Overview of the Study

This project investigated the identification of design principles for on-demand resources to support students learning popular music production. The research project was situated at the Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus with students studying popular music. The students involved in this program of study regularly engage with music technology to record original music tracks as part of the program’s major study. Often, these students work in teams to complete their recording projects, working in a situation that “mirrors professional practice and utilises a practice-based and peer-reviewed learning framework that develops student understanding of associated technical and creative concepts” (Anthony, 2015, p. 140). While BPM students can focus on different aspects of the music production process, all students engage with music technology to some degree through their recording activities.

BPM students participate in coursework that supports their use of the recording studios and popular music production techniques. However, they often work in the recording studios outside of typical technical support business hours. During these sessions, BPM students experience regular issues with using these technologies, often when students are faced with unfamiliar hardware or software, or when they are using these music production tools in new contexts. Entering into this environment can also be challenging for new users, who are finding their way through the variety of hardware and software available to produce music. These issues do not end after the first year of study: The increasing complexity of equipment available to students as they progress can also cause confusion. This can lead some students to disengage with technical aspects of the popular music production process. Since many students work in teams to produce music, having a solid grasp of the

technicalities can assist these students to produce professional work economically after graduation.

The availability of digital audio workstations (DAW) or audio recording software has seen the development of home recording set-ups as a viable alternative to professional studios (A. Bell, 2014). Musicians entering the industry need to be multi-skilled to prepare themselves for a portfolio career (Bartleet et al., 2012). The ability to frequently record and reflect on their work is also a valuable learning tool for musical development, and this is integral to the learning enabled by the major study program (Carey et al., 2006). Many graduates of the BPM program also engage with recording music as a means of paid employment after graduation.

This research project sought to identify design principles for developing on-demand learning resources to support students learning skills in popular music production. These learning tools were investigated through iterative cycles of research with a view to

establishing a set of design principles for educative provisioning in this area. The literature reviewed in the field developed an argument that, based on the continued influence of technology in delivering learning opportunities, BPM students would engage with bespoke on-demand learning resources that supported their learning environment.

A major influence on student engagement is access to technology. Technology is impacting on how post-secondary education is being delivered. Education providers are actively seeking to incorporate more technology into teaching to enhance student

engagement. Within the sector, an increasing emphasis is being placed on the relevance of mobile and blended learning models for supporting higher education (Adams Becker et al., 2017). This is impacting on student expectations regarding access to information, because using digital technologies to access information is part of daily life for these students (Bennett & Maton, 2010). Outside of formal education, vast stores of information are available on-demand, allowing mass engagement with informal learning through technology (Tozman, 2012). Because of these developments, formal education structures are evolving to incorporate more technology to keep abreast of these changes (Johnson et al., 2013). The

learning experience is changing for many students, as they are used to living a personalised learning journey through access to mobile technologies or other online forms of learning (Mundie & Hooper, 2014). Structured, freely available online coursework is another area that is influencing student expectations of information exchange. For example, MOOCs have seen the increasing availability of a free, quality education experience in the online world. This is also affecting higher education delivery models as providers seek to establish in what ways this will affect the area (Kiers, 2016).

Informal learning is commonly facilitated in the online environment through the exchange of information (Bernard et al, 2018; Cayari, 2015; Kruse & Veblen, 2012; O’Flynn, 2015; Salavuo, 2006, 2008; Waldron, 2011, 2013a, 2013b, 2016, 2018). In the world of music, many practitioners already engage with learning in this way. BPM music students regularly engage with exchanging information related to their musical activities through online environments, and student engagement with social media is widespread. The school Facebook page -- the BPM Noticeboard -- is an online space where BPM students, alumni, and staff exchange information related to a range of musical activities. The high level of engagement with these environments indicated that on-demand resources could engage these students through delivering learning opportunities when they needed them urgently.

Outside of formal education in music production, this on-demand method of learning technical skills is common amongst these users (Avid, 2017; Gearslutz, 2017). Music producers working in project studios often incorporate learning new skills and techniques into their workflow (Slater, 2016). Within the industry many developers share resource tutorials and support through online channels, making this form of information exchange standard practice (Avid, 2017; Pro-Tools-Expert, 2017). Within the BPM program, coursework in audio engineering and music production is delivered through face-to-face lectures and tutorials. Some online support is offered via the learning management system Blackboard, although this mainly supports the theoretical concepts covered during lectures. Before the development of these on-demand resources there were no specific online

resources to assist students with learning popular music production. Some studies have been conducted suggesting that learning technologies could be an effective form of support for students learning these skills (King & Vickers, 2007). While a range of relevant information already exists through the World Wide Web, students new to popular music production can take some time to develop the skills to find relevant and credible information. Often, the learning materials required are contextual to the equipment, software, and usage patterns employed in the BPM studios. This project investigated the design principles for on-demand delivery developed through offering these novices a scaffolded environment. It mirrors the processes of information exchange in the wider music technology community, leading students to develop their self-directed learning skills.

This research project established design principles for on-demand learning to support learning in this area. It did this through investigating some key research questions related to the delivery of on-demand education. The primary research question asked was:

What design principles should be employed in delivering on-demand resources to support students learning popular music production?

This was supported by a series of sub-research questions related to the use, structure, and delivery models. These questions were designed to inform the establishment of design principles for delivering on-demand resources:

1. In what ways are on-demand resources being utilised by students learning popular music production?

2. In what ways can on-demand resources be structured to deliver instruction in popular music production?

3. In what ways can on-demand resources be delivered to students learning skills in popular music production?