Redesigning curriculum to provide a holistic understanding of discrimination employment law on a module taught by distance learning.

Macfarlane, Angela (2014) Redesigning curriculum to provide a holistic understanding of discrimination employment law on a module taught by distance learning. In: Association of Law Teachers 49th Annual Conference 2014 - Responding to Change, 13-15 April 2014, Leeds.

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Abstract

This paper will report on findings from work which explores how to promote and teach discrimination to students studying employment law by distance learning. The module at the centre of this paper is a compulsory module on a distance learning professional Masters programme. Typically, the cohort comprises professionals with differing study skills, experience and technological ability. A particular aim of the teaching is to enable students to become active inquirers, viewing problems of discrimination law holistically with an informed contextual understanding of the issues.
The paper aims to identify how assessment and curriculum design can be used to promote and improve inquiry based learning for students studying by distance learning on a topic area which is traditionally taught face to face. This traditional model would typically offer a range of opportunities for debate and questioning, something it is difficult to replicate in distance learning. Existing discourse on moving towards students as participants, assessment, curriculum design and distance learning is thus engaged.
The research was conducted by the module tutor as a participative using action research as a model to inform outcomes. Accordingly, it was necessary to gather information on the student experience. Students were invited to join a focus group, complete a questionnaire or engage in a semi-structured interview on completion of the module. The focus of these enquiries was to determine how the students progressed on their learning journey and for all participants, including the tutor to reflect on it and consider if any views on discrimination were changed or existing views strengthened or reinforced.
The data will be explored and reported in terms of how the assessment and curriculum design can be utilised, developed and improved to promote the distance learner as an inquirer, holistic thinker and to improve the student experience. Consideration will also be given to incorporating research requirements in the module to continue informing and improving learning by distance.

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