2030 Practice Showcase Series: Making students feel seen and heard using the split class model | 15 September

Over the past two years, Roderick has taught electives for a mix of UG, JD, Master of Law and Master of International, commercial and business law degrees. This cocktail of courses attracts many international students from a range of cultural backgrounds. For this large, growing and diverse cohort, a split class system has been trialled with technology being used to enhance communication, cooperation and interaction.

In other words, bringing back the ‘wow’ factor by delivering life-changing content, packages and experiences and re-individualising the learning experience for the student.

While various pressures challenge us to water down our delivery and take on bigger cohorts, the aim was to invest in bringing back quality, depth of experience and recognition of the need to enhance the learning journey.

With so many international students and a mix of degrees there has been a particular focus and return to understanding different country cultures and different ways of learning for those students.  Ultimately the outcome has been to individualise the experience for the student again so the student is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

These methods of teaching how now been trialled for three semesters.  In the last semester reflective feedback was collected from students.  There were no marks attached and it was not graded.  87 students out of a cohort of 110 opted to deliver reflective feedback to me.  Without exception it was 100% positive and the commentary received from some was quite extraordinary.

This method of delivery continues to evolve and Roderick is now developing the following opportunities:

1. I am in discussion with the course curriculum director at Sydney University Law faculty who is very interested in trialling this model there.
2. I have presented this model to the law faculty at UTS and from that presentation I have been approached to assist in designing and potentially delivering this model in a first year core subject with a large cohort (over 600)
3. This model has further potential and new aspects are being trialled this semester, including obtaining ethics approval for reflection feedback from students so that data is publishable.  Leading to publishing these findings.

Please join this workshop to hear from Roderick as he shares his trialled techniques, discuss ideas for improvement and provide the feedback from students. The aim is to show that a positive experience is still on the table for both students and teachers despite the compromising challenges we face daily.

Guest Speakers:

Roderick Smith, is a full-time teaching-focused academic who has taught 28 different subjects across six universities in the last 13 years. At UTS he currently teaches: remedies; intro to property and commercial law; mergers and acquisitions; corporate governance; and deceptive trade practices. Before teaching, Roderick was a solicitor for 22 years, running a boutique practice specialising in commercial litigation, advisory and property development.

Register via Humanitix

Image by Наталья Бойко