Does the Oxford tutorial system help to stimulate

Does the Oxford tutorial system help to stimulate critical thinking and foster a critical dialogue around feedback among Law students? Anil Balan

The Oxford Tutorial System • • The development of a tutorial system at Oxford Pedagogy of the Oxford tutorial – Socratic dialogues Criticism of the system Defence of the system – Moore (1968), OUEC (2008), Palfreyman (2008)

Critical thinking • • Tutor’s role – OLI (2016) Golding (2011) The ‘community of inquiry’ Collins (2010)

Professional legal skills • Mirfield (2008) • Shale (2008) • Ashwin (2005, 2006)

Critical feedback dialogue • • OUEC (2008) Dialogical approach to feedback (Nicol 2010) Effective feedback - self-regulated learning Critical dialogue - critical thinking, LETR (2013)

Criticism of the Oxford tutorial system • Mirfield (2008) • Brookfield (2000) • OUSU (2010)

Methodology • • Research question Case study design Qualitative data Sampling Observations and interviews Ethical considerations Analysis

Findings • Tutorial A – A 1, A 2, A 3 • Tutorial B – B 1, B 2 • Tutorial C – C 1, C 2

Discussion • Strengths and weaknesses • Assessment and feedback

Critical thinking and critical dialogue • • Development of critical thinking skills – Golding (2011) Role of tutor – Socratic method Oral argument and presentation Legal education and training – critical thinking

Conclusions • • Limitations of study Similarities – tutor’s role Differences – superficial? Areas for further research

References • • • Ashwin, P. (2005) ‘Variation in students’ experiences of the Oxford tutorial’, Higher Education 50, 631 -644. Ashwin, P. (2006) ‘Variation in academics’ accounts of tutorials’, Studies in Higher Education 31 (6), 651 -665. Brookfield, S. (2001) ‘Through the Lens of Learning: how the visceral experience of learning reframes teaching’, in: Paechter, C. , Edwards, R. M. , Harrison, R. and Twining, P. (Eds. ) Learning, Space and Identity (London: Sage), pp. 67 -77. Collins, P. (2010) ‘Inclusive team assessment of off-campus and on-campus first year Law students using instantaneous communication technology’, The Law Teacher, 44: 3, 309 -333. Golding, C. (2011) ‘Educating for critical thinking: thought-encouraging questions in a community of inquiry’, Higher Education Research and Development, 30(3): 357 -370. Mirfield, P. (2008) ‘Teaching Law, Learning Law: Growing Up Intellectually’. In Palfreyman, David, ed. The Oxford Tutorial: "Thanks, You Taught Me How to Think, " 2 nd ed. (pp. 44 -46) (Oxford: Blackwell’s). Moore, W. G. (1968). The Tutorial System and its Future. (Oxford: Pergamon Press). Nicol, D. (2010) ‘From Monologue to Dialogue: improving written feedback processes in mass Higher Education’ Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(5): 501 -517. Oxford University Education Committee (2008) Policy Guidance on Undergraduate Learning and Teaching, (University of Oxford). Oxford University Student Union (2010) Undergraduate Teaching Review Report (University of Oxford). Palfreyman, D. , (Ed. ) (2008) The Oxford Tutorial: "Thanks, You Taught Me How to Think, " 2 nd ed. (Oxford: Blackwell’s). Shale, S. (2008) ‘The Oxford Tutorial in the Context of Theory on Student Learning: “Knowledge is a wild thing, and must be hunted before it can be tamed”’. In Palfreyman, D. , ed. The Oxford Tutorial: "Thanks, You Taught Me How to Think, " 2 nd ed. (pp. 85 -90) (Oxford: Blackwell’s).