A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning is the ability of students to perform in the wor... more A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning is the ability of students to perform in the work place. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of work integrated learning should include an assessment of students’ actual workplace capabilities. Apart from pedagogical issues, feedback from students indicates that they expect performance in the work place to count significantly towards the assessment of work integrated learning. The assessment of students’ capabilities in legal internships is, however, problematic. It will be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess capability if there is a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of capability is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of capability is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependant on the individual supervisor and may be unreliabl...
ABSTRACT This article considers how law schools can facilitate the development of technology skil... more ABSTRACT This article considers how law schools can facilitate the development of technology skills by using technology to enhance access to mooting in settings that replicate legal practice. The authors conducted research into the use of technology by Australian law schools for mooting and evaluated an internal mooting competition using Elluminate, an online communication platform available to students through Blackboard. The analysis of the results of the survey and the Elluminate competition will demonstrate that technology can be used in mooting to provide an authentic learning experience. The paper concludes that while it is essential to teach technology skills as part of legal education, it is important that the benefits of using technology are made clear in order for it to be accepted and embraced by the students. Technology must also be available to all students considering the widening participation in higher education and consequent increasing diversity of law students. I INTRODUCTION The use of technology for purposes such as communication and document management has become essential to legal practice, with practitioners and courts increasingly relying on various forms of technology. 1 The emergence of a newly constructed digital social space and the adoption of electronic forms of communication in the wider community have led to electronic communications technology becoming relatively commonplace in the courts and legal firms. Lawyers therefore need to be able to understand and use modern technology in order to communicate effectively for the purposes of legal practice. Accordingly, where legal education purports to prepare graduates for legal practice, technology skills are an essential learning outcome. In addition to the need for graduates to have technology skills, different forms of technology are increasingly used in legal education for pedagogical reasons. Online learning assists students in becoming more flexible and enhances the ability to understand and adapt to change. 2 Given the importance of these dual purposes in using technology in legal education, consideration should be given to whether students have equitable access to technological skills development. The increased diversity of law students, both in terms of socio-economic circumstances and study mode, expected to result from the widening participation agenda, brings the equity issue * Law Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. The authors would like to thank Louise Young, their research assistant for the project, for invaluable assistance in the Elluminate Moot and surveys.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02602938 2011 618878, Feb 1, 2013
ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professiona... more ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professional competence, the ability of students to perform in the workplace. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of WIL should include an assessment of students’ demonstration of professional competence in the workplace. The assessment of professional competence in WIL is, however, problematic. It may be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess professional competence if there are a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of professional competence is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of professional competency is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependent on the individual supervisor and may be unreliable. This paper will examine the literature relating to the assessment of professional competence in WIL. The paper will be informed by the author’s experience in coordinating a WIL subject in an undergraduate law course. It will recommend that a mix of evidence provided by the student, the workplace supervisor and the academic supervisor should be used to assess professional competence in WIL.
A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning is the ability of students to perform in the wor... more A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning is the ability of students to perform in the work place. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of work integrated learning should include an assessment of students’ actual workplace capabilities. Apart from pedagogical issues, feedback from students indicates that they expect performance in the work place to count significantly towards the assessment of work integrated learning. The assessment of students’ capabilities in legal internships is, however, problematic. It will be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess capability if there is a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of capability is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of capability is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependant on the individual supervisor and may be unreliabl...
ABSTRACT This article considers how law schools can facilitate the development of technology skil... more ABSTRACT This article considers how law schools can facilitate the development of technology skills by using technology to enhance access to mooting in settings that replicate legal practice. The authors conducted research into the use of technology by Australian law schools for mooting and evaluated an internal mooting competition using Elluminate, an online communication platform available to students through Blackboard. The analysis of the results of the survey and the Elluminate competition will demonstrate that technology can be used in mooting to provide an authentic learning experience. The paper concludes that while it is essential to teach technology skills as part of legal education, it is important that the benefits of using technology are made clear in order for it to be accepted and embraced by the students. Technology must also be available to all students considering the widening participation in higher education and consequent increasing diversity of law students. I INTRODUCTION The use of technology for purposes such as communication and document management has become essential to legal practice, with practitioners and courts increasingly relying on various forms of technology. 1 The emergence of a newly constructed digital social space and the adoption of electronic forms of communication in the wider community have led to electronic communications technology becoming relatively commonplace in the courts and legal firms. Lawyers therefore need to be able to understand and use modern technology in order to communicate effectively for the purposes of legal practice. Accordingly, where legal education purports to prepare graduates for legal practice, technology skills are an essential learning outcome. In addition to the need for graduates to have technology skills, different forms of technology are increasingly used in legal education for pedagogical reasons. Online learning assists students in becoming more flexible and enhances the ability to understand and adapt to change. 2 Given the importance of these dual purposes in using technology in legal education, consideration should be given to whether students have equitable access to technological skills development. The increased diversity of law students, both in terms of socio-economic circumstances and study mode, expected to result from the widening participation agenda, brings the equity issue * Law Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. The authors would like to thank Louise Young, their research assistant for the project, for invaluable assistance in the Elluminate Moot and surveys.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 02602938 2011 618878, Feb 1, 2013
ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professiona... more ABSTRACT A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professional competence, the ability of students to perform in the workplace. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of WIL should include an assessment of students’ demonstration of professional competence in the workplace. The assessment of professional competence in WIL is, however, problematic. It may be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess professional competence if there are a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of professional competence is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of professional competency is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependent on the individual supervisor and may be unreliable. This paper will examine the literature relating to the assessment of professional competence in WIL. The paper will be informed by the author’s experience in coordinating a WIL subject in an undergraduate law course. It will recommend that a mix of evidence provided by the student, the workplace supervisor and the academic supervisor should be used to assess professional competence in WIL.
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Papers by Judith McNamara