a guide to creating simulations for legal education
DESCRIPTION
A guide to creating your own educational simulations; it was presented by Karen Barton at the UKCLE's April 2010 OER workshop in York.TRANSCRIPT
OER Workshop:Simulation Walkthrough
Narrative (scenario, flow chart) on paper Timeline Roles Interactions Resources & Documents Variables Styles Scope: open/bound Fit with curriculum
What you need to think about first
Project idea:◦ Simulation of an ordinary civil action from the
initial contact from a client until the first mandatory court hearing
Civil Court Action
Client interview or statement Instructed to raise action for payment Fact find Draft writ Seek warrant Serve writ Further fact finding Adjust pleadings etc….
Raising an action…
Client interview or statement Instructed to raise action for payment Fact find (1 week) Draft writ (by end of week 2) Seek warrant (by end of week 2) Serve writ (by end of week 3) Further fact finding (from week 3-week 7) Adjust pleadings (by end of week 7) etc….
Raising an action…
Narrative Client interview or statement Instructed to raise action for
payment Fact find (1 week) Draft writ (by end of week 2) Seek warrant (by end of week 2) Serve writ (by end of week 3) Further fact finding (from week 3-
week 7) Adjust pleadings (by end of week
7) etc….
Raising an action…
Resources & Styles Video, statement? Memo from Senior Partner
Standard responses Style writ
Standard responses
Standard responses
Court
Pursuer Firm
Defender Firm
Roles and interactions
ClientClient
Witnesses
Non-player Character
Player Character
Player Character
Roles and interactions
Non-player character
Non-player character Non-player
characters
Draft a single document set In general, all nouns, figures, dates can be
made variable More complex variation can be introduced too Single blueprint = multiple variations
Addresses issues of:◦ plagiarism◦ re-usability ◦ collaboration◦ workload
resources and variables
event
resource
variables
single
single
multiple
Bounded field ie transaction tends to…
Open field ie transaction tends to…
Learning outcomes (LOs) & assessment
Precise learning outcomes, with simulation tasks based closely on outcomes – pre-defined LOs
Bodies of evidence required to be produced to benchmark standards, but less emphasis on pre-specified outcomes
Alignment with traditional learning & teaching methods
Teaching is aligned with tasks and outcomes, often according to an academic structure, eg lecture–seminar; learning is heavily ‘pushed’ by curriculum structure
Teaching is provided where needed according to learners’ needs, often according to a professional, just-in-time learning structure; learning is ‘pulled’ by learners
Operational model Linear domain procedures, eg predictable document chain – more operationally predictable
More varied, open or diffuse domain procedures, eg transactional guidelines but no specific document chain – less operationally predictable
Student outputs Specific documents, drafted to specific standards, eg initial writ; fixed or correct versions expected as student output
Procedures that involve a variety of documentation, or documents that cannot be specified easily in advance, eg negotiated agreements; various versions acceptable
Resources Resources are tied closely to tasks and learning outcomes – highly model driven
Simulation resources are not linked to tasks; learner needs to structure transaction through interactive querying of resources – highly learner driven
Fit with curriculum Assessment Additional learning resources (e.g. FAQs,
Forum, flow charts, lectures, surgeries etc.) Staffing
Curriculum integration
Webcasts
Tutorials Simulation
Civil Court Practice Curriculum Design
Implementation of the civil court practice curriculum
Discussion Forum & FAQs
Civil Court ActionSimulation (SIMPLE)
Practice Management Tutor
Tutor/Mentors
Civil Procedure Tutorials
Practice ManagementPage
Civil Procedure webcasts
Assessment : what are we assessing?
Professionalism Skilled performance to benchmarked levels Substantive knowledge of law Procedural knowledge Many other categories of assessable experience Purpose of assessment:
◦ Formative (feedback and feedforward)◦ Summative
Think of a concept where both the workspace and a space of learning co-exist, eg, between master & apprentice.
1. Discrete tasks, eg drafting, letter-writing, research (Private Client)
2. Whole file + performative skill (PI Negotiation)
3. Tasks + whole file (Conveyancing)4. Tasks + file + performative skill (Civil Court
Practice)
how are we assessing?
Set context (or not: let student figure that out – the clearing in the forest…)
Set task (but in how much detail? Supported with templates? Guidelines? Commented examples?)
Design feedforward (but don’t do the task for students)
Deadline a task (bearing all contextual factors in mind)
Task completed (and sent to staff in role) Feedback on task (by staff in role) Debrief (either in role or out of role)
1. tasks
Holistic assessment of document chain Bodies of evidence generally, but can
embed critical points of assessment, eg report to client, speech plan, etc
Preparation for performative skill, including overlap with other skills – eg relation of legal research to professional negotiation.
2. whole file + performative skill
Specific tasks are the foreground, eg draft the completion certificate…
… but must complete entire file process. No completion, no competence.
Tasks may shadow tutorial work or precede tutorial work or neither
How many attempts at each task?
3. tasks + whole file
Most complex, most authentic and most demanding
Potentially 1-3 plus more – eg performative skill can be assessed in role.
4. tasks + whole file + performative skill
Eg Civil Court Action:◦ Sim mentor: passes information in real time; takes all
fictional roles including client, court and senior partner (instructs, praises, warns, & cd be ethically treacherous), e-comm only: student responses are assessed
◦ Surgery/tutorial mentor: gives detailed feedforward on task, f2f, out of role: responses not assessed
◦ Discussion forum: gives detailed feedforward on task, e-comm, out of role: responses not assessed
◦ Practice Manager: gives coaching on firm experiences, in role: support & coaching not assessed, but the result is…
use of interleaved learning support& assessment