Decoding learning in law: collaborative action towards the reshaping of university teaching and learning

Abstract

At the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, professional development is characterised by its focus on the advancement of scholarly teaching in the disciplines. Practices followed are informed by the scholarship of teaching and learning movement. Within learning communities, special attention is given to the motivational conditions for optimal development, which are intentionally and collaboratively created or enhanced. An action research approach is adhered to, with action learning always an underlying ingredient. The approach has already shown promising signs in advancing personal growth and scholarly teaching practices among lecturers in the Decoding Learning in Law project. The decoding idea originated in the USA and follows a process of identifying and addressing the discipline-specific learning problems of undergraduate students. As precursor to the more formal phase of decoding, the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the UFS has embarked on a process of empowering a group of lecturers in law to address the challenges they experience in their teaching environment. During meetings and workshops, the members of the newly established learning community act as collaborators in the construction of new knowledge on the theory and practice of good teaching and learning (with a special focus on student engagement); they reflect critically on obstacles in their own courses and take part actively in conversations on the application of innovative strategies in law teaching. Special attention is given to the use of educational technology. In the project, development of relevant technological skills was preceded by a technology-needs survey and discussions in which prevailing perceptions about the use of technology in law education were brought to light. Although the project is still in its first year, the motivational context of community and collaboration has already given rise to a synergy that promises to reshape the teaching and learning environment in law at the UFS. In an informal way, progress has also been made with the decoding process of identifying “bottlenecks” in the teaching and learning of law at the institution.