LEARNING ATMOSPHERE AND VITALITY

The sessions predominantly began with some directive from the tutor reminding the students what they should be working towards during the session. This usually differed at the start of a new unit

when the tutors spent some time presenting and discussing the learning outcomes to the students. At times, there was more interaction between the tutor and students depending on the unit. As all the units had evidencing durations for at least half a term and in some instances a term, the students then worked independently for lengthy periods. The media students had an even longer final major project to complete, generally referred to as FMP. This lasted for most of their final year and was the most significant unit of evidencing for their portfolio of work.

From observation, I began to realise that apart from any social discussions amongst students there was little indication of any vitality during the sessions. This modified during those times when students were using the creative software, depending on the activity. For example, when media students used video editing and image manipulation software they were more engaged than learning the underpinning HTML code for website development. During informal discussions, or interviews with students, all were clearly passionate about their subject and aimed, after completing the course, to pursue it professionally, or at degree level. Due to the diversity of students entering FE some can lack interest in the course they are studying, as they could still be undecided on their future career (see Section 2.1.3). At the college it was not unusual for students to change course, or subject areas shortly after enrolling or even after a full year.

Perhaps, looking at the situation I was expecting too much, but I asked students their opinions.

AB: Do you think there's any spirit in the room, any fun to learning?

Amy: We've had that kicked out of us [and laughs]… no fun and stuff. James's lessons are

all right and in Mark's sessions you can have a good laugh and do your work at the same time.

Amy was a year 1 music student and her response to James and Mark’s sessions was what I had hoped to observe in the classrooms, but these were studio sessions. The tutors that Amy referred to were part-time hourly paid and highly respected by all students. The students only saw them in the studio practical sessions: James taught guitar and Mark focused on music technologies, although the students still needed to submit essays. I was unable to have anything more than short discussions with James and Mark as both worked professionally in music and once they finished their teaching they had commitments elsewhere. From these discussions, they both acknowledged that the students enjoyed the practical sessions more than writing essays. Paul was one part-time tutor that taught in both classrooms and music studios and as an interview was conducted with him his comments were valuable for the differences he perceived in students’ values towards the differing coursework.

Paul: It’s a complete different ball game…because in the studios they’re doing what they

really want to do. In the studios it’s all about being practical, it’s about playing an instrument, recording an instrument…erhm, apart from the studio where there’s computer work it’s different again, because..erhm, because you’ve got ‘em straight away with an interest that they want to do anyway. The thought of doing different things doesn’t enter their head. You still get them, the odd ones that again do…I mean there’s rules for the studios again, like music rehearsal skills, ye know, “Before you start rehearsing make sure you’ve filled your log rehearsal forms in”, and some do and again some don’t..erhm..so the rule I’ve applied, which has an effect is, “If at the end of the lesson I come in and you haven’t completed your log rehearsal form then the week after there’s no band rehearsal”, and that’s the worse thing that can happen to a music student. As soon as you take away their music rehearsal session..ye know, it’s like the end of the world for them.

Paul’s comments are enlightening but perhaps expected, as the students had enrolled to learn to perform with a music instrument and not for the academic elements of the course. Being aware of this, Paul had applied the strategies he found most successful for acquiring the written evidencing he needed from the students. Notably, Paul’s comments identify that the students were engaged with the performance element and when they used the computers in the studios for editing music they retained that interest. For both subject areas, computers were undoubtedly a significant

academic and creative resource and this was reflected in their extensive use over the academic year.

In considering the classrooms, as a working environment, the extent the students used computers and their response to that is valuable within the primary research question of how are computers shaping the learning environment.