A Focus on Pedagogy

Abstract

The focus of the paper is innovation in teaching and learning practice showing how a first-year core law module was wholly redesigned for online delivery using the Horton (2011) ‘absorb, do, connect’ approach to large scale lectures and smaller tutorial groups. Didactic lectures were redesigned as shorter 15 minute pre-recorded ‘knowledge nuggets’ to introduce students to legal principles in tort law and enable them to absorb the key cases. Synchronous lectures were co-taught by two members of staff using a variety of discovery activities which improved social interaction and student engagement and made the principles easier to understand, recollect and apply. The activities included role play ‘client’ videos, MCQs, media clips, music and technology (predominantly Padlet, PollEverywhere and the chat function on the Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard Collaborate) for students to apply their knowledge by enabling them to ‘do’ something with their knowledge. Evaluation suggests that students engaged well with our ‘scaffolding’ approach (Hammond & Gibbons 2005) as indicated by feedback to the student module evaluation survey. Further analysis of student feedback across other first-year core modules indicates similar findings thereby reinforcing the evidence of the success of this innovative approach. It has also resulted in better student attendance and improved outcomes for the module. At this point, results indicate almost 100% increase in first class marks and over a third reduction in the failure rate. Learner analytics provide additional data showing student engagement. These realignments in our module delivery will inform our future teaching practice incorporating the most successful features of the approach.