Blog
Measurable Objectives in Law
27th May 2013
This is my first blog and having recently moved from the world of Law in FE to the world of HE I thought it may be appropriate to write about a concept and point of good practice that I have taken with me. This blog is a short narrative of how useful measurable lesson objectives may be when delivering law.
Developing skills requires careful planning and for tutors this means the incorporation of immediate targets and long-term targets. Students and tutors are all too familiar with SMART targets. As you are no doubt aware, the acronym means that targets must be specific to an individual’s ability and be easily measurable. The targets set must also be achievable and realistic. Finally, targets must also be time-phased. If lessons are planned appropriately with the inclusion of SMART objectives then learning and achievement will take place more efficiently. For a simple introduction to this concept this is a helpful blog:
For all those struggling to draft measurable targets remember that in law we have the advantage of authority. So often, asking students to learn vast amounts of authority is a hindrance to most tutors but this is one example where that hindrance actually becomes a benefit. For example, if we ask students to describe the MR on murder we could make that target measurable by adding the need to reference at least 3 cases. This is not the only method that should be used when creating measurable objectives in law but is an easy example of how these targets can be crafted and beneficial.
Tutors are often asked to show differentiation and clearly, in the example used above, students that can use 5 cases to describe the MR of murder can be differentiated from those that are able to use 3. This would obviously enable the creation and inclusion of extension or support activities. The benefits of SMART objectives go beyond simple differentiation. Assessment becomes a lot easier. Students can self assess and they can identify measurable steps for improvement i.e if they can only remember one case and point of law they will know that they must learn at least 2 other cases. When it comes to peer assessment students are better equipped to give feedback with meaning and identify gaps in their peers knowledge. They should also find it easier to give constructive feedback.
Reflection and development are perhaps 2 of the most valuable benefits of the inclusion of SMART objectives. Students and tutors are able to reflect on how much learning took place within a session and both the students knowledge and the tutors delivery can be reviewed and developed. If a tutor gets to the end of the session and only 2 out of 20 students have achieved the objective then clearly the target is not realistic or the structure and delivery needs revisiting. The table below shows one way that targets can be revisited at the end of a session to allow the learning assessment to take place. Many of you will also be aware that this table can then be used within a students ILP or PDP to ensure reflective practice and development is achieved.
When I arrived at my new institution I was concerned that using measurable objectives may not achieve the academic credibility that is required for this level of study. I was fearful that I may over simplify topics and that students depth of understanding and critique may be hindered. This is not the case. The important messages to tutors and students alike is that the objectives must be construed in their entirety. Simply focusing on the measurable part of the objectives would not enable a student to achieve maximum marks for a topic, e.g if they simply stated 3 cases on the MR of murder but didn't actually describe their relevance and importance the student would not be awarded 100%. Students must understand blooms taxonomy and further be able to interpret the instructional or ‘command’ words used. The following resource is really helpful for ensuring this understanding: