magic said:
I would like to know what sort of classes there are for Law at UNSW. I have read in other threads that they are seminars. What are they like?
Each UNSW law subject is held over two classes per week. Each class is two hours long. The class is basically a tutorial of about 30-35 people. We do not have lectures.
You are assigned readings to do and we are expected to have gone through these and taken notes prior to class. The basic learning we do ourselves by reading the textbook. For every 1 hour of class time, approximately 2 hours of reading is required, but this can vary.
Basically, you don't go to class to be lectured the material. At UNSW law, class is meant to be a clarification, testing and polishing of the knowledge acquired through our reading. Most of the things we learn in the textbook are quite basic anyway, the teacher doesn't need to go spoon-feeding us things we can pick up ourselves.
When it is very difficult material, then a lecture style is taken a little more, but generally everything we read can be understood with enough clarity to participate in class discussion and have a reasonable knowledge of the material. Additionally, this allows us time to go into more complex and detailed analysis without trudging through all the basic stuff.
Of course UNSW is not the only law school to use this method. Other law schools use it. I am told that a couple of years ago USYD apparently took it up as well.
From my experience, the Socratic teaching method works well in UNSW law classes. It is enforced through class participation requirements. If you don't participate, you risk jeopardising up to 10-20% of your final mark.
When students do not contribute, the teacher usually pulls the class through with more direction, but usually there is plenty of interaction between teacher and student, and between students. Based on guidance and questioning from the teacher, one student will go through the facts, another will identify an issue, another will explain part of the reasoning, another will point out how it fits with precedent, etc.
In my opinion, this engagement has been more conducive to both learning and maintaining interest than being lecturered at. Certainly you feel the pressure to do your readings more, a positive thing.
Also from a general pedagogical perspective, interaction is one of the best ways to learn. Having to reformulate the text and cases in your own words and convey complex ideas to your class and the teacher often help you organise your thoughts and better understand the material. Sometimes after answering a question I've taken down notes on what I just said to the teacher, because I have polished my knowledge on something on the spot, or opened up a further question to pursue.
It does not work well in classes of over 40 students. It does not work well if you don't do your readings, or are too tired in class. It does not work well if your whole class consists of silent, lifeless international commerce zombie students. (The latter being a case where the teacher will go into spoon-feed mode and treat the class more as a lecture.)
magic said:
Does the lecturer/tutor go thru lecture slides or does the lecturer explain concepts in a perdefined order, or is it depending on the questions that students ask, making it more like a discussion.
There will be a predefined order, of course. The classes are structured around the topics in the reading materials. Some lecturers use slides to assist in their presentation of information, but not usually in a lecture-type style.
magic said:
Do you get a lot of opportunity to ask Qs or is it better to ask after class.
Yes, you will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Interaction is encouraged.
magic said:
Are printed lecturer slides given in class or available for download online or do you need to make your own notes?
Once again, the bulk of the learning is reaped through the readings you do prior to class. It is based upon those readings that you must make your notes.
However, there are usually still things to clarify in class which you will need to take note of. Many UNSW law courses use WebCT, whereby class outlines and course guides are available online. But certainly do not expect extensive notes to be provided by the lecturer.
Slides are occasionally provided online but they play a far less important role because they are not used to teach large amounts of the basic material.
magic said:
I have read in other threads that there are 2x two hour classes for most subjects making four in total. Are they both seminars or is one a lecture. And is it taugh by the same staff.
Both are seminars/tutorials, taught by the same teacher.
magic said:
I have read a lot of positive feedback about the course, but is there anything in particular that you don't like about law at UNSW.
I would like to have a compulsory, stand-alone equity course - but other than that, nothing I can think of.
