Audience: Anyone
Technical Level: Low
Each year, the Legal Writing and Research faculty at Wayne State University Law School, a staff of five, introduce 200-250 students to the process of legal research and writing. The law librarians at the Arthur Neef Law Library work closely with the Legal Writing and Research (LWR) faculty to plan and present supplementary workshops that expose students to the materials they are expected to use to complete research assignments made in the first semester as well as an Appellate Brief in the second semester. Unfortunately, these workshops do not allow students the hands-on introduction or the one-on-one attention from librarians that students desire and librarians would prefer to make available.
To provide more active learning in the use of library resources at WSU, the Director of the Legal Writing and Research Program, two law librarians and the library?s Applications? Specialist sought and were awarded an Innovative Instructional Technology Grant by the Office of the Provost in Fall, 2005 to create Legal Writing and Research Library Workshop Modules (LWR-LW Modules). The project allows law librarians to provide bibliographic instruction in a manner that responds to student requests for individualized assistance using technology already available on campus. The Applications Specialist, an instructional designer, worked with the law librarians to assess user needs and to develop and deliver materials online made up of screen and document snapshots with voice over lectures to assist students in completing LWR assignments. Use of the Modules is also extended to the hundreds of non-law students on campus who take courses where legal research is necessary including Business, Education and Social Work policy courses as well as reference courses in the Library and Information Science Program.
Interactive Modules were created under the grant on the following topics:
Print Secondary Resources Computerized Indexes Federal Statutes Federal Cases Updating resources: Shepard?s and Key Cite State Statutes and Cases Free Online Legal Research
In this session, Librarian, Lauren Collins, who wrote the grant proposal and spearheaded the resulting program, will discuss the grant process, chronicle the development of the Modules, and provide a demonstration of the finished product.
MP3: CollinsLR1Th100.mp3
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Lauren Michelle Collins
Public Service Librarian/Instruction
Wayne State University Law School
