Curriculum renewal in legal education: Final Report 2013 (original) (raw)

Sydney VSLE Virtual situated learning environments WEI Work experience in industry WIL Work-integrated learning Curriculum renewal in legal education 6 Glossary Experiential learning refers to "the process whereby people engage in direct encounter, then purposefully reflect upon, validate, transform, give personal meaning to and seek to integrate their different ways of knowing. Experiential learning therefore enables the discovery of possibilities that may not be evident from direct experience alone" (Weil and McGill 1989, 248). Internship is defined as "any carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what is being learned throughout the experience" (Abeysekera 2006, 10). 'Magnet' capstone experiences refers "to capstone experiences that are discipline-specific and that, like a magnet attracting precious metal, pull together the richness of content from the discipline in a summative manner" (Rowles, Koch, Hundley and Hamilton 2004, 13). 'Mandate' capstone experiences refer "to capstone experiences that are organized around meeting the needs of an external constituency, typically when licensure, certification, or other circumstances require that competences be mastered and demonstrated in a summative manner" (Rowles et al 2004, 14). 'Mountaintop' capstone experiences refer to capstone experiences that are interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary in nature (Rowles et al 2004, 13). Practical legal training in Australia refers to "training in the knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes necessary for the performance of legal work. The PLT requirement is additional to the academic requirement for admission" to practise as an Australian lawyer (Butt 2004, 335). The PLT Competency Standards for Entry-level lawyers are available on the LACC website at http://www.lawcouncil.asn.au/lacc/documents/admission\_policies.cfm. Problem-based learning refers to a "method of learning in which the learners first encounter a problem, followed by a systematic, student centred enquiry process" (Webb, Mennin and Schwartz 2001, i). This form of learning requires "students [to] assemble and organize the facts of the case and decide how to handle it, through a process of free inquiry, reasoning, and decision-making. Students generally direct their own learning, guided by teachers, the selection and design of the problems, and the program objectives. The problems, not a set syllabus, provide the stimulus and the framework for learning. Knowledge is acquired through self-directed study and small group discussions, rather than through lectures. Problem solving skills are developed, as are communication skills" (Kurtz, Wylie and Gold 1990, 799). Project-based learning refers to a learning practice where tasks are designed to reflect actual practice. It differs from problem-based learning as the emphasis is placed on the development of an end product, rather than the problem solving process. It is common in this approach for actual companies or employers to put forward project ideas, and for representatives from the client organisations to assess the project outcomes in partnership with the university (Bove and Davies 2009). Team-based approaches are typical, and there is often complex interaction with actual workplaces. These are sometimes referred to as 'living cases' in undergraduate law (Kerka 2001, 4).