Assessment of Types of Learning Engagement Which Contribute to
Integrative Learning in Music Therapy
Amber Tappe, Iansa Zaldarriaga, and Lee Anna Rasar
Department of Music and Theatre Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
Methodology
This study took place across the Fall 2010 academic semester at the
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with nine music therapy students in
clinical courses participating. Every week each student completed a survey
to describe any engagement in integrative learning across the previous
week. The same surveys were used for the entire study. At the end of the
study, students were asked as a group to reflect on different aspects of
integrative learning and its applications.
Classes Mentioned
Classes Mentioned in Integrative Learning Survey
8
BIOL 151 (Human Biology)
2
Choir
2
General Education courses
6
IDIS 103 (Introduction to Music Therapy)
8
IDIS 260 (Techniques of the Singing and Spoken Voice)
1
MUSI 202 (Brass Techniques)
1
MUSI 278 (Beginning Functional Piano)
1
MUSI 325 (Orchestration)
2
MUSI 350 (Conducting)
1
MUSI 378 (Advanced Functional Piano)
1
Music Theory Courses
2
MUTX 110 (Clinical Piano Repertoire I)
9
MUTX 111(Clinical Piano Repertoire II)
10
MUTX 215 (Music Therapy Techniques I)
6
MUTX 217(Music Therapy Techniques II)
8
MUTX 298 (Percussion Techniques)
6
MUTX 340 (Psychology of music)
4
MUTX 343 (Music Therapy II)
2
MUTX 345 (Clinical Orientation)
3
MUTX 346 (Practicum)
7
MUTX Courses in General (not otherwise specified)
4
PSYC 260 (Educational Psychology)
6
PSYC 325 (Theories of Counseling)
1
PSYC 334 (Psychology of the Exceptional Child)
1
30
31
25
26
20
15
Psychology Courses in General (not otherwise specified)
2
Sociology Courses in General (not otherwise specified)
3
Real world engagement
52
40
37
30
27
20
10
13
6
0
Planning
Integration of Clinical setting
practice/study connections in
time
planning - from
Table 1
Acquiring
learning
Professional
Growth Plan
Table 4 shows students’ frequency of reported application of knowledge
through real-world engagement, testing and refining of academic
concepts in the community, engagement in community based learning
across the curriculum, and communication with the public. There were a
fairly similar number of responses for each of these categories.
Responses included using knowledge in personal life, to teach others, and
to integrate into employment and volunteering.
Community settings
largely included clinical placements, but also included presenting at
conferences, employment, and volunteer work. In classes that had an
element of community-based learning built into the course, students
reported feeling more successful with techniques taught in that class
versus techniques taught in classes that did not include using the
techniques in the community.
Table 5
Dialectical Reflection
30
28
41
32
27
26
17
17
4
6
8
10
12
39
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
35
32
25
20
18
15
14
13
10
7
5
0
Various disciplines
Contextual
Demonstrative
Interpretive
Adaptive
21
22
18
5
Integration between Choices to promote Questioning to create Immediate and long
Responsibility for
campus and
depth of
depth of
term consequences of actions and societal
community
understanding
understanding
actions
choices
Table 7 represents students’ awareness of the short and long term effects
of both their actions and societal choices as well as of acceptance of
responsibility for choices and resulting consequences. In recognizing the
consequences of their actions, students made changes in behavior or were
intentional about their choices by building relationships with clients before
performing their assessment (in a clinical setting), anticipating possible
reactions to changes within the session, evaluating the long term effects of
therapy, and recognizing the consequences of getting behind in academic
work. In evaluating their own self awareness, students described
formulating questions for their professors or supervisors, posing questions
to self in order to evaluate effectiveness of sessions, anticipating questions
from the public about music therapy and asking questions of clients to help
them achieve depth during sessions. Students also mentioned awareness
in balancing personal and academic life, budgeting time based on changes
in their personal lives, and incorporating the development of foundational
music therapy skills into personal life in creative ways.
Discussion of Results
20
15
13
10
5
0
Goal setting
Examining past experiences
Combination of reviewing and
projection
Table 5 includes students’ reported frequency of putting multiple
perspectives into play with each other to produce insight, goal setting,
examination of past experiences, and combination of reviewing and
projection. Responses included using viewpoints of self, supervisor,
professor, other students, and other professionals to produce insight,
reflection on sessions from week to week, use of material from past
classes, and reflection on past experiences before making future
decisions. Students also mentioned using the past as a starting point for
goals in clinical work, while still being flexible to change goals in the
future as new information/experiences arise.
Table 3 represents the frequency with which students reported using
different methods for acquiring learning. Knowledge about self as a
learner and how one accomplishes different academic tasks, strategies
and methods for acquiring, integrating, and using new knowledge,
application of prior knowledge, present and future contexts in which new
information can be applied, involvement in discovery and creativity, and
empowerment in learning by mastery of intellectual and practical (music,
clinical) skills were included. There were a large number of responses for
knowledge about self as a learner and how one approaches different
academic tasks. A recurring theme was learning in layers, referencing the
scaffolding structure of building upon the foundational pieces by adding
one layer at a time. Students also stated that they tend to do better with
academic tasks in which they are interested or care about, or that they can
apply to their lives. The majority of responses also included how to apply
knowledge for use in the clinical setting by using prior knowledge to be
creative to meet goals in sessions and incorporate music and non-music
components in sessions.
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
40
20
26
25
73
70
Table 1
Interdisciplinary and Cross-Theory Connections
45
25
Surveys and discussion questions indicate that students are
aware of their own learning styles and use this awareness to
create effective study and practice methods which they
ultimately use in real world applications, thereby
demonstrating retention of knowledge. Results also indicate
that students use information they have learned in music
settings, general academic areas, and personal life within
various disciplines and apply this information to their clinical
work with a large variety of populations. Students indicated
extremely high levels of understanding consequences of their
decisions, monitoring effects of treatment to problem solve,
planning ahead and predicting outcomes. Discussion of these
areas show that these high levels can be attributed to the type
of clinical work in which music therapy students engage,
which in turn forces them to use all available resources that
they have accumulated during their academic career. The
study also indicated that students have a clear understanding
of methods of acquiring learning that work best for them as
individuals and use this information in practicing, studying,
and planning for how to do these things most effectively.
14
Interpretation of Data
Theory and
Practice
27
25
80
2
30
0
Number of times classes were mentioned during one academic semester
30
Testing/refining academic Engagement in community Communication with public
concepts in community
based learning
Table 6
Metacognition
0
35
15
13
PSYC 351 (Abnormal Psychology)
40
10
60
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
28
40
10
Table 3
Methods of Acquiring Learning
10
MUTX 312 (TX Dance)
35
Multiple perspectives to produce
insight
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
Applied music lessons
35
0
Table 2 represents the intentionality of students in designing and following
through with their own learning processes to develop professional growth
plans, create session plans and evaluate clinical work, and plan and assess
effectiveness of musical practice as well as their own evaluations of how
they pursue their education as individuals. Students described attending or
participating in music therapy events that were not required for courses
(conferences, presentations – both attending and presenting themselves,
and serving as volunteers in nursing homes and hospitals), saving session
plans to be used in the future, practicing and using improvisation skills
where applicable, integrating goals for graduation and internship
preparation with classwork, integrating specific music therapy techniques
learned in classes (such as lyric analysis), manipulating knowledge learned
in classes to meet clients’ specific needs, and building up a portfolio as a
personal resource. Students demonstrated intentionality by creating
written and mental plans for meeting long term deadlines and practice
goals, planning on a daily basis to meet goals, using specific memorization
and learning techniques to learn songs quickly and effectively, working
ahead, and evaluating what things were not working for them. Students
asked for feedback from supervisors and adjusted goals, tailoring them to
make improvements in weak areas first.
Although students were not asked which classes they specifically
integrated into other learning areas, every student mentioned
classes, as illustrated below.
45
5
Table 2
Intentionality
50
Table 7
Self-Awareness
40
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
This project examined student reports of their own
engagement in integrative learning across the Fall 2010
semester. Students provided descriptions of how they made
connections and specified which types of connections were
useful in the processes of metacognition, reflection, and selfawareness. Students explained how they demonstrated
intentionality when problem solving, directing their own
therapeutic work, and making connections across theory,
practice, disciplines, and in specific contexts. Furthermore,
reports included the methods that students use to acquire
learning and the evaluation of the implications of choices they
make on their professional life and society as a whole.
Table 4
Application of Connections in Non-Academic Contexts
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
Table 1 shows the frequency with which students reported using
interdisciplinary and cross-theory connections, including connections made
between theory and practice, connections across disciplines, contexts in
which connections were made, demonstration of these connections, and
interpretation and integration of these connections. The most frequent
connections noted were students applying what they had learned in
classes to their clinical work. Students also reported using information
from one class and applying it in another class, i.e. using skills learned in a
public speaking class to give a presentation in a different class. The
contexts in which connections were made included personal life, creativity,
music therapy sessions, and employment.
Instances of engagement
across one academic semester
Abstract
60
50
48
40
30
28
20
20
10
0
Recognition of what one
knows or does not know
Predicting outcomes and
planning ahead
Efficient use of time and
cognitive resources
When results of surveys completed weekly during the Fall
2010 academic semester were compared with recorded
discussions on topics from the survey at the end of the
semester, a much higher use of integrative learning was
reported during recorded discussion. If a similar study were to
be done in the future, a discussion type of setting may provide
more accurate results. Some discussion with students at the
end of the semester indicated that there were times when
they did not mention use of integrative learning in their
surveys because they assumed it was evidenced by their
clinical work.
Monitoring effects to
problem solve
Table 6 represents total numbers of times that students identified using
metacognition during the fall 2010 academic semester. Ability to predict
outcomes and plan ahead far outweighed any other aspect of
metacognition, as well as any other components of integrative learning.
Students mentioned the creation of a professional growth plan and the
necessity of creating treatment plans as the biggest factors affecting the
planning component of metacognition. Some students also mentioned
creating assessments, anticipating client responses, and developing
effective measurement techniques for client responses as contributors.
Many students mentioned using knowledge from previous classes as well
as observations during sessions to change session routines to better meet
client needs, change vocabulary use to be clearer, change physical seating
arrangements, using specific instruments, ask for advice, pay attention to
responses over time, and develop mock sessions.
Acknowledgements
Appreciation is expressed to:
Office of Research & Sponsored Programs,
Learning & Technology Services,
and the Differential Tuition Program
All of the music therapy
student participants