Creating a Healthy Group Work Learning Environment in Law Classes

Olivia Cate Rundle

doi:10.5204/qutlr.v14i1.519

Abstract

This article shares details of the design and implementation of group learning in a law dispute resolution unit. Teamwork was an essential component of the group learning experience. In planning the unit, the way in which students would be prepared to work in groups, the means of group formation, group learning activities and the assessment regime were all designed to provide a positive learning experience. Opportunities to build competence, to connect with peers and to exercise autonomy were all part of the learning design. The article reports students’ experiences of their group learning, confirming that the pedagogical design did indeed promote students’ senses of competence, connection, belonging and autonomy. Each of these factors has been associated, in both theory and empirical findings, with enhanced student wellbeing

Highlights

This article concerns the use of group work in law school as a mechanism that may form a small part of an overall strategy to promote student wellbeing
This study provides a glimpse of the experiences of students at a law school and identifies some pedagogical features that may promote positive experience, which have implications for wellbeing
Learning group reports confirmed that it had the desired effect for many students: It became quickly evident that despite our cultural differences, we all shared many common interests and attitudes, both in intra and extracurricular contexts. The benefit of these commonalities cannot be overstated, as they enabled us to quickly transition into a functioning group and to rapidly overcome the initial misgivings inherent in unacquainted-members group work. Through their group objectives outlined in their learning group reports, students demonstrated a desire to maximise the opportunity for positive experiences of working in a group, such as connectedness and competence

Summary

Introduction

This article concerns the use of group work in law school as a mechanism that may form a small part of an overall strategy to promote student wellbeing. The evidence presented in this article shows that the group work pedagogy in the author’s teaching practice provided opportunities for students to have a positive learning experience. Students’ assignments provided qualitative data that demonstrated the generally positive experience of group learning. This study provides a glimpse of the experiences of students at a law school and identifies some pedagogical features that may promote positive experience, which have implications for wellbeing. The article does not attempt to measure the psychological impact of the strategies discussed, but merely reports a snapshot of students’ experiences of their group learning. The wellbeing related factors of relatedness, competence and autonomy were the focus of analysis

Methods

Results

Conclusion