Video-conferenced music teaching: challenges and progress

This article reports on a study that aimed to explore general classroom music teaching and learning via video-conferencing between pre-service music teachers in the USA, and students at an elementary school for underprivileged children in Mexico. This study examines the challenges, progress and lessons learned as interactions within this developing medium are refined. Data include researcher narrative, teacher reflections and student writings collected over a two-year period. Results indicate that there are benefits and drawbacks to teaching and learning in the video-conferenced environment. The implication for music education is that video-conferencing is a feasible way of facilitating music teaching and learning between teachers and students in distant locations anywhere in the world, and music educators should consider this opportunity for increased musical exchange and cultural interaction.