- The document discusses changing from traditional lectures to block teaching for a European Law course based on student and lecturer experiences. - Students were initially apprehensive but found the two-hour interactive block sessions allowed for in-depth analysis, though concentration over two hours and long gaps before exams were concerns. - Lecturers should manage student expectations, provide effective revision sessions, and ensure exams are close to the end of teaching to address issues raised. Overall, block teaching was seen as a good alternative to traditional methods when delivered appropriately.

1. From Traditional Lectures to
Block Teaching in EU law: The
Student and Lecturer experience
Cultivating Legal Education
UKCLE 23rd
-24th
January 2009
Dr Clare Chambers
University of West of England,
Bristol Law school

2. Aims of the paper
• Rational of changing from lectures to block
sessions
• Embracing change within legal education
• Maps the practical experiences from
student and lecturer
• Lessons to be learnt moving forwards

3. Rational
• Ethos of teaching and learning is changing
• More demands on lecturers times
– research
• Move towards student directed learning
• Greater student numbers
• PGcert Academic Practice

4. Personal perceptions of legal
education
• Deep learning
• Fun and dynamic manner
• Constrained by university and law society
rubric on contact hours and assessment
methods

5. Initial research
• Examined what students liked and disliked
about traditional lectures and seminars
• Lectures have been defined as
– “a formal talk on a serious or specialised
subject given to a group of people, especially
students” (Cambridge Advanced Learners
Dictionary).

6. Students perception of lectures
• “an intellectual meeting with a large
quantity of students to gain significant
knowledge of a particular topic concerning
each unit within the course”. (Chambers
2006)

7. Where does the learning take
place?
• hypothesise that the lecture is a surface
learning technique and the independent
study, and perhaps seminars, is where
deep learning actually occurs.

8. Lectures are not all that!
• lectures have the purpose and aim of
disseminating information, they have been
found to be “a poor way of stimulating
thought and of changing attitudes”.
(Huxham 2003 and Bligh 1998 pp.269-
289) Laurillard (1993 pp108-109) also
stated that lectures are an ineffective
means of promoting student learning.

9. How to maximise law teaching
especially with European law?
• Course content
• Timetabling
• Duration of the course
• Method and timing of assessment
• Need buy in from your academic
colleagues, university, and external
examiners

10. Block teaching
• Ran for 10 weeks
• 1 two hour session once a week
• Interactive session
• Broken down into segments of lecture and
activities
• Reading and materials given a week in
advance
• Zero tolerance for non preparation

11. What the students thought about
block teaching initially
• “I was fairly apprehensive as I was used to just
having lectures and seminars. However it was
explained to me that it would be interactive and
innovative so I was interested to see how it
would work.”
• “I thought that two hour lectures would be quite
tough and a lot to take in. I was worried that the
2 hour block would not be as beneficial as
maybe having 2 separate hours spread out in
the week.”

12. Students feelings toward block teaching
after having gone through the course
• “The two hour sessions were great, it gave
us the opportunity to really get into the
topics we were discussing. It was a shame
that it was later on in the day. I think that
because it was a long session it would
have been good to have been earlier.”
• “Very positive…a good overall result, and
somehow felt more modern!”

13. Students feelings toward block teaching
after having gone through the course
• “I enjoyed the teaching method and would
not have changed it. Those who
complained were those who did not
attend”.
• “Unfortunately I felt as though it did not
benefit me as much as having a lecture
and a seminar”.

14. Comparing the traditional methods
with block teaching
• “It’s difficult to compare the two as the methods
are very different. Long sessions over a short
period of time compared to short sessions over
a long period? I would prefer the block teaching
method. I think that if all subjects were in the
block teaching method it may be a bit intense,
but a variety between the subjects would be
beneficial”.
• “I did better in EU than elsewhere so I would say
that it worked better”.

15. Advantages of block teaching
• “The advantages were having some
difference from ordinary teaching – having
time within the lectures to work as groups
and share ideas – having a break between
the two hours – having quizzes and tests
to keep you knowledge going. The
revision lectures and seminars were
brilliant however. These really helped me
to focus my revision and consequently I
did well in my exam”.

16. Advantages of block teaching
• “The advantages of block teaching is that
you are learning everything at once rather
than being taught something one week
and then going over it in a seminar 2
weeks later when it is less fresh in your
mind”. “Gives a lot more time to voice
concerns/opinions/discuss issues”.

17. Disadvantages of block teaching
• “As there is a longer gap between the
block sessions and the exams, some
areas can be forgotten. Students have to
be motivated to revise topics in their own
time which was sometimes hard”.

18. How to make block teaching better
• “The sessions were good as they were
interactive but when some students aren’t
as committed as others this can cause
distractions. Another option would be to
have an exam at Christmas so there is not
such a big gap between the end of the
course and the exam”.
• “More pod casts / slide combinations”.

19. Summary of findings
• Students initially apprehensive about
change of method
• Students like to have a different method of
teaching other than the traditional
methods
• Students concerned over concentration
over two hours
• Students felt that the two hour session
allowed for in-depth analysis of the
material

20. Summary of findings
• Students liked the focus two hour revision
sessions
• Students were concerned about the time
elapsing from concluding the course to the
examination
• Students liked the interactiveness of the
class
• Students used the pod casts to aid
learning

21. Summary of findings
• Students wanted more interactive
activities
• Students felt block teaching was a good
alternative to traditional methods if
delivered appropriately
• Students wanted the timetable to take into
account the other lessons around the
block session.

22. Recommendations
• Timetabling to ensure no sessions follow
on or precede the block session
• Manage students expectations when
introducing the students to the new
method
• Effective revisions sessions
• Exam close to the end of the teaching
sessions

23. Recommendations
• Ensure the students have enough self
managed tasks to do outside class to
keep their interest
• Make sure the students know the method
benefits them and not the lecturer only
• Ensure the tutor has time allowed for
students to individually see them

24. European Law 2005-6 2006-7 2007-8
C/W 56.06 59.90 61.3
Exam 43.99 50.74 50.46
Unit (overall) 44.15 52.51 53.71