Insights from Pre COVID-19 Perceptions of Law Students on Four Learning Methods: Implications for Future Design of Blended Learning

Autor/inn/en	Heart, Tsipi; Finklestein, Elad; Cohen, Menashe
Titel	Insights from Pre COVID-19 Perceptions of Law Students on Four Learning Methods: Implications for Future Design of Blended Learning
Quelle	In: Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 30 (2022) 1, S.32-50 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0968-4883
DOI	10.1108/QAE-12-2020-0169
Schlagwörter	Law Students; Legal Education (Professions); Contracts; Blended Learning; Electronic Learning; Writing Assignments; Simulation; Experiential Learning; Synchronous Communication; Independent Study; Lecture Method; Instructional Effectiveness; Gender Differences; Foreign Countries; Israel + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Juristischer Beruf; Vertrag; Simulation program; Simulationsprogramm; Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Selbststudium; Unterrichtserfolg; Geschlechterkonflikt; Ausland
Abstract	Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess students' perceptions of four teaching and learning (T&L) methods used in a blended learning Contract Law course, namely, frontal, written assignments, simulations and online asynchronous T&L. Design/methodology/approach: Law students (n = 417) filled in an anonymous questionnaire on their relative satisfaction with the four methods and their preferences. Participation was voluntary. The questionnaire was administered at the end of term, in class, prior to the COVID-19 restrictions. The results were calculated using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Findings: The students preferred face-to-face T&L in class and ranked online T&L last. Notably, 84% preferred blended learning combining all four methods. These results suggest that the online T&L for this Contract Law course setting was unsuccessful and that teachers should experiment with blending various T&L methods to maximize learning effectiveness and students' satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: The results only reflect one course in one year among law students, thus affecting the generalizability of the findings. This is further exacerbated by the convenience sample and the fact that only one type of blending was evaluated. Overall, the findings indicated that the survey participants were not yet ready to embrace online T&L as a primary component of blended T&L. Practical implications: This study Alternative online solutions should be sought to foster social learning when face-to-face learning is not feasible for reasons, such as geographic distance, students' disabilities or the current pandemic that prohibits social gatherings. This conclusion is particularly pertinent with respect to the impact of COVID-19 on face-to-face learning. Designers of blended learning programs should listen more carefully to students' voices, and bear in mind that minimizing face-to-face T&L for various reasons might jeopardize students' satisfaction, which is likely to decrease learning effectiveness. Social implications: It is important that students' perceptions be considered when building future T&L programs, especially students' need for collaborative and social learning. Originality/value: This study assessed four T&L methods administered in one course during the pre-COVID-19 era. This setting, which is rare, enabled a real-life assessment of the effectiveness of these popular methods as perceived by students. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01