Scenario-based Learning corporate law

Your name: Not provided

Field or discipline: Law
Program: LLB
Course: Corporate Law
Year level: 2 to 3
Class size: 280, divided into 9 tutorial groups
Activity type: tutorial activity

Description: Each tutorial to was in turn divided into groups of five students. the groups of five students represented a particular stakeholder in a corporate law scenario involving an executive remuneration package that depended on cost savings generated by redundancies. The stakeholder groups included 1) the directors, 2) shareholders, 3) creditors, 4) employees, 5) regulators and 6) law reform bodies. The learning exercise was spread over three weeks.

In week 1 students were required to outline the role of their stakeholder group in corporate governance; to explain what corporate governance meant.
In week two students had to outline their stakeholders concerned in regard to the executive the reunion oration proposal and their groups legal rights and responsibilities
in week three groups needed to discuss how Law promoted or protected the group's role in executive remuneration and suggest changes in law reform.

The exercise was assessed formatively and summatively. Formative assessment - each group posted material to group discussion boards for each activity weekly. Groups compared with the answers with answers given by other stakeholders and also received formative feedback from staff. Each group was required to certify the contribution of each group member. Summative assessment consisted of a reflective journal submitted by individual students comprising three compulsory questions and other questions that reflected their role as stakeholders in the exercises.

Learning outcomes of course improves substantially but, SET results were very mixed. This suggests that great effort was required in explaining the rationale and outcomes of exercise to students. Also assessment required greater integration into formal teaching and learning program.

Application: Professional-based scenarios work well in most disciplines.