 2001 (see also here in voices the column of Thomas Wosch from November 2001: Intercultural Experiences with Music Therapy I). This was a very necessary basis for the IT-lectures. Also in the lectures could recall situations of the experiential training from September 2001 as illustration and understanding of theoretical principles of AGMT.

The second successful try to use the resources of Internet helped to realize an interactive course "Clinical practice of principles of AGMT". Among the main points of it were following topics:

• the principle of causality in music therapy;
• individual music therapy in psychiatric clinic;
• music therapy for physically handicapped children;
• active music therapy in the clinic of psychosomatic disorders;
• presentation of ideas for Ukraine social and clinical practice.

Generally, this part of the course "Social-padagogical rehabilitation with music" was composed of 20 teaching hours. Comparing with the first IT-lectures the second one was characterized by using of students' group work, performing not only audio-, but also video examples of clinical work, what could make difficult theoretical terms clearer. Also students' group work was very important for a very new step of learning in this module of music therapy. In September 2002 all 12 students were in Germany and visited clinical practice of music therapy and developed themselves in the second experiential training in AGMT. Now the students could discuss and create ideas in small groups of cultural specifics of music and social life in Ukraine and theoretical ideas of AGMT. Some traditional and popular songs and childrens' games were analised, sung and played during this unusual interactive IT-course. And everybody felt, how great it is to live in the third millenium, where it is not necessary to travel to Germany spending long hours in a bus, train or even plane to learn, to have joy of this learning and to get a feedback about the results of this learning. Such a learning process is every time a process for both sides - for the students and for the lecturer. During this spring week the student group of Zaporozhzhie also present their first ideas to their home works in music therapy to Dr. Thomas Wosch and to receive some pieces of advice according the possible continuation of their research.

The next and last part of this module will be again live in September in Ukraine, where all experiences and knowledge of the last four sections will be finished with first students' attempts at group leading and the results of their homework.

In the IT-lecture on each side approximility three technical collaborators did a very great work and so this year only two very small interruptions (5 minutes) of the IT-line influenced the IT-course. Such an experience is very useful not only for students, their lecturers and technical collaborators, but also for everybody who hears about new possibilities and perspectives of intercultural learning. The interactive IT-course gives to every participant a chance for his personal and professional development: the possibility to better his professional skills, to feel himself as an important person and in a very good mutual work, where each side gives and creates his contributions to the other.

Lots of thanks to all who has made these steps coming true!!!