¹ Within this article, “course” refers to third or fourth level programmes such as degrees or masters; “module” refers to the individual subjects or units such as contract law or family law (these modules typically comprise the course, however they may be independent as in the case of language modules); and “coordinator” refers to the individual who is the central designer and instructor within the course or module.Google Scholar

² Dedek, Helge & Mastral, Armand de, Born to be Wild: The Trans-Systemic Programme at McGill and the De-Nationalization of Legal Education, 10 German L. J. 889 (2009); Wilson, Richard, Western Europe: Last Holdout in the Worldwide Acceptance of Clinical Education, 10 German L. J. 823 (2009).Google Scholar

³ Chiesa, Nadia, The Five Lessons I Learned Through Clinical Education, 10 German L. J. 1113 (2009); Siegel, David M., The Ambivalent Role of Experential Learning in American Legal Education and the Problem of Legal Culture, 10 German L. J. 815 (2009); Leiper, Janet, Nurturing Commitment in Legal Profession: Student Experiences with the Osgoode Public Interest Requirement, 10 German L. J. 1087 (2009).Google Scholar

⁴ See Panezi, Maria, Conclusions on the Osgoode Syllabus Design Workshop, The Graduate Law Students’ Association conference: “Quo Vadis Constitution? The Boundaries of Modern Law” (2008). Abstract available at: http://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/glsa/2008conference/documents/Maria%20Panezi.pdf (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

⁵ See below for a discussion on potential future collaboration with Osgoode Hall, as well as the importance of international and transnational communities of researchers.Google Scholar

⁶ For example, see Dodek, Adam M., Canadian Legal Ethics: Ready for the Twenty-First Century at Last, 10 German L. J. 1047 (2009), regarding the emergence of legal ethics as a consideration for legal education generally.Google Scholar

⁷ Rosenvinge, Allison von, Global Anti-Corruption Regimes: Why Law Schools May Want to Take a Multi-Jurisdiction Approach, 10 German L. J. 785 (2009).Google Scholar

⁸ Leiper supra note 3; Filho, Roberto Fragale, Brazilian Legal Education: Curricular Reform that Goes Further without Going Beyond, 10 German L. J. 751 (2009).Google Scholar

⁹ In relation for instance to the typical approach or subject matter of the institution, these may be essential for the institution and, whilst potentially unpalatable, it may be necessary for new academics to accept the values, needs and opinions of the institution over their own at least initially. Alternatively, they merely reflect the status quo within the institution and be easily changed. In creating a syllabus, the designer must consider to what extent they are willing to compromise and how best to negotiate with the institution.Google Scholar

¹⁰ Diverse subjects or topics which may reflect the various interests of students, see for example, Luiz Perez Hurtado, Transnationalizing Mexican Legal Education: But, What about Students’ Expectation?, 10 German L. J. 767 (2009).Google Scholar

¹¹ Akkermans, Bram, Challenges in Legal Education and the Development of a New European Private Law, 10 German L. J. 803 (2009).Google Scholar

¹² See the Bologna Process: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/ (last accessed: 11 July 2011); see Simon Chesterman, The Evolution of Legal Education: Internationalization, Transnationalization, Globalization, 10 German L. J. 877 (2009) regarding the importance of intellectual and cultural flexibility; see Jaakko Husa, Turning the Curriculum Upside Down: Comparative Law as an Educational Tool for Constructing Pluralistic Legal Mind, 10 German L. J. 913 (2009) regarding the importance studying international and comparative law for 1^st and 2^nd year students, as they become the ‘norm’ for students rather than merely national law; see also Afshin A-khavari, The Opportunities and Possibilities for Internationalising the Curriculum of Law Schools in Australia, 16 (1/2) Legal Education Review 75 (2006) regarding the benefits and means of internationalizing individual modules and throughout the courses; and examples of implementation in Franziska Weber, Hanse Law School-A Promising Example of Transnational Legal Education? An Alumna's Perspective, 10 German L. J. 785 (2009).Google Scholar

¹³ On the increasing internationalisation of legal education, see Hupper, Gall J., ‘The Academic Doctorate in Law: A Vehicle for Legal Transplants?,' 58 Journal of Legal Education 413, 422 (2008).Google Scholar

¹⁴ For details and documents relating to the Bologna Process, see http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna (last accessed: 11 July 2011). Mobility of academics as an objective of the Bologna Process was recognized within the Joint declaration of the European Ministers of Education: ‘The Bologna Declaration of 19 June 1999,’ available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/MDC/BOLOGNA_DECLARATION1.pdf (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

¹⁵ Regarding the importance of being aware of the ‘cognitive development’ of students in designing modules and courses, including the substance and methodology, see, for example: Eric D. Yordy, Using Student Development Theory to Inform Our Curriculum and Pedagogy: A Response to the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, 25 (1) Journal of Legal Studies Education 51 (2008).Google Scholar

¹⁶ See for example, Keyes, Mary & Johnstone, Richard, Changing Legal Education: Rhetoric, Reality and Prospects for the Future, 26 Sydney Law Review 537, 547 (2004).Google Scholar

¹⁷ Keyes, & Johnstone, , supra note 16, at 538-543.Google Scholar

¹⁸ Id. at 543, 545 and 546. See also the reports referred to within: Sally Krift, 21^st Century Climate for Change: Curriculum Design for Quality Learning Engagement in Law, 18 (1/2) Legal Education Review 1, and especially at notes 23-28 and 30-31 on pg. 8 (2008); also see Krift's discussion at 21-22.Google Scholar

¹⁹ See Krift, , supra note 18, at 4, highlighting the importance of non-legal specific skills including those of communication and computer literacy; see also Adiva Sifris & Elspeth McNeil, Small Group Learning in Real Property Law, 13 (2) Legal Education Review 189 (2002).Google Scholar

²⁰ See Keyes, & Johnstone, , supra note 16, at 549-554, discussing the difficulties in implementing a new approach and that consequently some law schools fail to rise to the challenge. Nonetheless these difficulties are not insurmountable and could be alleviated greatly by broader communication and support from law schools, as well as through a more holistic approach from the schools rather than syllabi being created in isolation from each other; see also Krift, supra note 18, at 13-14, 16.Google Scholar

²¹ For example, Keyes, & Johnstone, , supra note 16, at 543, referring to small group learning within ‘the Pearce Report’ (Dennis Pearce, Enid Campbell & Don Harding, Australian Law Schools: A Discipline Assessment for the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission (1987));Google Scholar

²² For example, the role of tutorials to complement lectures has steadily grown within Irish legal education. Group presentations and essays, mooting and legal writing projects have been introduced amongst other tools to facilitate the learning of both the law and relevant skills. Within University College Dublin, transferrable skill modules have also been established more recently in parallel with substantive modules.Google Scholar

²³ For example, teaching styles are typically divided into extremes of pedagogy (instructing/relating to children) and andragogy (facilitating/co-learning/relating to adults). In deciding upon the appropriate style for the module, it is important to be aware of the distinctions, the benefits and drawbacks of each style, and whether a blend might be preferable; see Geraldine Holmes & Michele Abington-Cooper, Pedagogy vs. Andragogy: A False Dichotomy?, 26 (2) The Journal of Technology Studies (2000), available at: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/Summer-Fall-2000/holmes.html (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

²⁴ This includes both the current abilities and knowledge foundations of the students, as well as the desired learning outcomes from the module; see for example, Keyes & Johnstone, supra note 16, at 547. In this respect, feedback from students should also be utilized in continuing the development of the module.Google Scholar

²⁵ Rapp, Geoffrey Christopher, Can You Show Me How To?… Reflections of a New Law Professor and Part-Time Technology Consultant on the Role of New Law Teachers as Catalysts for Change, 58 Journal of Legal Education 61, 63 (2008); Jones, Ida M., Can You See Me Now? Defining Teaching Presence in the Online Classroom Through Building a Learning Community, 28 (1) Journal of Legal Studies Education 67 (2011).Google Scholar

²⁶ Okafur, Obiora Chinedu & Dakas, Dakas C.J., Teaching ‘Human Rights in Africa’ Transnationally: Reflections on the Jos-Osgoode Virtual Classroom Experience, 10 German L. J. 959 (2009); see Antoinette J. Muntjewerff, ICT in Legal Education, 10 German L. J. 669 (2009).Google Scholar

²⁷ See, e.g. Roger J. Johns, The Logic Doctor Is In: Using Structure Training and Metacognitive Monitoring to Cultivate the Ability to Self-Diagnose Legal Anaysis Skills, 26 (2) Journal of Legal Studies Education 357 (2009).Google Scholar

²⁸ E.g. Keyes & Johnstone, supra note 16, at 546, 561-563; Dancer, Diane & Kamvounias, Patty, Student Involvement in Assessment: a Project Designed to Assess Class Participation Fairly and Reliably, 30 (4) Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 445 (2005).Google Scholar

²⁹ For example see, Patricia Pattison, Janet Riola Hale & Gowens, Paul, 'Mind and Soul: Connecting with Students, 28 (1) Journal of Legal Studies Education 39 (2011); the second and third principles within Arthur W. Chickering & Zelda F. Gamson, Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, Washington Centre News (1987) available at: http://learningcommons.evergreen.edu/pdf/Fall1987.pdf (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

³⁰ Krift, , supra note 18, at 24-25.Google Scholar

³¹ The Teaching and Learning Unit within University College Dublin is in the process of carrying out a project relating to the retention of first year students. For this, see http://www.ucd.ie/teaching/projects/reasonswhystudentsleave/ (last accessed: 11 July 2011). There was a drop out rate of nearly 15% of first students between 1999-2007 within UCD, and it is hoped that improvements in student curricular and extra-curricular life could reduce this figure.Google Scholar

³² In Jay R. Howard, Liliard B. Short and Susan M. Clark, Students’ Participation in the Mixed-Age Classroom, 24(1) Teaching Sociology 8 (1996), the authors assess the students’ and teachers’ responses to ‘talkative’ students. Whilst overall the feelings to these students were not negative, some felt less inclined to participate as a result and many objected where they considered that the talkative students were meandering off topic or wasting time. The authors proposed possible solutions for teachers to manage these situations, generally through careful steering of the discussion or through encouraging other students to answer questions or debate an issue.Google Scholar

³³ The possibility of free-riders was a significant consideration within the pilot projects discussed by Sifris & McNeil, supra note 19, at 194-5, leading to the use of ethics codes and work programs to be agreed upon by the group members. Although not completely successful, they are two potential means to lessen difficulties that might arise.Google Scholar

³⁴ See Sifris, & McNeil, , supra note 19, which availed of marks for attendance, contribution and preparation or presentation of two specific problems as an “educational tool,” in order to encourage attendance and participation; also see Kadire Zeynep Girgin & Danelle D. Stevens, Bridging In-Class Participation with Innovative Instruction: Use and Implications in a Turkish University Classroom, 42 (1) Innovations in Education and Teaching International 93 (2005).Google Scholar

³⁵ See for example, Howard, Jay R., What Does Research Tell US About Classroom Discussion?, in Discussion in the College Classroom: Applications for Sociology Instruction (J.R. Howard ed., 2004); see Dancer & Kamvounias, supra note 28.Google Scholar

³⁶ For example, see Sharp, Stephen, Deriving Individual Student Marks from a Tutor's Assessment of Group Work, 31(3) Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 329 (2006). In the pilot projects carried out by Sifris & McNeil, supra note 19, smaller ‘self learning groups’ were availed of alongside compulsory tutorial groups. ‘Research Assignment Syndicates’ were also established. Whilst the former were linked to tutorials, involved few marks, and the substantive element was to prepare a presentation of relevant work to the tutorial group, the latter involved more substantive research assignments with marks totalling 25% and independent from tutorials. Difficulties arose in relation to both types of group work, however on balance the self-learning groups were far more favourable than the research assignment syndicates. This does not lead to the conclusion that research assignments or higher marks should be excluded, but merely highlights valid considerations in choosing and implementing the desired methodologies. One manner of ameliorating difficulties that arose might be to officially timetable periods during which group members should meet to work on assignments.Google Scholar

³⁷ In support of this position, see for example, Burgan, Mary, In Defense of Lecturing, 38 (6) Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning 30 (2006); Feaster, John, Public or Perish: Teaching, Learning, and the Ideology of Socialization, 40(2) College Teaching 75 (1992); Birk, Lisa, What's So Bad About the Lecture?, 62 (9) Education Digest 58 (1997).Google Scholar

³⁸ “Large” class size is considered as a deterrent on effective class participation and the assessment of such, due in part to the potentially more intimidating setting and also in part due to the practical difficulties of facilitating active engagement of all members of the class and assessing this. See in this regard, Sifris & McNeil supra note 19; also in the context of teenagers, see Jimmie R. Applegate, Why Don't Pupils Talk in Class Discussions 44(2) The Clearing House 78 (1969).Google Scholar

³⁹ For examples of literature referring to the benefits of small class sizes on participation see the articles at supra note 38. However, in many other studies other factors such as the relationship between students and teacher, the means of participation utilized and class activities were considered to have a greater effect than class size. See for example, Franklin D. Becker, Robert Sommer, Joan Bee & Bart Oxley, College Classroom Ecology, 36(4) Sociometry 514 (1973), which also notes the role of the layout of the classroom and the importance of how distant the students are from the teacher; also in Weaver, Robert R. & Qi, Jiang, Classroom Organization and Participation: College Students’ Perceptions, 76(5) The Journal of Higher Education 570 (2005), the authors refer to the importance of developing a rapport between teacher and students not merely within the classroom but also outside. Other articles note a wide range of factors that influence participation, for example, see J.R. Howard et. al., supra note 32, at 8 (1996).Google Scholar

⁴⁰ See Pattison, Hale & Gowens, , supra note 29; Keyes, & Johnstone, , supra note 16, at 547.Google Scholar

⁴¹ Keyes, & Johnstone, , supra note 16, at 545-547, 560. Prompt feedback is the fourth principle in Chickering & Gamson, supra note 29.Google Scholar

⁴² Posner, Richard A., The Present Situation in Legal Scholarship, 90 YALE L.J. 1113, 1129 (1981). See generally, Harry T. Edwards, The Growing Disjuncture Between Legal Education and the Legal Profession, 91(1) Michigan Law Review 31 (1992).Google Scholar

⁴³ Russi, Luigi & Longobardi, Federico, A Tiny Heart Beating: Student-Edited Legal Periodicals in Good Ol’ Europe, 10 German L. J. 1127 (2009); Allen, Danielle, & Bernadette Maheandiran, You don't have to Speak German to Work on the German Law Journal, 10 German L. J. 1149 (2009)Google Scholar

⁴⁴ See on this, European Higher Education in a Global Setting. A Strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process, (2007), available at http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/documents/WGR2007/Strategy-for-EHEA-in-global-setting.pdf (last accessed: 12th July 2010).Google Scholar

⁴⁵ Positive remarks in relation to the structure of higher education cycles, undergraduate mobility, mutual recognition of qualifications with non-European countries/institutions etc.; for example, see the stakeholder reports from 2005, 2007 and 2009 on Ireland: National Report (2004), available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/links/National-reports-2005/National_Report_Ireland_05.pdf, National Report (2007), available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/links/National-reports-2007/National_Report_Ireland2007.pdf, National Report (2009), available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/links/National-reports-2009/National_Report_Ireland_2009.pdf (all last accessed: 11 July 2011); see also the case-study on Ireland in The Bologna Process Independent Assessment-The first decade of working on the European Higher Education Area-Volume 2 Case studies and appendices by the consortium of CHEPS, INCHER-Kassel and ECOTEC, available at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education//doc/bologna_process/independent_assessment_2_cases_appendices.pdf (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

⁴⁶ Rieder, Lisa & Hamann, Hanjo, Student Participation in Legal Education in Germany and Europe, 10 German L. J. 1095 (2009); See also European Law Students Association (ELSA), available at: www.elsa-germany.org/de (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

⁴⁷ See the European Law Facilities Association (ELFA), available at: http://elfa-afde.eu/default.aspx (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

⁴⁸ See generally University College, Dublin, School of Law, available at: www.ucd.ie/law (last accessed: 11 July 2011), and in relation to the Maitrise programme, see Marie-Luce Paris-Dobozy, Challenging Exchange Programs: Studying the Common Law and Civil Law Systems in a Joint Law Degree, 5 EJLE 47 (2009), available at: http://elfa-afde.eu/Documents/EJLEAPRIL09CH.pdf (last accessed: 11 July 2011).Google Scholar

⁴⁹ Thereby avoiding the risk of duplication of research, see for e.g. Antoinette J. Muntjewerff, supra note 26.Google Scholar

⁵⁰ See Paris-Dobozy, supra note 48; also see the Bologna Process documentation available at http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/ (last accessed: 11 July 2011). See the work by AGORA in relation to research, aid etc. in developing countries as described, in Philip G. Bevans & John S. McKay, The Association of Transnational Law Schools’ Agora: An Experiment in Graduate Legal Pedagogy, 10 German L. J. 929 (2009).Google Scholar

⁵¹ See Siegel, David M., supra note 3, at 615.Google Scholar