Strategies Students Adopted When Learning to Play an Improvised Blues in an E-Learning Environment

Abstract

In this investigative study, the authors sought to reveal the learning strategies adopted by participants as they learned to play a 12-bar improvised blues with both hands together on a musical keyboard in an e-learning environment. There were 3 participants, 2 female and 1 male. Participants’ average age was 21 years. They worked individually in an e-learning environment with the assistance of “Blues Activities” text and supporting audio material. A remote facilitator was available via e-mail to provide advice, support, and encouragement during and after each of the learning sessions. Video observation techniques were employed, and a coding scheme emerged via a qualitative analysis procedure. A time analysis of the video data based on the emergent coding scheme revealed the percentages of time participants spent in five distinct learning activities, which were interpreted as instruction, copying, practicing, playing, and evaluating. The findings of the current study provide an insight into the learning strategies adopted by these 3 participants in this particular learning situation and provide empirical support for theories of learning to play by ear proposed in prior research reviewed in this article.