1. Keith Puttick Christine Harrison Judith Tillson
Using Blackboard Journals for Reflective Practice and to Improve Students’ Grades in the Law School
Keith Puttick
Christine Harrison
Judith Tillson
Where did it all begin?

2. FOCUS FOR THIS SESSION Our Presentation
We consider the structured use of journals re. the student experience, skills development, and as an assessment tool
Research, to date, and work-in-progress
Observations on work in:
Employment Law and Equalities (L6)
Employment Relationship & Regulation of
Workplace Change (L7)
Commercial Transactions (L6)
90% of all new graduate jobs require high level digital skills (
Employers stress that being digitally literate is an essential attribute of an employable graduate.  Employers value graduates who can communicate effectively via digital media and critically judge the validity and reliability of information found online.  (JISC Developing Digital Literacies, 2012)
Staffordshire Graduate – Attributes - Digital Literate students and students who can reflect. Also, Suskind points out that Lawyerly skills and tasks are now supported by increasingly sophisticated on-line systems facilitating high-quality legal research, drafting, and document production

3. EMPLOYMENT LAW & EQUALITIES (L6) Over-structured and demanding (for 10% of the mark)? Given the work-load, was 10% enough?
What are the biggest challenges you experienced in relation to this topic.
Will the work you have done on this workshop contribute to your assignment.  If so how?
How well do you think you prepared for and contributed to the workshop?
Have you, at this stage of the programme, started to use on-line systems to help your research (important in gaining a good workshop mark for preparation and contribution).

4. EVALUATION OF EMPLOYMENT LAW & EQUALITY 2014-2017
Despite only 10% mark for evidence of ‘attendance & contribution’
Was effective in securing attendance
Helpful in encouraging contribution
Not so clear that students were
Preparing as well as they could
Reflecting on their work
without a mandatory journal element
Assessed – summative - Generic feedback to Journal tasks - Formative (% sampled per week)

5. INTRODUCTION OF JOURNAL REQUIREMENT 2014
To coincide with this we broadened the scope of the requirements to preparation, attendance, contribution, and post-session reflection
Welcomed by external examiners: added efficacy to the assessment process
Gave tutors better insight to what happens on either side of the session, and students’ management of their own learning
Very successful since
What about M level/L7?
Assessed – summative - Generic feedback to Journal tasks - Formative (% sampled per week)

6. EXTENDED TO MASTERS LEVEL EMPLOYMENT MODULES
Currently evaluating the role of journals in various Masters level modules: particularly focused on support for development and deployment of research, reflection, and communication skills
For some we have moved to 30% rather than 10%
In over-structured and demanding in terms of work-load (as in early version of L6: see slide 3).
In : we maintained 30%, but with a more relaxed format for journal entries; and allowing students to set their own priorities, as well as working on ‘core’ topics.
We’ll track results and compare with previous years.
So far it’s looking promising!
Assessed – summative - Generic feedback to Journal tasks - Formative (% sampled per week)

7. Commercial Transactions:Example of a Journal showing reflection on research
Why you are learning about the relationship between the Law of Contract and Sale of Goods.
How will this help you to complete your assignment in terms of part c.
What are the biggest challenges you experienced in relation to this topic.

8. Results breakdown
2016/17* 2015/16* /15* /14
1st
Fail
______________________________________
*Note: Use of reflective journals introduced

9. Comparison between use and non-use of journals for Portfolio Assessment for Consumer Protection law Year: 2014/15
Journals (31) No Journals (17) 1st 9 (18.75%) (14.4%) 4 (8.33%) (31.25%) 7 (14.4%) 3rd 0 6 (12.5%) Fails 0

10. Comparison between use and non-use of journals for Portfolio Assessment for Sem 2 Year: 2015/16
Journals (19) No Journals (13 ) 1st 8 (25%) (25%) (6.25%) 7 (21.8%) 3rd 1 (3.12%) 6 (18.7%)

11. Comparison between use and non-use of journals for Portfolio Assessment for sem 2 2016-17
Journals (20) No Journals (5)
1st 7 (35%) 0
2.1 2 (10%) (5%)
2.2 4 (20%) (20%)
3rd 6 (30%) 0
Fails 1 (5%)

12. FINDINGS Commercial Transactions
Keeping a reflective journal helps them focus on research experience, and has had some effect on the pass rate
Employment
Journals have had a positive impact on the learning experience and skills, and improved efficacy of assessment
Overall… Journals are helping our students become more confident, self-managing learners

13. Going Forward Journal reflection carried out within all workshops.
Journal reflection exercise to be made a mandatory part of the summative assessments with a grade weighting attached to see if this improves the grading standard.
Assessed – summative - Generic feedback to Journal tasks - Formative (% sampled per week)

14. References & Information
JISC 2012 Developing Digital Literacies
RiT Project:
Meet the Team:
Enquiring Minds: