Slides for the presentation by Grier Palmer, Cath Lambert and Jonathan Heron (University of Warwick) at LILAC 2009.

1. Helping law students viaspaces and performance Career and key/soft skills Critical issues Critical thinking Grier Palmer, Warwick Business School. Cath Lambert, Reinvention Centre and Sociology. Jonny Heron, Capital Centre; and Fail Better Productions

2. PREVIOUS FEEDBACK 07/08 “Very much enjoyed, which I’m not sure every one did. I liked that it wasn’t about theories and knowledge like in the business school ….. presentations were stressful, but end product was very good.” 07/08 “In terms of improving groupwork and presentation skills, the module was very useful. However, a clearer 'syllabus' would be helpful because the structure and content of the course was sometimes unclear” 07/08 “Unique style picking up on skills and learning techniques foreign to most modules” 07/08 “It would be good if there was more substantive feedback and more tutor guidance. … I know that it might be against the student centred learning objective but guidance could help a student see the "bigger picture" and think out of the box easier.” 07/08

3. PREVIOUS FEEDBACK 07/08 “This module is an absolute joke, a complete waste of my time turning up to this every week…. I have finished this module still having no idea what "thinking critically" really means and nor do I have any desire to know what it is as it has had no impact on my life, university speaking or otherwise. “ 07/08 Apart from developing presentation skills I don't think I have learnt anything of substance. “ 07/08 “I wouldn't say I learned a huge amount of knowledge; what I enjoyed and did learn a lot in this module are skills and a different way of thinking. “ 07/08

4. LILI 2006: Academic cultures and student learningMoving outside the box: teaching Undergraduates Reflective and Critical thinking - 1. Educational Innovation given HE context of strong influences and educational tensions, what pedagogic strategies should University Law Teachers adopt to achieve ‘illuminated’ students using Critical and Reflective approaches? 2. Educational Action Research what teaching designs and classroom practices can successfully create different and innovative kinds of learning experiences, to counter-balance the apparently instrumental approaches of many Students?

5. Moving outside the box: teaching Undergraduates Reflective and Critical thinking – REFLECTIONS LONG ESSAY ‘Critical Issues in Law and Management’ Pedagogic Strategy: 1. Group process; 2. Critical Reflection; 3. Student led, process driven Activities and Assessment: Case study presentations in syndicate teams (20% marks); (‘Book’ review group discussions) individual written review (20%); 2 individual written reflections, at the end of each term (20%); and a ‘Long’ Essay (40%) at the end of the module. NO EXAMS! NO LECTURES! BOOK REVIEWS CASES

6. Moving outside the box: teaching Undergraduates Reflective and Critical thinking A Preliminary Balance sheet of the CILM Module Students as Students + Self direction; Personal awareness; Communication, Group skills. (More presenting and teamwork than Criticality? Year 3 thinking quality?) Also Teachers The Schools/University Students as Adults Employers’ intake

7. LILI 2006: Academic cultures and student learning‘Moving outside the box’: teaching Undergraduates Reflective and Critical thinking - CILM NEXT STEPS? Continue Educational Innovation: Holistic, go back to year 2 Look for Change allies ** Review design and delivery** Promote more Increase Educational Action Research** Interview Students, Alumni Survey in vivo Peer observation** Analyse other data and documents ** and You??

8. Moving outside the box: teaching Undergraduates Reflective and Critical thinking A Preliminary Balance sheet of the CILM Module Students as Students + Self direction; Personal awareness; Communication, Group skills. (More presenting and teamwork than Criticality? Year 3 thinking quality?) Also Teachers The Schools/University Students as Adults Employers’ intake

9. CILM Assessment? Book rev 1 Book rev 2 (30 Cats) Book rev 3 Assd Book review & Reflection A reflective piece, mid course (10%) Assessed coursework: a group Case presentation (20%) A book review and reflection (20% + 10%) A Case based long essay (40%). Assd Case Long Essay

10. CRITICAL THINKING & ‘Book’ Reviews A suggested approach for your review is summarise the key themes. identify issues arising reflect critically on these

12. Tutors; and Reinvention team* Peter Dilip Brian Elisabeth*, alsoTutor Danny* Jonny Cath*

13. CILM in new Spaces Capital Centre, with Jonny Heron (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning): in the Studio Reinvention Centre and social learning:“both teacher and student are engaged in an active, collective and collaborative process of knowledge construction, production and dissemination” Teaching Grid

17. CILM and performance Capital Centre, with Jonny Heron (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning): in the Studio

18. CILM in new Spaces Capital Centre, with Jonny Heron (Creativity and Performance in Teaching and Learning): in the Studio Reinvention Centre and social learning:“both teacher and student are engaged in an active, collective and collaborative process of knowledge construction, production and dissemination” Teaching Grid

19. Results? 2 Focus groups Our and tutors’ observations Students’ reflective assignments Students’ reflective mid point workshop Impact of ‘theatre’ - presentations include staging, roles, working with the audience Confidence increasing in discussions, trying out new, working with group dynamics Some sceptical awareness of texts and going below the surface meaning

20. Reflections. Next steps Synergy of interventions! Students’ worlds, vocabularies, values Critical material, media? Development of academics and tutors E- Intermediation (facebook) Productive stimulus of Practitioner/Action research (but students?) Assessment of heavier assignments (cases, book reviews) Post course feedback Reinvention research Sowing seeds in year 2 Sustaining the interventions? Exporting the lessons?