Problem Solving Discussion During Lecture

Name: Sue Milne

As originally suggested by Professor Vicki Waye

Field or discipline: Law
Program: Bachelor of Law
Course: Contract Law
Year level: 1
Class size: 30-80
Activity type: Problem solving discussion during lecture
Aim: Learning the principles, graduate qualities, problems solving skills, team work

Description: Mid-lecture, after discussion of a substantive topic, students are put into small groups (between 4 and 5 students) and given a set of problem scenarios. The lecturer moves between groups to facilitate discussions if required and when groups are faced with a similar difficulty, bring the discussion back to the whole class for a time, and then continue with problem in small groups.

Application: Often each group has a leader who dominates the discussion. This person however is usually articulate and has good problem solving skills. Therefore, they do provide another point of learning for other students in the group. Group dynamics need to be monitored.

Group Work During Tutorial

Name: Emma Fabbro

Activity type: Group work during tutorial

Aim: To reach every student within the tutorial on a one on one basis and gauge their knowledge and understanding.

Description: Give students a past exam question to work on for a few minutes in the tutorial. While they are working on the question walk around the room to each group and talk one on one to students. This gives students who would not normally speak up in a larger group the opportunity to communicate and talk to you. The discussion helps with exam revision.

Application: Provides individual student contact but other students may not stay on task. It may also become loud.

Interactive Challenge

Activity type: Interactive Challenge

Aim: To provide a comfortable environment for students to apply theoretical knowledge to clinical scenarios. Provide information to students in meaningful ways. Encourage thought on subtle protocol variations between staff and departments. Discuss activities undertaken to provide feedback and facilitate self-reflection. Improve class confidence prior to placement. The student objectives were to identify areas of deficit in clinical skills and to demonstrate ability to apply theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. This task gave student simulated experience in general practice to challenge their knowledge base and help them to gain confidence.

Description: As part of preclinical session, a PowerPoint file making use of hyperlinks shows images of a skeleton (for surface anatomy) and a simulated field of view over the top in three different positions. The students are asked questions relating to the images. Selected answers link to a discussion. Some options for correcting poor choices are also discussed together with other questions and challenges. Following this 30 minute session, the class discusses the questions and the processes.

Pre-assessment Task to Improve Learning Outcomes

Activity type: Group research project

Aim: Development of analytical, team work, brainstorming and time management skills, and subject knowledge.

Description: Students were given articles to read allowing them to develop their subject knowledge. They then used this new knowledge to develop arguments and form opinions and were then given the opportunity to present an opinion based on the information they had gathered. After completion of this task they attended a 2 hour lecture relating to the same topic. The students were able to link their ideas to the lecture more productively and consolidate their understanding of the topic, leading to better learning outcomes on subsequent assessment tasks.

Drafting a Human Rights Bill

Name: Lori Kambitsis


Field or discipline: BUT
Program: Bachelor of Law
Course: Law, Society and Justice
Year level: 1
Class size: 20
Activity type: Drafting a Human Rights Bill

Aim: Develop graduate qualities 1,2,3,4 and 6

Description:
The class is divided into small groups and directed to draft a clause/provision that the group unanimously agree should be part of the Australian Bill of Rights. It is best to have a few suggestions clauses available, i.e. free education, right to marriage. Pre-reading is a must for students to understand the foundations of civil rights in various countries.

Preparation
Break into groups of 3 & request groups allocate positions

1. Scribe
2. Speaker
3. Timekeeper
   (5 mins)
   

Drafting – direct students to:

1. Decide upon clause
2. Note pros and cons of such clause in a Bill of Rights (10 mins)
3. Draft clause, including Exclusions, Definitions, Conditions and Sanctions
   (20 mins)
   
   

Report - Class to report at mock senior officer’s meeting:

1. Pros and cons of including the draft clause into a BOR
2. Methodology of drafting to avoid ambiguity, relevance now and into the future
3. Difficulties with this exercise
4. Which tools/resources do you require in order to complete this activity properly – (e.g. legislation access to internet, social views, economic position etc)
   (20 mins)
   

Staff role is to walk around to each group and facilitate critical thinking:

• Expose ambiguities
• Raise issues
• Support and validate good work
• Keep them on track
• Question their work, make observations etc.
  

Drafting Brief for students
You are a policy officer in the Attorney-General’s Department. You are asked to draft one clause for a Bill of Rights for Australia over the next 20 minutes.
Prepare a draft clause and be prepared to discuss, at a senior officer’s meeting, the following:

1. Why the draft clause should be included along with suggestions to overcome likely objections to its inclusion
2. How the clause is unambiguous, relevant now and will be suitable for the future
3. The difficulties you as a group experienced in undertaking this task
4. Which tools/ resources would assist to make this task easier.
   

Application
Allows students to:

• build relationships with each other by working collaboratively
• appreciate the complexity of drafting
• be aware of how social and historical underpinnings of a country can effect legislating
• realise the policy implications of legislating
• comprehend the difference between negative and positive human rights and as a result the impacts and effects on social economic and political imperatives of government when drafting legislation.
• develop written communicative and legal writing skills in particular understanding the complexity of language requirements in drafting and the need to write clearly and concisely –i.e. articulate yet plain and simple
• develop and refine critical thinking skills

Allows opportunity to facilitate student learning rather than default to a mini-lecture. It is fun and gives a taste of what the vocation of law can involve.

Professional Awareness

Name: Rosanne Crouch

Field or discipline: Nursing
Program: Bachelor of Nursing
Year level: 2-3
Class size: 30
Activity type: Presentation

Aim: To have the students become aware of their own profession when compared/contrasted with another health profession.

Description: This was a group activity that I participated in as a student involving four students interviewing a professional from another health discipline. We were required to contrast and compare this professional’s health discipline with our own discipline. The interview was video-taped and a presentation was given to the rest of the class.

This task helped the students to be aware of other health professionals’:
· Academic requirements
· Legal requirements
· Work requirements

Application: There were some issues with the access to, and knowledge of using equipment. The small time frame available also made this task difficult.

I am not able to recall who the lecturer was who developed this task but as a participant, I believe it was a very valuable and engaging experience.