Evaluating the Use of Online Systems & Learning Materials in the Development and Deployment of Students’ Research & Research-Related Skills

The presentation was given at a symposium of university law lecturers organised by publishers Routledge and hosted by Northumbria University Law School. The symposium comprised a group of contributors to a planned publishing project - part of a series being developed by Routledge. Papers provided an outline and update of projects concerned with HE Law pedagogy. The Staffordshire University RiT project's paper outlined project aims and objectives, and then provided an up to date report of initiatives taken to provide better, more structured approaches to the use of on-line systems. As well as considering aspects like training, workshop support, collaboration with on-line systems providers, and the design of workshop activities, the focus has been on providing better opportunities for developing and deploying pre-workshop and in-workshop research and allied skills (reflection, analysis, teamwork, and communication, among others). Consideration was given, to the vital support provided by publishers including Lexis Nexis and Pearson, for example in tracking usage by students of systems as part of their module programmes and teaching and learning activities. As discussed in the paper, 2016-17 project work has also been looking closely at the use of journal-keeping as a means of tracking evidence of research work and reflection (and reflective tasks) undertaken by students. Going forward, the project team will be evaluating the impact on performance and results of raising the mark given to students for evidence of preparation, contribution, reflection, and communication. The paper went on to consider a further strand of the project since 2015, namely work being done in collaboration with Pearson on MyLegalExperience (MLX). Besides evaluating work-in-progress and research results it is anticipated that the project team's contribution to the planned book will build on themes from previous RiT outputs, particularly in the areas of information and digital literacies (see RiT Information and Outputs in the accompanying PPT slides).