Effective collaboration for skills development and reflective learning in first year law students

1. Effective collaboration for skills development and reflective learning in first year law students Sally Frost, Learning Adviser , Library and Student Services (LiSS) sally.frost@cumbria.ac.ukAnn Thanaraj, Programme Leader for Law ann.thanaraj@cumbria.ac.uk

2. Introduction • Collaborate to integrate skills support in teaching and learning • Develop skills to create independent learners • Equip students for 2nd and 3rd years and future employment • Employ “active learning” pedagogical approaches - learning by doing, enquiry based learning, constructivism • As suggested by Walton and Pope (2011, p.11) • “…information literacy is about deep learning, participation and making a real contribution leading to an enriched and empowered population” • (Walton, G. and Pope, A. (2011) Information literacy: infiltrating the agenda, challenging minds. Cambridge: Chandos.) • This highlights just one of a number of skills. What could a range of skills do? • We hope to demonstrate this today…

3. Two Departments working together • Library and Information Services (LiSS) • Academic, Liaison and Employability Skills Team (ALES) • Learning Advisors • Information and Learning Resources • Academic Skills • Digital Skills • Careers and Employability • Skills@Cumbria • Faculty of Arts, Business and Science • School of Law and Humanities • Law School • LLB degree. Input to other programmes

4. Legal Skills and Method Module • First year double module – 40 credits. • Components: • The development of basic learning skills and legal study skills • The structure of the English (and European) legal system • The fundamental methods of legal argument and analysis • Personal development planning (PDP) with a particular emphasis on career management and employability skills • Learning outcomes: • To conduct research using computerised library information system to access both primary and secondary legal sources bibliographies •  demonstrate an understanding of the core features of the English and EC legal institutions, processes and method •  present oral legal arguments in a mock court room •  present written arguments, employing techniques of legal reasoning and statutory interpretation • engage in reflection on their learning, drawing on the experience of all modules undertaken • compile a curriculum vitae that effectively demonstrates their skills and attributes

5. Activities • Welcome Week Input to Introduction to the Course • Library Tour plus Network, Email, Catalogue, Ebooks Session • Week 1 Lexis and Westlaw Session • Digital Skills – Blackboard, Pebblepad • Week 3 Research Activity in Library • Week 5 Lexis Certification with Lexis Trainer • Week 6 OSCOLA referencing. Plagarism, Turnitin • Week 7 Academic Writing / Essay Writing • Week 12 Critical writing skills • Week 14 Career Day, Careers and CV writing • Week 18 Oral Presentation Skills • Module Guide

6. PDP and Employability

7. Reflection from E-portfolios

8. LiSS Collaboration with Law • Library Liaison • Budget planning inc justification of eresource costs • Book purchasing and reading list checking • Module planning meetings / Partnership Agreements / Annual Effectiveness Review • Programme Quality Committee meetings with staff and students • Induction and Workshops • Support via Blackboard • ePortfolios – students share with LiSS • Revalidation input – both University and Professional Body • REFRESH - Law Staff training • Career Ahead / Head Start Awards • Peer Assisted Study Sessions

9. PASS Scheme • Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is an international and national scheme that has been adopted by a number of UK universities to help ease transition into Higher Education, enhance the student experience as well as support students’ skills development and employability of both participants and leaders. • First year students are allocated to a PASS group and attend weekly PASS sessions led by two second or third year students (PASS Leaders) from the same course. • PASS offers a safe environment where students can ask questions and receive guidance from higher year students about their course and its content. The sessions provide an opportunity for students to: • adjust quickly to university life and study • raise their awareness of tutors’ expectations • develop effective study strategies • enhance learning though student to student support • work together to enhance their learning

10. Effectiveness of Collaboration • 100% student retention • Students are very satisfied with the academic skills support • Support is provided for individual students • Support is provided by an expert in that particular skills field • We will continue to collaborate across all the skills modules in the law programme as we already do with Dissertations

11. Next Steps • Student Views - further evaluation of ePortfolios - Focus Groups via PASS • - Post workshops evaluation • BIALL Legal Information Literacy Statement – published July 2012 – consider incorporating into module and course. • Comparative study of embedded skills with other subject areas

12. Thank you for listening • Any questions?