1. Dr Eleanor Drywood
Liverpool Law School

2.  LAW 335 Asylum and Immigration Law
 3rd year optional module, available to
students on the LLB Law programme
 Ran for first time in 2010-11, relatively rare
option amongst comparator law schools
 Adopted a ‘new teaching model’ and
innovative method of assessment

3.  12 weekly seminars, 50 mins:
prescriptive/directed reading set in advance;
short tasks (e.g. questions for
reflection, notes on a particular area) (i.e. no
lectures)
 Five topics, each with a ‘knowledge and
understanding seminar’ and a ‘skills seminar’
 Assessment is via a ‘portfolio’ (MCQs, advice
letter, traditional essay) to test, and reward, a
range of legal skills

6.  The nature of the subject:
 Rapidly changing
 Heavily statute based
 Characteristics of the student cohort:
 Experienced law students
 Existing interest in the area

7.  The seminars felt very positive:
 Students seemed engaged and level of critical discussion
was high
 Very enjoyable to teach
 Mid-session feedback was good:
 48% were ‘very happy’ with the module; 39% were ‘fairly
happy’ with the module
 In particular: opportunity for discussion, contemporary
relevance of module, varied teaching
methods, momentum generated by weekly seminars
 Results were excellent:
 I – 30%; 2:i – 49%; 2:ii – 20%; 3 – 1%
 Range: 49% - 81%

8.  Students need more direction to offset the
lack of lectures
 Topic summaries?
 Podcasts?
 More focused tasks?
 Sessions need to be longer
 Increase to 90mins in 2010/11
 Content/skills split overly artificial

9.  The importance of flexible teaching models
to accommodate both the peculiarities of the
subject and the strengths of the teacher
 Removal of ‘safety blanket’ provided by
traditional teaching needs to be offset by
clear expectations, organised teaching etc.
 Can modules be a victim of their own
success?

10.  Background: law modules are traditionally assessed
through an exam or coursework, consisting of a
combination of essay and problem questions
 LAW 335 Asylum and Immigration Law ‘assessment
portfolio’:
 Multiple-choice test: 10% of module mark (threshold marking);
10 questions to be completed online over 90 minutes during
Week 6
 Advice letter: 40% of module mark; 1000 words, submitted at
the end of Week 10 (beginning of Easter vacation)
 Essay question: 50% of module mark; 1500 words, submitted in
Week 13
 Each component marked separately, but final mark given to the
portfolio as a whole