Learning Modules: Transparency in Assessment in Law Courses

Abstract

This article argues in favour of more transparency in the assessment of law courses in the modern law school context in which it is increasingly common for law students to share notes. In 2020, the author introduced three types of asynchronous exam-focused exercises to the Land Law course at the University of Auckland to increase transparency about how the exam is marked. First, guided exercises: students are guided through a series of questions to answer a problem in bite-sized chunks. Secondly, modelling exercises: students plan an answer to a past exam problem and use a video in which the lecturer plans an answer while narrating their thought processes to reflect on their own plan. Thirdly, example exercises: students review previous exam answers against the relevant rubrics to understand what distinguishes answers at each grade. The article investigates student attitudes about: which examfocused exercise is the most useful component of a law course; whether students prefer if an exam-focused exercise helps them to understand relevant content or develop legal reasoning skills; which exam-focused exercise is more helpful for (a) understanding relevant content and (b) developing legal reasoning skills; and whether students prefer modelling by the lecturer in pre-recorded videos, the lecturer in inperson lectures or a tutor in in-person tutorials.