Using Online Learning Materials With Law Students RiT Law Project Team Keith Puttick, Chris Harrison, Judith Tillson, Alison Pope

An Evaluation of the Use of On-Line Systems in the Development of Students’ Research & Research- Related Skills Project Team Keith Puttick Christine Harrison Judith Tillson Alison Pope Caralyn Duignan (Lexis) Barbara Gerken (Sweet & Maxwell) Stephen Gomex (Pearson) Daniel Greebberg (Thomson Router/WestlawInsight

Our Project Focus Evaluating students’ the use of on-line systems as a teaching and learning resource, and whether, and to what extent, a more structured approaches to their use will improve the quality of students’ work; enhance research and related skills (reflection, analysis, etc); and respond to the demands of the legal services market Skills Skills & assessment A particular focus is on skills, particularly the development, deployment, and assessment of research and research-related skills (including assessment aspects).

Introduction Are among the on-line systems we are looking at PLC On-Line, Jordans Family, Pearson Lexis Library, Westlaw, Sweet and Maxwell

Why?

RIT PROJECT Our Aims & Objectives To ascertain what effect a more structured approach to the use of online tools (OLTs) may have on the quality of students’ learning experience; the development of research/research-related skills; and their achievement, and employability Aim To help inform future interventions, and the design of tasks, delivery and assessment in modules & awards At the end of Year 2, as per the project action plan, continue the evaluation, improve interventions, and extend to L4, 5 Objectives

RESEARCH YEAR 2: Modules Initially, just Level 6 electives Modules Employment/Equalities; Commercial Law & Consumer Protection; Social Welfare Law & Practice. Supported by Blackboard, tracking of work, and use of ‘journal’ records Commercial Commercial Law – Law of Sale and Consumer Protection Semester 1: Problem based assignment Semester 2: Research based assignment Employment Law Employment & Equalities: Assessed workshops (mark informed by preparation and ‘contribution’); assessed, research-based assignment Social Welfare Law: assessed workshops and research-based assignment

Commercial Law – Law of Sale and Consumer Protection Journal

Comparison between use and non-use of journals for Portfolio Assessment for Consumer Protection law Journals (31)No Journals (17) 1 st 9(18.75%)0 2.17(14.4%)4 (8.33%) 2.215(31.25%)7 (14.4%) 3 rd 06 (12.5%) Fails 04 NS

Results breakdown over past three years 2014/ / /13 1st Fail 04 8 ______________________________ Pattern: appears to be an effect on the 2.2/3rd level.

Changes Journal reflection carried out within all workshops. Journal reflection exercise to be made a mandatory part of the summative assessments. Introduce Mylegalexperience exercise into workshops at the end of semester 1 to help with assessment preparation.

Employment/Equality & SWL Methods and Results Reflection The focus was on research and reflection skills, and improving opportunities to deploy them assisted by formal requirement to complete individual online journal entries using blackboard tool Tutorials Semester 1: Journal entries helped to inform tutors of levels of engagement with pre/post-workshop tasks, assisted by an assessment regime rewarding preparation, attendance, contribution (‘PAC’) (20%) Assessment Semester 2: no workshop mark for ‘Equalities’: instead a focus just on monitoring preparation for a summative exam, offering the facility of comparing performances between the semesters

The Contract of Employment Journal

Employment/Equality & SWL Findings to Date Sem 1 Greater usage of on-line systems, assisted by excellent introductory session by Lexis Nexis tutor. Marked improvements in quality of workshop contribution helped by assessing PAC (worth 20% for 15 Credit, 10% for 30 Credit) Sem 2 Less attendance/preparation in Semester 2 where there was no mark for workshop participation, attendance, contribution perhaps supporting the case for assessing PAC. Similar considerations/outcomes with SWL (also no PAC mark) Results Overall marks in Employment/Equality very good, with significant proportions of 2:1s and 1sts. The obvious comparator is with SWL where results not at such a high level.

Changes in Composition of the SWL and Employment & Equality cohorts the same or v. similar. Yet results in E & E better at all levels. Responses? Extend same assessment regime to SWL in : then monitor the effects, results, etc Make other improvements, eg clearer guidance/ requirements on journals work

Other Issues & Challenges? Improving students’ technical know-how, and increased usage of legal sources, materials, etc may improve the quality of the learning experience, but… This, in itself, does not translate into better skills, and opportunities to develop them, in other respects. Eg The use of materials (eg case analysis): an element in wider self-organised learning, but a vital component in assessed work. Hence the on-going importance of Information Literacy standards for the project Presentation skills Team-working: a key transactional Law skill

Building on Research Skills Improved assessment is vital Instead of just focusing on formal assessment as a summative, end-of-programme function detached from programme activities - we need to use it to support for better in-course, more student- centred activities. Rewarding workshop/small group activities As part of an incremental approach to developing skills this improves participation, attendance, and contribution – but we also need to ensure that opportunities to deploy and improve skills are brought into the sessions: along with the technology…

Planned Improvements Examples In Employment & Equality IT-enabled/enhanced activities in Workshop 2 drafting exercise: undertaken in small groups, assisted by systems in new Brindley Learning Spaces (using Smart Kapp) IT-enabled moot, with teams’ access to Wolfvision Cynap while preparing presentations, respondses, and concluding statements

Project Blog

MyLawFirmExperience Level 4 and 6

Home Page The ‘client brief Forms and Templates an overview of the simulation context instructions for students to complete some activities useful forms/documents for further practise or preparation. Journey through the simulation

Cases Get Advice case summaries useful checklists and videos Journey through the simulation

Activities 1 and 2 will use MCQs focusing on identifying legal issues and legal research. These will be automatically graded, feed through to the gradebook and provide instant feedback. Activities in the simulation The activities, increasing in difficulty, aim to help students achieve the learning objectives for the topic:

Activity 3 will take the form of a longer piece of work focused on ‘client advice’. For this activity, students will complete written tasks, such as drafting letters to clients, planning a skeleton argument etc. These will be available within the system for lecturers to mark and provide feedback Activities in the simulation The activities, increasing in difficulty, aim to help students achieve the learning objectives for the topic:

Activity 4 provides a model answer for Activity 3 with questions to encourage students to reflect on their answer in Activity 3 Activities in the simulation The activities, increasing in difficulty, aim to help students achieve the learning objectives for the topic:

Simulation tools for student and lecturer use Communication tools: allows students to contact members of their class directly Chat: allows students to communicate instantly with other class members who are online ClassLive: allows students to join a live discussion led by their lecturer Discussion Board: allows students to contribute to threaded discussions on various class topics

Simulation tools for student and lecturer use Lecturer tools: Assignment manager: allows lecturers to assign activities to students to be completed by specific deadlines and customise activity questions Gradebook: all quizzes, tests and homework, feed into an automatic gradebook which provides lecturers with an ‘at a glance’ view of individual students as well as their class as a whole. Allows lecturers to view strengths and weaknesses amongst other things.

Prototype of the simulation Log in: MLFexp.edu7 Password: pearson1

Conclusions Revisit journal usage & use of ‘tracking’ systems Review results & work-in- progress Modify programme content and assessment, including reflective skills work Evaluate assessment changes and technology enhanced workshops Agree L4, 5 ‘extensions’. In 2016 share results SU/ externally Implement and evaluate MyLawFirmE xperience, simulations, tools etc

Thanks for your kind attention!

References & Information JISC 2012 Developing Digital Literacies for-self.html for-self.html RiT Project: Meet the Team: objectives/meet-the-team/ objectives/meet-the-team/ Enquiring Minds: