Academic poster presented at the SRHE annual conference held at Celtic Manor, Newport, Wales, December 2014.

1. LLM by MOOC: Breaking down barriers to LLM study.LLM by MOOC: Breaking down barriers to LLM study.
Louise Taylor (louise.taylor@ntu.ac.uk) & Simon Boyes (simon.boyes@ntu.ac.uk)Louise Taylor (louise.taylor@ntu.ac.uk) & Simon Boyes (simon.boyes@ntu.ac.uk)
Our Model:
1. Triage (Painsloo & Slade, 2014) – Under this mode the MOOC is deployed as a means of permitting the potential student the opportunity
of determining the sufficiency of their aptitude, skills-base and knowledge as a suitable candidate for undertaking an LL.M programme. In
doing so the MOOC acts as a potential recruitment tool to fee-based and other programmes (Sandeen 2013), of a variety of types.
2. Sampling – MOOC-type activity might also overcome these obstacles by offering potential students a ‘try before you buy’ opportunity
(Kirschner 2012). On this basis participants would have the opportunity to undertake a component element of a formal LL.M programme – i.e.
potentially credit bearing – as a MOOC, with not obligation, financial or otherwise unless summative assessment (and therefore credit) was
sought.
This is an advance on, and potential progression from, the ‘triage’ approach, given this is more likely to be applicable to to those more
comfortably assured of their capacity and knowledge to undertake Masters level study (Sandeen 2013), but less certain of subject matter or
workload issues. This permits a ‘low risk’ entry point to the programme where such credits can be integrated into a full programme of study.
3. LL.M by MOOC – under the third MOOC solution it is proposed that a full award bearing programme could be offered. This might
incorporate the ‘sampling’ component, with participation offered freely and the cost of assessment or credit acquisition being a separate cost
relevant only to those participants seeking accreditation (Hew & Cheung 2014)
LLM by
MOOC
SamplingTriage
DL/
Blended
LLM FT/PT
Overview:
Enrolment onto LL.M (Master of Laws)
programme has, in recent years, fallen into
decline (HEFCE, 2013a; HESA 2014). This
decline stems from a variety of factors:
•competing obligations limiting available
time and reducing flexibility to
accommodate study;
•geographical restraints, including
immigration limitations; and
•financial limitations , particularly in light of
raised level of student debt.
These factors combine and overlap with a
fourth obstacle, the awareness of potential
students as to their capacity or suitability for
such programmes of study (HEFCE 2013b).
This highlights the extent to which MOOC-
oriented solutions can be effective remedies
to address these impediments.
The model developed in this scoping project
shows three approaches to deploying
MOOC-type activity as a means of
supporting increased levels of enrolment on
LL.M programmes.
References:
HEFCE 2013a, Postgraduate Education in England and Northern Ireland,
Overview Report 2013.
HEFCE 2013b, Trends in transition from first degree to postgraduate study:
Qualifiers between 2002-03 and 2010-11
HESA 2014, Higher Education Statistics Agency Statistical First Release 197, Table
3.
Hew & Cheung 2014, ‘Students’ and instructors’ use of massive open online
courses (MOOCs): Motivations and challenges’, Educational Research Review,
Vol 12
Sandeen 2013, ‘Integrating MOOCS into Traditional Higher Education: The
Emerging MOOC 3.0 Era’, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, Vol 45, No
6.