Building an evolving method and materials for teaching legal writing in large classes

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dc.contributor.authorClarence, Sherran
dc.contributor.authorMwambene, Lea
dc.contributor.authorAlbertus, Latiefa
dc.date2014-12
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-01T07:39:18Z
dc.date.available2014-07-01T07:39:18Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractIn South Africa and in other parts of the world, many professions are bemoaning the poor ability of many graduates to communicate their skills and knowledge effectively once they enter the workplace. Increasingly, pressure is placed on higher education to do more in terms of equipping future professionals with the necessary critical reading, research, thinking and writing skills the workplace demands. However, in South Africa especially, the demand for access to higher education is resulting in increased admissions, and in many lecturers standing in front of larger classes filled with students from a wide range of home and educational backgrounds with ‘variable’ commands of English as a medium of instruction and communication (Greenbaum and Mbali 2002). This makes the task of equipping these students with disciplinary knowledge and skills challenge. In responding to this challenge, the Law Faculty at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), in collaboration with a writing specialist, initiated a project aimed at transforming the way in which legal writing was taught at first year level. The overall aim was to start training students, from first year, to adapt their thinking and writing to the kinds of knowledge and practice required by academic study as well as the legal profession. The project was successful in achieving its modest aims, but certain challenges remain. This paper reflects critically on the development and evolution of the model for teaching legal writing in large classes. It argues that teaching legal writing in large classes requires creative and sustainable approaches so that students can become active and critical writers, readers and thinkers over time in this, or any, field.en_US
dc.description.accreditationDepartment of HE and Training approved listen_US
dc.identifier.citationClarence, S., Albertus, L. & Mwambene, L. (2014). Building an evolving method and materials for teaching legal writing in large classes. Higher Education, 67(6): 839-851en_US
dc.identifier.issn0018-1560
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10566/1110
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.privacy.showsubmitterfalse
dc.publisherSpringeren_US
dc.rights12 months from official publication.en_US
dc.rightsThis is the author's final draft following peer review. It may be displayed and circulated, subject to full acknowledgement of author and source. The published item is copyright Springer Verlag.
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9707-8
dc.source.uri
dc.status.ispeerreviewedtrue
dc.subjectAcademic literaciesen_US
dc.subjectAcademic writingen_US
dc.subjectCollaborationen_US
dc.subjectDiscourseen_US
dc.subjectLarge class teachingen_US
dc.subjectLawen_US
dc.subjectLegal writingen_US
dc.titleBuilding an evolving method and materials for teaching legal writing in large classesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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