1.  Digital Assessment for the YouTube Generation: Reflective Practice in 21 st Century Legal Education Nigel Firth (LLB Programme Leader) nigel.firth@plymouth.ac.uk and Craig Newbery-Jones (Lecturer in Law) craig.newbery-jones@plymouth.ac.uk

2. This Paper…  In the next 12-15mins, we will… 1. Explain why we see innovative and technology- enhanced assessment as important in the twenty-first century law school… 2. Contextualise this assessment in ongoing curriculum changes.. 3. Discuss how we have attempted to adapt a medium of assessment for skills learning that encourages reflective practice and draws upon social media as inspiration… 4. Reflect upon its success so far…

3. Innovative Digital Assessment  Students always seek new ways through which to interact and converse, especially in the age of social media…  Importance of Reflective Practice upon skills learning…  Importance of Oral reflection for employability…  Plymouth University Policy of Inclusive Assessment: - Encouraging all staff to consider more inclusive assessment for various learning styles…  As class sizes grow, so does the assessment burden…

4. Dispute Resolution Skills (DRS)  Year 2 Students work through a “real” case study from practice in teams  Focus is on experiential learning in a safe setting (and employability)  They operate as a virtual firm using face to face and on-line dialogue and “meetings” to progress their client’s case  Allocated tutors act as “clients” (and supervisor)  The module is a prelude to our work-based learning options in our Clinic

5. Case Working and Assessment Components  Emphasis on transferable skills rather than law/procedure  Assessment covers skills and reflective blog  Formative skills practice via small group sessions in their case groups  VBlogs and file/firm updates that leads to incremental development of their file that case tutors monitor and comment upon. Summary review of overall reflections at the end

6. SANSspace

8. Reflective Videos  Experiential Curriculum and Legal Skills Development must be accompanied by reflection…  “experiential learning is a process in which an experience is reflected upon and then translated into concepts which in turn become guidelines for new experiences.” Saddington, 2007  Oral Reflection is an employability skill…! The ability to orally express ones strengths, weaknesses, plans for improvement are vital importance…

9. Success so far…  The ability to undertake real-life case work has be praised in interim module evaluations…  As has the skills acquired so far… e.g. letter writing, client interviewing and drafting PoC and defence…  Combination of lecture and practical sessions has been engaged with well…  Excellent Assessment Marks in Part 1 – Client Letter and Research Memo…

10. Success so far…  SANSspace = X – While it does provide an excellent tool for feedback and engagement with feedback, the software design is not user-friendly and certainly not student-friendly…  ELGG = Social media software, can act as a bridge between online collaboration and social media tools…  The final component is the compulsory element on reflection and the quality of oral reflection will be assessed shortly (in time to present findings in a formal paper)…

11. Contact nigel.firth@plymouth.ac.uk craig.newbery-jones@plymouth.ac.uk (@cjnewberyjones) Thank you.