Integrating Academic Assistance Into the Casebook Classroom - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Integrating Academic Assistance Into the Casebook Classroom

Courtney G. Lee

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law

Jeff

Minneti

Stetson University College of LawSlide2

Objectives

Understand variables associated with integrating academic assistance into casebook courses and evaluate how the variables may play out in your program

Consider an approach to integrating academic assistance into the casebook classroom

Become familiar with formative and summative assessment strategies that measure academic skill acquisition as well as substantive understanding

Discuss methods for encouraging other faculty members to incorporate academic assistance skills into their classroomsSlide3

So What’s this Presentation Really About?Slide4

Variables to Consider

Course Subject

Required or elective

Bar tested or non-bar tested

Forum for Delivery of Academic Assistance

Casebook course or supplement to casebook course

Enrollment

1L, 2L, and/or 3L

Voluntary or involuntary

Mixed ability levels or exclusively struggling students

Managing stigma

Class Size

Small or large

Instructor

Full-time vs.

a

djunctSlide5

Course Subjects

Required vs. Elective Courses

Enrollment Draw

Materials

Content/Coverage

Bar Subjects vs. Non-Bar

S

ubjects

Skills Transfer

Enrollment Draw

Materials Available

Content/Coverage

Utility to Out-of-State Bar ApplicantsSlide6

Forum for Delivery of ASP Skills

Casebook Course vs. Supplemental Course

Integration of skills and substance in materials

Substantive coverage concerns

Course/professor credibility

Exposure to all or some students

Stigma

Perception of students not enrolled Slide7

Enrollment

First Year

Early intervention

GPA-based motivation

Possible mislabeling of “late bloomers”

Upper Level

Proximity to bar exam

Demonstrated need for assistanceLack of motivation Slide8

Enrollment

Voluntary vs. Required

Stigma

Reaching students that need help

Unmotivated students’ affect on class

Attrition concerns

Mixed Ability Levels vs. Exclusively At-Risk

Effects on class discussion, grading curve, instruction pace/coverage, stigma

C

lass size Slide9

Enrollment

Managing Stigma

Messaging

Emphasize that legal education is a transformative process, not a race with winners and losers

Encourage students to set academic goals focused on best efforts and mastery of material, not specific grades

Emphasize that law school and the legal profession have room for individuals with a variety of gifts

Programming

Provide some level of academic assistance programming to all students, not just those at risk or who struggle academically

Integrating

Find ways to get involved in the law school community beyond your work with at risk and struggling studentsSlide10

Class Size

Large vs. Small

Diversity of viewpoints in class discussion

Effectiveness of small-group work

Ease of assessment/providing feedback

Ability to tailor instruction to students’ needs

Formal vs. informal environment

Ability of students to “hide” Slide11

Instructor

Full-time vs. Adjunct

Expertise

Institutional knowledge

Accessibility

Commitment to course

CostSlide12

Variables to ConsiderSlide13

Review & Application to Your School

Course Subject

Required or elective

Bar tested or non-bar tested

Forum for Delivery of Academic Assistance

Casebook course or supplement to casebook course

Enrollment

1L, 2L, and/or 3L

Voluntary or involuntary

Mixed ability levels or exclusively struggling students

Managing stigma

Class Size

Small or large

Instructor

Full-time vs. adjunctSlide14

Integrating ASP & the Casebook Classroom

Craft learning objectives that focus on the academic skills and substantive content you seek to develop

S

equence the objectives

Tie the academic skill objectives to casebook content objectives Slide15

Crafting & Sequencing Learning Objectives

Academic Assistance Skills

Derive rule statements from cases

Distinguish between rule statements and policy statements in cases

Synthesize rule structures from cases

Generate an outline of a legal topic

Annotate a course outline with case descriptions

Draft an effective explanation of law for an exam response

Draft an effective application of law to fact

Use cases to support legal argument

Use policy to support outcome predictionsSlide16

Crafting & Sequencing Learning Objectives

Casebook Content Skills

State the three-part test for testator capacity

Explain the elements of undue influence

Apply the elements of undue influence to a fact patternSlide17

Link Skills & Casebook Content

O

bjectives

Derive the three-part test for testator capacity from

American Red Cross v. Estate of Haynsworth

Use the courts’ opinions in

Carpenter v. Carpenter

,

Hack v. James

,

RBC Ministries v. Tompkins

,

Carter v. Carter

, and

Taragian v. Watt

to synthesize the rule structure for undue influence

Generate an annotated outline of undue influence in light of the courts’ opinions

Through a mock client interview, assess whether a client’s testamentary plan is the product of undue influence Slide18

Assessment Strategies Linking Skills & Casebook Content

Formative

Observations during class

Review of case briefs and outlines

Individual or small group conferences

Feedback on ungraded practice questions

Clickers or other surveys

Lawyering-skill exercises

Graded/ungraded quizzesSlide19

Assessment Strategies Linking Skills & Casebook Content

Summative

Exam

Lawyering-skill exercises

Could use in place of traditional response to practice questionSlide20

Encouraging Other Faculty Members

Informal advocacy

Build relationships with casebook professors

Talk with casebook professors about assisting struggling students

Provide workshops for casebook professors

Team-teach workshop(s) with

c

asebook professors

Formal advocacy

Make integration of skills part of strategic plan

Participate on faculty committees

Develop/revise academic policies to reflect integration of academic policies Slide21

Objectives Review

Understand variables associated with integrating academic assistance into casebook courses and evaluate how the variables may play out in their programs

Consider an approach to integrating academic assistance into the casebook classroom

Become familiar with formative and summative assessment strategies that measure academic skill acquisition as well as substantive understanding

Discuss methods for encouraging other faculty members to incorporate academic assistance skills into their classroomsSlide22

Final Product