General transferable skills: University of the West of England

(Transcript of a section of the General transferable skills report, 1998)

Strategy and target group

Looking to co-ordinate a matrix approach to skills with each subject being allocated or taking responsibility for particular skills. They are trying to integrate and develop more those skills which have been isolated and learnt through certain subjects, spreading responsibility throughout all courses.

Skills are documented as apart of the faculty teaching and learning action plan, and are seen as integrative rather than to be learnt in isolation. The LPC on the other hand utilises the DRAIN skills throughout all subjects in workshop groups.

They see the degree as providing a strong academic legal education, which is founded on development of generic and specific skills many of which are transferable into a wide range of occupational environments. The LPC, while primarily concerned with preparing students for a legal career as a solicitor, does indirectly prepare students for a non legal career through the nature of communication skills that are learned.

Specific skills module or integration of skills?

Mixed approach – both integrative and specific. There is an induction programme for first year students that takes them through the basic processes. This includes specific exercises on note taking, reading materials, taking notes in lectures, writing skills etc. Library research and analytical skills are introduced in year 1 through a compulsory 10 week legal methods module, which is assessed by combination of research based oral presentation and open book written assessment.

Legal method is also reinforced by specific exercises in substantive law subjects. A number of other specialist skills areas are developed by a simulated law clinic option called legal process (see below), while foreign language skills may be developed through options on the English LLB, or as a compulsory component of the European Law and Languages or European and Comparative Law degrees.

A small number of non-law options are available within the undergraduate law scheme, which also support student learning of a variety of generic and specific skills; notable amongst those are forensic science, business organisation and accounts and marketing legal services.

Learning support

In addition to the induction programme students are able to practice skills through summative and diagnostic coursework in each module before the exams. Students can rely on individual tutor support, or if necessary can be referred to the university based centre for student affairs. The centre provides study skills support, chiefly through small group tuition.

LPC students are supported chiefly by allocation to firms for most formal and some informal learning purposes. Each firm has a supervising principal drawn from core LPC staff.

SAPHE

SAPHE is a project relating to student self assessment. A cohort of 50 students on the LLB are currently participating in the pilot project. The students are expected to work collaboratively to develop their independent learning, to undertake task allocation, research and analysis in small learning sets, to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses as learners, to begin to record their learning experiences and set targets for improving their own learning, and to provide and accept constructive feedback from their peers.

Law clinic module

This simulated option module provides the majority of applied (as opposed to general intellectual) skills taught, including negotiation, interviewing and drafting. Simulated role play exercises are used to develop students skills using legal practice as a context.

As part of this course students, based on the Keller system of learning, study professional conduct requirements of lawyers. Students are able to work at their own pace using a set of materials given to them. They have to attend two tutorials in which students discuss dilemmas and hypotheticals generated by their coursework.

The course also places a significant emphasis on group learning and the development of the capacities of reflective practice.

Last Modified: 30 June 2010