After the shock has passed...the reality sets in!

Nicola Aries, Senior Lecturer in Law at Kingston University, was one of two law teachers awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2004; Nicola in the ‘rising star’ category. In this article from the Autumn 2004 issue of Directions she gives an account of her project.

I don’t think I would be accused of overstatement when I say that I was ‘gobsmacked’ to be awarded one of the new category ‘rising star’ awards by the Higher Education Academy this year. I have been teaching full time since 2001 at Kingston University School of Law, having lived a life entirely without higher education until 1995, when I took my first degree while raising three children and working part time.

My experiences as a student provoked some interest in the system of higher education, and after completing the Bar Vocational Course I decided that teaching was where my future lay.

Nicola Aries collects her award from Sir Howard Newby, Chief Executive of HEFCE, and Sir David Watson, Vice Chancellor of the Unviersity of Brighton and Chair of the NTFS Advisory Panel

But what form should that teaching take? I could not see myself as a traditional lecturer, standing at the front and dictating notes. The lectures and classes I had enjoyed most were those where I was required to participate, and from this has developed a theory that the most and, dare I say, best learning happens in activity. I do not mean that academic study should be diminished, but that it should involve active participation by both students and teacher.

If that is the teaching sorted out, then what about the substance of the material to be taught? Well, of course there is the subject specific substantive law, but in a time of student diversity and increased numbers, transferable and key skills must also be embedded in courses to equip all students with the necessary skills to enhance their marketability once they move into the workplace. As we are all too aware, this usually means that students have some essay support workshops as an addendum to their curriculum or a room they can visit for leaflets about ‘how to…’.

The essence of my project is to explore and attempt to embed a culture among law students that speaks more of co-operation and less of competition, and enhances those key ‘employer target’ skills. The project has two sections. The first will be to use the Kingston law cohort in what is commonly called a ‘mentoring’ or ‘peer assisted learning’ type of role, but which I would prefer to call a ‘skills exchange’, where students have timetabled sessions at which they pass on to those in the year below the skills learned, for example, in research.

Level one students will be visiting local schools and colleges to assist with citizenship training, and also to pass on their experience of moving between school and college to university and to promote higher education. I will also be drawing on our graduates in employment who have shown an interest in returning to Kingston to share their experiences on professional courses, applications, interviews and early working life. This exchange of ‘how to’ information will, I hope, prove more productive than asking staff to incorporate it into their lecture programmes or other classes.

I fully accept I am travelling over some fairly tried and tested ground here, but my early understanding of such schemes (and there are many run around the country) is that students get involved for money or credit. My view with law students is that ‘giving something back’ will be required for those who go into practice, through pro bono schemes for example, and this will be an early opportunity for students to show that they understand the principle – as they are on the first rung of their professional lives, they too should give something back. My ambitious hope is that the Law Society and Bar Council will see these schemes as essential elements of law degrees.

The second part of the scheme is more focused on teaching. While we are all being required to take greater numbers of students from more diverse backgrounds we must expect that there will be a greater call on student support. Funds being what they are, it is difficult to know how best to provide that support. My project will explore ways to embed skills (such as use of English) within substantive subjects across all (traditionally) three levels. At the present time, there seems to be much more support thrown at level one but far less as a student progresses. I will be working with a colleague in the Faculty of Business on this aspect of the project.

I realise that I face some criticism from those who would argue that it is not our job to be teaching English, and I would not disagree with this, but I do not propose that course of action. English is an essential tool of the trade for law students, lawyers and indeed anyone who wishes to further a career, and therefore it is an essential skill that should be taught at university level. It will be how to embed the skill within individual modules so that students have the opportunity to improve their general writing skills that I hope to promote.

I end with a request to anyone out there reading this with similar interests. I have no intention of re-inventing the wheel, and therefore I would be very grateful for any guidance or information that you have about such schemes. During this first year of my Fellowship, I am facing a steep learning curve!

Last Modified: 9 July 2010