1. Using Online Learning Materials With Law Students RiT Law Project Team Keith Puttick, Chris Harrison, Judith Tillson, Alison Pope

2. An Evaluation of the Use of On-Line Systems in the Development of Students’ Research & Research- Related Skills Project Team Keith Puttick Christine Harrison Judith Tillson Alison Pope Caralyn Duignan (Lexis) Barbara Gerken (Sweet & Maxwell) Stephen Gomez (Pearson) Daniel Greenberg (Thomson-Reuter Insight.

3. RIT PROJECT Our Aims & Objectives To ascertain what effect a more structured approach to the use of online tools (OLTs) may have on the quality of students’ learning experience; the development of research/research-related skills; and their achievement, and employability Aim To help inform future interventions, and the design of tasks, delivery and assessment in modules & awards At the end of Year 2, as per the project action plan, continue the evaluation, improve interventions, and extend to L4, 5 Objectives

4. Why?

5. RESEARCH YEAR 2: Modules Initially, just Level 6 electives Modules Employment/Equalities; Commercial Law & Consumer Protection; Social Welfare Law & Practice. Supported by Blackboard, tracking of work, and use of ‘journal’ records Commercil Commercial Law – Law of Sale and Consumer Protection Semester 1: Problem based assignment Semester 2: Research based assignment Employment Law Employment & Equalities: Assessed workshops (mark informed by preparation and ‘contribution’); assessed, research-based assignment Social Welfare Law: assessed workshops and research-based assignment

6. Commercial Law – Law of Sale and Consumer Protection Journal

7. Comparison between use and non-use of journals for Portfolio Assessment for Consumer Protection law Journals (31)No Journals (17) 1 st 9(18.75%)0 2.17(14.4%)4 (8.33%) 2.215(31.25%)7 (14.4%) 3 rd 06 (12.5%) Fails 04 NS

8. Results breakdown over past three years 2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 1st 9 610 2.1 11 16 5 2.2 22915 3 6 11 4 Fail 04 8 ______________________________ 48 4642 Pattern: appears to be an effect on the 2.2/3rd level.

9. Changes 2015-16 Journal reflection carried out within all workshops. Journal reflection exercise to be made a mandatory part of the summative assessments. Introduce Mylegalexperience exercise into workshops at the end of semester 1 to help with assessment preparation.

10. Employment/Equality & SWL Methods and Results Reflection The focus was on research and reflection skills, and improving opportunities to deploy them assisted by formal requirement to complete individual online journal entries using blackboard tool Tutorials Semester 1: Journal entries helped to inform tutors of levels of engagement with pre/post-workshop tasks, assisted by an assessment regime rewarding preparation, attendance, contribution (‘PAC’) (20%) Assessment Semester 2: no workshop mark for ‘Equalities’: instead a focus just on monitoring preparation for a summative exam, offering the facility of comparing performances between the semesters

11. The Contract of Employment Journal

12. Employment/Equality & SWL Findings to Date Sem 1 Greater usage of on-line systems, assisted by excellent introductory session by Lexis Nexis tutor. Marked improvements in quality of workshop contribution helped by assessing PAC (worth 20% for 15 Credit, 10% for 30 Credit) Sem 2 Less attendance/preparation in Semester 2 where there was no mark for workshop participation, attendance, contribution perhaps supporting the case for assessing PAC. Similar considerations/outcomes with SWL (also no PAC mark) Results Overall marks in Employment/Equality very good, with significant proportions of 2:1s and 1sts. The obvious comparator is with SWL where results not at such a high level.

13. Changes in 2015-16 Composition of the SWL and Employment & Equality cohorts the same or v. similar. Yet results in E & E better at all levels. Responses? Extend same assessment regime to SWL in 2015-16: then monitor the effects, results, etc Make other improvements, eg clearer guidance/ requirements on journals work

14. Planned Improvements Examples In Employment & Equality IT-enabled/enhanced activities in Workshop 2 drafting exercise: undertaken in small groups, assisted by systems in new Brindley Learning Spaces (using Smart Kapp) IT-enabled moot, with teams’ access to Wolfvision Cynap while preparing presentations, respondses, and concluding statements

15. https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/euap/ Project Blog

16. MyLawFirmExperience Level 4 and 6

21. Thanks for your kind attention!

22. References & Information JISC 2012 Developing Digital Literacies http://phoebe-guidance.conted.ox.ac.uk/ http://mivanova.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/start-pages-as-environments- for-self.html http://mivanova.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/start-pages-as-environments- for-self.html www.raceonline.2012.org http://www.susskind.com RiT Project: https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/euap/https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/euap/ Meet the Team: https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/euap/project-aims-and- objectives/meet-the-team/https://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/euap/project-aims-and- objectives/meet-the-team/ Enquiring Minds: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/research/iils/minds/ http://www.staffs.ac.uk/research/iils/minds/