BEA / WJEC4 Ignite shared the best peer-reivewed enterprise ideas for the journalism classroom at the 4rd World Journalism Education Congress on July 16, 2015 in Auckland, NZ.

1. BEA
Kara Jolliff Gould
University of Arkansas
Encouraging Critical Thinking
with an Active-Learning Model
for Teaching Media Law

2. WJEC-4 IGNITE
Encouraging Critical Thinking with an Active-
Learning Model for Teaching Media Law
Kara Jolliff Gould, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR USA

3. THE PROBLEM
Media law students are often
overwhelmed by their professor’s
lectures on various media law cases and
concepts.

4. THE PROBLEM
Power point presentations detailing
legal cases and concepts encourage rote
memorization, not critical
thinking skills.

5. THE PROBLEM
Media law students can become
passive and reluctant learners who are
intimidated by the thought of studying
legal theories and cases.

6. THE SOLUTION
Assign students to brief cases to be discussed in
class.
Students research and complete one-page
written briefs based on a template the professor
provides.
The professor introduces each topic (libel law,
privacy law, etc.) with a 10-minute introductory
lecture.

7. THE SOLUTION
Media law students become active
participants in the classroom learning
process as they make 5-7 minute
presentations of their case briefs during
almost every class meeting.

8. THE DETAILS
Approximately 100 free speech/ media-
related cases are studied in depth by the class
each semester.
The number of assigned briefs per student
depends on class size. In a class of 25, a
student briefs four cases during a semester. In
a class of 50, two cases would be the norm.

9. THE DETAILS
Students often worry that they may get the
details of a case wrong and risk
embarrassment in class.
This is also a concern for professors, since
briefs constitute most of the material
presented in class.

10. THE DETAILS
This problem is solved by requiring students to submit
case briefs by 7 pm the evening before they are due to be
presented in class.
The professor reviews each brief and communicates
necessary changes, along with helpful suggestions, via
email. Students then make changes before their class
presentations.

11. THE RUBRIC
Legal Brief Evaluation Form
Name:_______________________
Case: _______________________
1. Timing of electronic submission _____/50
2. Effectiveness of case summary _____/20
3. Followed guidelines for necessary changes _____/10
4. Formatting, grammar, and syntax _____/10
5. Class presentation (audible, conversational, etc.) _____/10
Total: _____/100
Comments: _____________________________________________________

12. THE DETAILS
The professor is free to make comments following
each presentation, and may help presenters field
questions if necessary. The student is considered the
“resident expert” on his or her case, however.
This model encourages student preparation – they are
more likely to read their textbooks in order to prepare for
possible questions following brief presentations.

13. THE OUTCOME
Students report heightened levels of
engagement and learning with this
instructional model.
Student motivation is high and academic
performance is enhanced, as evidenced by
test scores and student feedback.

14. STUDENT FEEDBACK
“The subject of law has always
fascinated but confused me. I never
thought that I would take a law course
while in college and was nervous about
this course at the beginning of the
semester. However, it was one of my
favorite classes because of how it was
presented.”

15. STUDENT FEEDBACK
“…the class stimulated my interest in
media law, and I feel like I am walking
away with a thorough knowledge of the
subject.”

16. STUDENT FEEDBACK
“This course was hard. It was a lot of
work and a lot of material. But it was the
sort of course where work was
rewarded. Even though it was difficult, it
was not impossible to succeed.”

17. STUDENT FEEDBACK
“This course is really essential for our
major. It helped us to realize the
importance of the First Amendment…”

18. STUDENT FEEDBACK
“This course provided me with a good
general knowledge about law. Writing
briefs was probably the most helpful,
because it was practice in understanding
legal terms and discussing legal
concepts.”

19. CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that students engage in
most of the oral presentations in class,
the professor still has ample opportunity
to contribute to student learning. Student
case briefs increase their critical thinking
and engagement with the subject matter.

20. CONCLUSION
Student satisfaction is reflected in
quantitative terms as well as qualitative;
students rated the latest presentation of
the course highly.
Instructor knowledge: 4.88/5.00
General excellence: 4.71/5.00

21. WJEC-4 IGNITE
Encouraging Critical Thinking with an Active-
Learning Model for Teaching Media Law
Kara Jolliff Gould, Ph.D.
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR USA