Coventry University: E-Journals
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The role and impact of relying on digital technologies in contemporary legal education: an empirical study
Get PDFThis paper critically evaluates the role and impact of relying upon digital technologies to deliver legal education within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). HEIs now use and rely on digital technologies as a key component of their delivery of teaching and learning. However, despite this, many students do not have digital access. Therefore, there is the risk that some students become digitally excluded and thus unable to (fully) participate and engage with their learning. While HEIs had to rely exclusively on this delivery method during the global COVID-19 pandemic, many have now moved to a hybrid or blended approach to teaching and learning, retaining many of the digital provisions used during the pandemic. The paper seeks to investigate the risk of digital exclusion: its causes, nature, and effects.
To do this, we engage in qualitative and quantitative research to examine whether providing students with a tablet computer affects students’ perception of the learning environment, student satisfaction, student performance and attainment, and removes barriers to learning owing to digital exclusion. We critically examine our findings. Notably, we offer tangible and practical recommendations to providers and teachers of legal education to ensure that all students have digital access to promote a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for students
Liberty and the Legal Services Act: The new qualifying regime for solicitors in England
Get PDFSeeking to assure consistent standards, and to promote diversity, the solicitors profession in England has adopted two different approaches to qualification, terminating in a capstone examination. One is by a funded government apprenticeship of 5-6 years, and the other is almost entirely open. Candidates in the latter may in principle choose how to prepare for the examinations and compile the necessary work experience in up to four different organisations. This article shows how the two routes are characterised by different concepts of “liberty”. Further, it uses Fraser’s axis of recognition and retribution and Youngs’ concept of oppression, to interrogate the extent to which each is capable of contributing to a statutory obligation to promote diversity in the profession. Whilst there are overlaps, it concludes that, in principle, an apprentice achieves qualification because of their job, but a candidate in the open route may need to do so despite their job
The merits and shortcomings of the inclusion and application of the duty to make reasonable adjustments
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A Case Study in Mindfully Integrating AI Tools into Writing Classes
Get PDFThe proliferation of AI tools for text editing and generation has raised challenging but also interesting questions for writing classes. In this paper, we report on our experiences with an exercise exploring the use of AI in an academic writing class. We first outline our conceptualization of the writing process, breaking down the skills that students need to master the complex task of writing, visualized as a ‘writing pie’. This breakdown allows us to critically assess the capabilities of AI tools against our understanding of writing as a human process. We then share our experiences with an exercise with ChatGPT in an academic writing class, where students evaluate a text with respect to its academic style and suggest improvements. Students then compare their own suggestions to those made by ChatGPT and critically evaluate the output. We include both instructors’ and students’ evaluations to reflect on whether the inclusion of such exercises can aid in achieving the course’s learning outcomes. We share three key takeaways: (1) there is value to having students work with AI; (2) critical evaluation of AI output is key; (3) activities with AI should be evaluated against learning goals
Guest Editorial: Selected Papers from the 12th Conference of the European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing
Get PDFThe guest editors of this special issue of the Journal of Academic Writing present a selection of papers from the 12th Conference of the European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing, held at Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, Switzerland, on 5–7 June, 2023
Review of Chapter 5.19 of The Emerald Handbook of Research Management and Administration Around the World: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in the Baltic Countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Get PDFThis is a review of Chapter 5.19 of the Emerald Handbook, focused on Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Breaking the silence: Empirical insights on encouraging quiet students to speak out in law classes
Get PDFFor law students, actively engaging in class discussions is crucial not only for their learning but also for their future careers. However, research in legal education and my own teaching experiences reveal that a substantial number of law students remain quiet during class discussions. Existing research on why students are quiet primarily focuses on the context of US law schools, which differs from the settings of other regions in the EU or UK. Using two surveys and one reflective practice (action), this research explores the obstacles preventing quiet students from participating in discussions in the context of a Scotland law school and tries to improve their participation in class discussions. The findings reveal that the obstacles preventing quiet students from speaking out differ from those affecting active students. Quiet students are more likely hindered by subjective factors such as social anxiety or shyness, whereas active students tend to be influenced by objective factors such as whether they have prepared for class discussions. Additionally, as the semester progresses, the inhibiting effects of these obstacles on quiet students decrease significantly, compared with active students. These findings imply that strategies for encouraging quiet students should differ from those for active students. To encourage quiet students to speak up in law classes, lecturers should focus on alleviating subjective anxiety or shyness and helping them quickly become familiar with the course setting. In the end of this article, it further discusses the pedagogical value of class discussion for quite students, despite this is not their comfort zone