2024/01/29 by Coyle, Stella
paper · doi:10.21252/zeh6-dk31
This is a reflection on the teaching and assessment of the Legal Essentials module, in terms of its role in preparing Level 4 students for the rest of their Law degree. Legal Essentials is designed to provide a grounding in legal skills and the legal system, and to support students’ transition to higher education. Legal Essentials provides a foundation for the whole degree, and module assessment therefore has a Janus-like, dual-faced quality: looking back over students’ learning since joining Keele; and looking forward to what they need to engage successfully with their future studies. This paper illustrates how module and assessment design is constructively aligned and informed by pedagogic research. Design draws on self-determination theory, supporting students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness to improve engagement and motivation. It also consciously aims to capture assessment of learning, for learning, and as learning. The paper considers the challenges inherent in scaffolding the learning in Legal Essentials throughout the degree and looks forward to how skills development and meaningful assessment can be understood as belonging to the whole School community.