Project has been running well within the two key diplomas involved in the project. The machines were used as a resource within the Fashion course and will now not be included in the research or final report.
All focus groups have been conducted to gauge the student experience of their education prior to M Learning.The results of these follow;
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Video 0
ND A&D (Duncan M) Studio. Peter , Katie Pete
How are classroom activities in supporting your learning ?
Studio adaptable, own workstation, all materials you need. All extras in College sometimes at a small fee.
Students had spent - £10, 68p.
Printing all set up, mac suite available, library really good.
Do you have opportunities to continue learning before and after session ?
Yes, College open until 9am at night. Work can be taken home. Studio used until late by few students. Students used personal study time to come in rather than to stay late on evenings.
Do you have access to your individual learning plan and achievement records ?
Yes, from Sue Brown
All had tutorials with ILP’s embedded.
Students were aware of assessments and which criteria they needed to address through ILP.
Are there opportunities for you to link contextual studies with studio practice ?
You can use it in your artists research.
Similar subject areas are covered, colour, Bauhaus.
Students found making links helpful.
Are there opportunities to learn from each other ?
Crits. 10 mins at the end of each day to pin work up and discuss.
Students would like more big group crits.
Tutors often show examples of good practice.
Do you have access to learning materials outside of sessions ?
No. Students have to wait for the material until they are next in College.
They can take notes but it doesn’t replace access.
Do you have access to computers, printers, moodle and internet ?
In college if macs are free. Printers very slow, everyone wanting prints at the same time.
Print credit is not enough, gone in several weeks. It’s used for every project and colour usually required for artists research and own development. Tutor prints as much as he can on their behalf. Access to internet in mac suite and a few machines in the library. Internet was the basis of their sketchbooks. Students were aware of moodle and felt it would help in these sessions also to access T&L materials and to enable work from home. 2 of three students had experienced loosing their briefs. Moodle already experienced in Contextual Studies, found it really useful. Moodle did not effect attendance, material was sequentially released and didn’t record conversations that were held in session.
Do you have access to facilities that support the development of your research skills?
Library is used. Internet also good and easier to find specific and broader range of information. Some students, including one in the forum, relied on the net.
Is there enough variety of learning activities ?
Students had, within the context of their current project done Photography, drawing, sculpture. They felt there was diversity of activity and this was preferred.
Are there enough opportunities to work on briefs in class ?
Yes, time was an issue and work could be rushed at times. Some people neglected their sketchbooks as they did not work outside of taught sessions.
Is there enough variety in the ways you are asked to evidence your learning ?
Folio, sketchbooks, essays. PPD sometimes makes use of email but this was isolated. Disks would be easier to submit. Digital work could be sent if ill. Students felt there was enough variety.
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Video 2
Katie Stanworth AS
Adam Dodson, Joab Coutain, Alex Pemberton, Laura Spinali, Emily Long
How are classroom activities in supporting your learning ?
Resources are good, always enough for everyone without much need to share. Had to keep going to Mac Suite for research. Could get stretched as a department, especially printing.
Do you have opportunities to continue learning before and after session ?
Yes, mainly mac suite for research and printing.
Do you have access to your individual learning plan and achievement records ?
Yes, within sessions.
Are there opportunities for you to link contextual studies with studio practice ?
Not covered this question !
Are there opportunities to learn from each other ?
Yes, as self directed and tutor led activity.
Do you have access to learning materials outside of sessions ?
Dependent upon access to the tutors. If sheets were lost then you had to wait unti you saw that tutor or had to find them.
Do you have access to computers, printers, moodle and internet?
All equipment at home and at College (2)
Internet but cant afford to print at home (1)
Sometimes sessions don’t allow you to leave when you need to use a computer. (1)
No equipment at home. (1)
Do you have access to facilities that support the development of your research skills?
Library an uncomfortable environment. (2)
Info in library good but it’s very difficult to find what you need. You find it eventually.
Most rather us the internet.
Photocopying expensive.
Asked to use a scrap of paper and was told to buy a book.
Is there enough variety of learning activities ?
Yes, and this prevented individual from getting bored and switching off.
Variety offered lots of experience and made you think about what you were doing.
The variety of work contributed directly to the assessment criteria.
Are there enough opportunities to work on briefs in class ?
Mainly enough time although sometimes activities through you off your train of thought. All agreed there was enough time. Student liked the sketchbooks, to have a tactile account of their work.
Parting comment was that the studio was quieter with the introduction of the ASUS machines. Not all students used them productively and it proved a distraction for some.
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Steve Anderson – A&D Contextual Studies
Rosa Lauren, Esta Mcglaughlon, Tess Connor, Lauren Hart, Rachel Nevison
How are classroom activities in supporting your learning ?
Basic. Got Mac Suite but often full, time consuming to get anything done. Takes time to leave the class to go to library to wait in the Mac Suite. Computer to student ratio is odd (no enough). Print queues can be huge, it’s rubbish.
Do you have opportunities to continue learning before and after session ?
Can go to library but books are not always there. Mac suite but too many people to too few machines. Cant access work from home if it’s been stored at College. Does not like Macs, would prefer PC’s.
Do you have access to your individual learning plan and achievement records ?
Don’t know what they are.
Are there opportunities for you to link contextual studies with studio practice ?
Maybe evident in sketchbooks.
It’s difficult to make the links.
Are there opportunities to learn from each other ?
No real opportunity. Sometimes through seminars. Would be easier if they had access to other peoples work but there were concerns here from students regarding plagiarism.
Do you have access to learning materials outside of sessions ?
Too easy to loose. Outside College if you don’t have it you don’t have anything. You have to be reliant on your notes. If your ill your reliant upon the notes of others which can sometimes be substandard. Handouts would be better kept in one place.
Do you have access to computers, printers, moodle and internet?
Access to internet and computers. Were aware of Moodle but not sure what relevance it had to their studies. Liked the idea of an online system. Are not many computers. Probably better leaving it until you get home. Even when you get one there’s pressure to get off it again with people waiting.
Transferring material from machines at College to machines at home is difficult and you can forget to back it all up.
A bank of support material would be good as it is difficult for staff to meet the needs of all learners without some becoming lost or others becoming bored.
Do you have access to facilities that support the development of your research skills?
Have Library and computers but it’s knowing where to go so research has it’s limits.
Not enough time to b able to do it and books are not always available.
Is there enough variety of learning activities ?
It’s hard to find a balance that’s right for all.
Some find it difficult to sit through a lecture and make detailed notes.
There are seminars but no space for 1-2-1 but without taking time away from the sessions as they currently exist.
Not much variety, a bit boring. Activities should be more fun. Too much info all at once, needs breaking down and mixing up. Needs to be more linked to learning styles with different source material available for them.
Are there enough opportunities to work on briefs in class ?
Have time allocated as PST but other studies need to fit into this also. Most CS work is done at home. Some people come ill equipped to work in College, don’t bring diaries, only use their CS time as a break and work on it at home instead later. Practical work always seems more immediate so CS can take a back seat. Take notes but don’t always write them up. Not enough space in the lecture theatre to make notes.
Is there enough variety in the way your asked to evidence your learning ?
Sketchbooks – sometimes become a bit clinical, you write what you feel you need to rather than really using it. Maybe other ways could be considered but they could not think of any. One suggested a video diary but were conscious of differing levels of technical ability with the group. One suggested online forums. One suggested a variation of ways to submit but felt this was resource dependent. Preferred more visual work over written work.
Most agreed a wider range of ways to submit would be beneficial.
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Janine Sykes – Graphics Contextual Studies
Adam Dodson, Robert Hatton, Emily Long, Joab Coutain, Joanne George
How are classroom activities in supporting your learning ?
Not really, not as easy as in the studio. Too cramped. (2)
Like it, more focussed.
Cant do much group work because of the room
Do you have opportunities to continue learning before and after session ?
Mac suite, library and computers at home
Do you have access to your individual learning plan and achievement records ?
Yes, copies given but a pain if you loose them.
Are there opportunities for you to link contextual studies with studio practice ?
Yes with all AS briefs. Used Bauhaus. Another used an artist and an idea of who to look for.
Are there opportunities to learn from each other ?
No in the lecture theater, too intimidating. A bit restricted
Do you have access to learning materials outside of sessions ?
Just whats given and it’s dependent upon finding the staff.
Do you have access to computers, printers, moodle and internet.
Not in the lecture theatre.
Do you have access to facilities that support the development of your research skills?
Handouts, trips/study visits.
Quizzes games, educational films etc good learning tool and enjoyable too.
Is there enough variety of learning activities ?
Yes eg: Article, Presentation
Are there enough opportunities to work on briefs in class ?
No but increased personal study time helps.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
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