Co-operation is better than conflict - Fiona Cownie and Scott McGowan
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Transcript of Co-operation is better than conflict - Fiona Cownie and Scott McGowan
Co‐Operation is
Better Than ConflictFiona CownieScott McGowan
History
• Work began in 2008• Year 1 “Legal Skills” core module – all law students registered
• Sixth year of collaboration recently completed
Legal Skills Module
• Intended as a rounded, general introduction to legal scholarship.
• Incorporates a variety of skills development areas, including critical thinking, writing, referencing and information skills.
• Enhancing student “Graduate Attributes” with corollary benefits in improving key employability skills.
• Keele Distinctive Curriculum – skills development “co‐curriculum” accredited by Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
Legal Skills ‐ Interactive Teaching
• Workshops ‐ Learning Tasks• Informed by ‘constructivism’• Reading Cases & Statutes; Legal Research, Writing for Law, Thinking Critically about Law.
• Lecture, directed self study & workshop
Working Together
• Approach to learning• Respect for professional expertise• Sharing knowledge and experience• Facing the challenge of time pressure• Reflective practitioners
Library Themed Teaching
• Academic staff work with students in Law Library during series of workshops.
• Librarian runs parallel set of tutorials on two themes.
Librarian Tutorials
• One tutorial on using Library’s online resources (e‐journals; Westlaw; LexisLibrary, etc.)
• A second tutorial on referencing using the module’s OSCOLA requirements.
• 12 Librarian‐led tutorials in first semester.• Much freedom allowed, however emphasis on “active learning”.
Librarian Tutorials
Over the years have tried:• “Show and tell” of Library online resources (Westlaw, LexisLibrary, HeinOnline etc.).
• Multiple choice test (20 questions on basic resource identification, citation “deciphering” and other threshold concepts).
• Group work/Individual referencing exercise.
Other Help Resources
• Podcasts• Videos and online guides provided through Keele’s VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).
• YouTube videos• Some created using “screen‐grab” software (Camtasia or Jing).
• “Traditional” downloadable PDF guides.
Challenges
• Attendance averages at 50% for all sessions• Diversity of student ability in terms of using Library resources
and referencing• Exercises may have been elementary for some and difficult
for others i.e. a varying “zone of proximal development” (Vygotsky).
• Librarian has to support two other large schools at Keele and time is sometimes limited!
Perceived Benefits
• Student feedback positive.• Improved liaison with Library in general routinely.
• Steady improvement in Library NSS Score for law students.
Future Developments
• Collaborative work with learning technologists to develop online teaching resources.
• With the aim of enhancing learning and teaching activities.