The document describes a law module on asylum and immigration law taught at Liverpool Law School. It had 12 weekly seminars with directed reading and tasks. Assessment included an MCQ test, advice letter, and essay to test a range of legal skills. Feedback was positive, with most students happy and excellent results. The flexible teaching model fit the rapidly changing subject and experienced students. Sessions may need to be longer and provide more direction to offset the lack of lectures.

1. Dr Eleanor Drywood
Liverpool Law School

2.  LAW 335 Asylum and Immigration Law
 3rd year optional module, available to
students on the LLB Law programme
 Ran for first time in 2010-11, relatively rare
option amongst comparator law schools
 Adopted a ‘new teaching model’ and
innovative method of assessment

3.  12 weekly seminars, 50 mins:
prescriptive/directed reading set in advance;
short tasks (e.g. questions for
reflection, notes on a particular area) (i.e. no
lectures)
 Five topics, each with a ‘knowledge and
understanding seminar’ and a ‘skills seminar’
 Assessment is via a ‘portfolio’ (MCQs, advice
letter, traditional essay) to test, and reward, a
range of legal skills

6.  The nature of the subject:
 Rapidly changing
 Heavily statute based
 Characteristics of the student cohort:
 Experienced law students
 Existing interest in the area

7.  The seminars felt very positive:
 Students seemed engaged and level of critical discussion
was high
 Very enjoyable to teach
 Mid-session feedback was good:
 48% were ‘very happy’ with the module; 39% were ‘fairly
happy’ with the module
 In particular: opportunity for discussion, contemporary
relevance of module, varied teaching
methods, momentum generated by weekly seminars
 Results were excellent:
 I – 30%; 2:i – 49%; 2:ii – 20%; 3 – 1%
 Range: 49% - 81%

8.  Students need more direction to offset the
lack of lectures
 Topic summaries?
 Podcasts?
 More focused tasks?
 Sessions need to be longer
 Increase to 90mins in 2010/11
 Content/skills split overly artificial

9.  The importance of flexible teaching models
to accommodate both the peculiarities of the
subject and the strengths of the teacher
 Removal of ‘safety blanket’ provided by
traditional teaching needs to be offset by
clear expectations, organised teaching etc.
 Can modules be a victim of their own
success?

10.  Background: law modules are traditionally assessed
through an exam or coursework, consisting of a
combination of essay and problem questions
 LAW 335 Asylum and Immigration Law ‘assessment
portfolio’:
 Multiple-choice test: 10% of module mark (threshold marking);
10 questions to be completed online over 90 minutes during
Week 6
 Advice letter: 40% of module mark; 1000 words, submitted at
the end of Week 10 (beginning of Easter vacation)
 Essay question: 50% of module mark; 1500 words, submitted in
Week 13
 Each component marked separately, but final mark given to the
portfolio as a whole