Developing online legal communities

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate the use of a closed community for first year law students. The purpose of the closed community, which could be a wiki or a discussion board, is twofold. The first purpose is to assist new undergraduates in making the transition to University. Research tells us that socialising is an important part of this transition. A second purpose is to encourage students to learn from each other but to understand when the line is crossed and plagiarism results. The use of social networks for learning is an interesting subject for study both for its potential pedagogic value and as a means of developing “employability”, particularly for those considering a career as in‐house counsel.Design/methodology/approachThis paper will evaluate three projects which aimed at establishing closed online communities.FindingsFrom the authors' project results there seems to be a direct correlation between student interaction, student learning and assessment. It seems clear that student learning will not, of itself, be facilitated through the use of an online community. The learning is interlinked with student perceptions of a tangible benefit, usually in the form of an assessment item.Originality/valueThis paper will be of interest to those considering new methods of encouraging use of virtual networks to promote student learning.

Development of a rubric to assess student participation in an online discussion board

“…How educators provide social learning opportunities, and ensure student participation, in online university courses, is a current teaching challenge. Mandating participation can lead to student dissatisfaction if they perceive the exercise to be of little value or the required extra work has no marks attached (Blissenden, Clarke, & Strevens, 2012). Formally assessing participation in the discussion board is based on the notion that assessment is a key driver for student learning (Biggs & Tang, 2011;Matheson, Wilkinson, & Gilhooly, 2012).…”

Innovative E-Therapy Service in Higher Education: Mobile Application Design

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