Module LAW1036 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW1036: Legal Foundations
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
The module aims to provide you with a foundational understanding of the nature and sources of law and legal principles to enable you to undertake other undergraduate law modules. In particular, the module aims to give you the necessary academic, legal, theoretical, legal practice and ethical knowledge and awareness to study other law modules on the programme, as well as to enable you to start to develop the necessary academic, study and legal practice skills and competencies necessary to study on an undergraduate law degree.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. identify and analyse (with guidance) the basic organisation and structure of the English legal system and the main general concepts and principles underlying it; 2. identify, select relevant information from, and analyse a variety of legal sources using appropriate interpretative techniques and demonstrate an understanding of legal reasoning and its application; 3. demonstrate an understanding of the place of advocacy and negotiation within the practice of law, and a basic understanding of the skills and competencies required to be able to engage successfully in advocacy and negotiation respectively. 4. demonstrate competent understanding of some of the relevant legal practice, social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, ethical and cultural contexts within which the law operates; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. demonstrate understanding of a range of legal concepts, values, principles, institutions and procedures, and the ability to explain the relationships among them; 6. make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular information and make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments; 7. communicate technical legal information and argument effectively and concisely, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the discipline; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. take responsibility for your own learning (with support), meeting obligations to the other members of the group; 9. to work effectively with others within a group; 10. reflect upon your own skills development; 11. identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of library-based and electronic resources with some guidance; 12. manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities, and to work independently within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
It is envisaged that the syllabus will include the following topics in the following order although precise content and order may vary.
-
Law, lawyers and the legal system
-
Case law as a source of law
-
Legislation as a source of law
-
Problem solving
-
Research and Essay writing
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Advocacy 1
-
Advocacy 2
-
Negotiation 1
-
Negotiation 2
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | 242 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 22 x 1 hour Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour syndicate workshops |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 9 | 9 x 1 hour Q & A sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 152 | Individual reading, research and study by way of lecture, syndicate meeting and seminar preparation and consolidation (and associated group work), including preparation for formative work (including timetabled formative work) |
| Guided Independent Study | 62 | Assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 31 | Formative assessment preparation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
Judiciary of England and Wales: http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/
Ministry of Justice: http://www.justice.gov.uk/
HMCS Court Service: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/
Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk/
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Video Presentation | 10 minutes | 1-10 | Group written feedback |
| Online Multiple-choice quiz | 30 minutes | 1-8, 10, 11 | Online automatic feedback |
| Individual oral presentation of legal opinion | 15 minutes | 1-8, 10, 11 | Oral feedback and general written feedback |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 60 | 40 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral advocacy presentation with written skeleton argument | 40 | 15 minutes, 500 word written skeleton | 1-8, 10, 11 | Individual written feedback and general feedback |
| Examination | 60 | 2 hours | 1-8, 10, 12 | General feedback to the whole cohort and opportunity for individual feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral advocacy presentation | Written advocacy argument (2500 words) | 1-8, 10, 11 | August / September referred / deferred period |
| Exam | Exam (2 hours) | 1-8, 10, 12 | August / September referred / deferred period |
