Enhancing Interactivity in the Teaching of Criminal Law: Using Response Technology in the Lecture Theatre

Abstract

Educational theorists have long recognised the limitations of the traditional didactic lecture as a basis for student learning and engagement with degree-level problems. Nonetheless, such lectures still dominate timetables within UK law schools. A common criticism of the lecture as a mode of teaching is that there is little scope for interaction between the student body and the lecturer, a marked change in educational environment for students fresh from secondary-level education. In an effort to address this issue, we undertook an action-research project using TurningPoint classroom response technology to generate interaction between the lecturer and students during large-cohort law lectures. This system allowed students to respond in real-time to multiple-choice questions posed in a lecture, thereby offering an alternative to more traditional methods of encouraging class participation in lectures, such as the Socratic method. In our study the use of these devices was trialled in first and second year undergraduate law lectures at Newcastle University (UK). Subsequently, students’ views on the use and benefits of the technology were investigated through questionnaires and focus groups. The results of these surveys suggest that such technology can enhance the student experience of large-cohort lectures.