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Providers’ meeting, March 2007

Defining the challenges, identifying the opportunities Introduction message Professor Wayne Morrison Laws Programme. Providers’ meeting, March 2007. Importance of providers. You are crucially important You do much of the marketing You mediate the learning environment

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Providers’ meeting, March 2007

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  1. Defining the challenges,identifying the opportunitiesIntroduction messageProfessor Wayne MorrisonLaws Programme Providers’ meeting, March 2007

  2. Importance of providers • You are crucially important • You do much of the marketing • You mediate the learning environment • You provide the human element • We need to communicate and understand each other

  3. Laws faces pressures • 1. Internal pressure from our own desire to improve and make the student learning experience better • 2. External pressures from the regulatory bodies regarding resources provided to students and the ability to demonstrate skills • Give rise to pedagogical, cultural and support opportunities for change • OPPORTUNITY TO REVITALISE THE MODEL

  4. Our reflection (Laws) • Many success stories!!! Yes! • But more students should pass, • we want better marks and • too many of the scripts we mark show surface approaches rather than deep approaches to learning • many of the candidates seem not to have heeded the messages we give in our materials

  5. The focus for these two days:how to develop a real community of learning? • We (London) need to question our assumptions… • traditional theories of distance learning conceive of the learner as lonely, reliant upon the materials provided by the programme…. But we know this is not true • c. 75% of our students are at an institution receiving tuition

  6. We need each other, butHave we overcome the limitations of the classical model?Are we living with the past?

  7. The (past) classic model: • We provide a syllabus and reading list • There is an examination.

  8. Assumed autonomous resourceful learner… • A ‘hard way to obtain a degree’ (Otto Peters) • The model had a idea of autonomous, resourceful learner at the centre • But this was in large part a ‘myth’ • The institutions were crucial but not engaged with… • A pedagogy grew up that was unexamined

  9. The gap between providers and assessment • Teaching narrowly to the examination • ‘question spotting’ • are symptomatic of learning environments in which teachers have little or no control over and ownership of the assessment process. • We can not change the assessment… (yet?)

  10. We (London) have been changing by developing the resources we provide • Now we seek a holistic view of the learning environment, asking, for example, what is the use made of the increased level of resources… • Have to develop the skills agenda…

  11. Do we need more coherence? • NB: are we competing for the students’ attention? How can we • teach WITH the London material, e.g engage students in the activities in the SGs? • encourage active students? • stimulate students’ imagination? • engage students in reflective learning?

  12. Tutors: quality and performance • Good tutors need good law skills • Both of us need to combine our teaching skills • But some say do not bother… But we do have a responsibility to support our students. Is it our business? We don’t control or regulate the tutors. We must help tutors ensure that MORE STUDENTS SUCCEED.

  13. Should we ask what and how do tutors teach? • Basic questions: • Are we engaging in the same pedagogy? • Do tutors teach what THEY think the students want to hear? • Can we cohere on the learning strategies and messages?

  14. Are our materials being used? • Our subject guides cover the syllabus and contain activities. Students who follow the study plans in the Subject Guides should pass the exams. • Subject guides now backed by study packs and Online resources • But are the leaning objectives in the SGs used as the criteria of progress? • What of the activities? And the Library?

  15. We have two proposals in active development to support ‘our’ tutors:  1 Guide to teaching Law with London 2 GUIDANCE ON TEACHING METHODS that will help the SKILLS agenda - more small group work - more discussion, more criticism, more argument - more presentations Supporting tutors

  16. Teaching Framework project • Soon to launch a project to recognise the skills of tutors • The teaching framework underpins the guide for Teaching Law with London • The guide and the framework stress active student learning

  17. Problems of the classical model • In reality some students attempted the examinations unsupported: result bad failure • There was a real risk that it set-up the least well-resourced and most vulnerable candidates for failure or for exploitation by unregulated crammers. • Institutions existed but were often not acknowledged by London

  18. Institutions Review Group • We want to recognize good providers; • to list all those that wish to offer support as if there was no difference between providers is illogical; • we do not want to imposing greater control over institutions that have the experience and resources to support students; • we want a ‘light touch’ but we want a tiered system of recognizing providers.

  19. Assessment: an evidence gap • We can assess knowledge and the range of skills associated with the learning outcomes that an examination process can measure…. • But • What of the subject specific and transferable ‘skills’ demanded by QAA and the JASB? • Such as legal research and oral communication…

  20. Laws programme model 2007… • Decided that portfolio-based evidence and assessment an appropriate way forward for skills for any student wanting a QLD • Portfolio submitted in final year • Students may record a range of activities but main body will come from a project of their own choosing

  21. How to validate the portfolio? • To guarantee that the person preparing the portfolio is the actual candidate a portfolio examination will also be held (1 ¼ hours paper) • The portfolio will be submitted and examination held in final year of study

  22. Effective re-launch of the Laws programme in September 2007 BUT WILL IT WORK? What does it need? You are crucial!

  23. Can we achieve a learning community? • Learners will not get far if their materials are poor and they can not get access to vital equipment • Learners do not do well if they feel isolated, alienated, unable to talk to a supporting person • Learners do better if they feel part of a learning community

  24. Refining the challenge • Institutions are a vital part of any such learning community • Can we together create a learning community with a coherent blended learning environment? • To achieve that we will have to work together and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses

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