4th+Wiki+Heidi+Helgren+Podcasts

Heidi Helgren Course Name: LAS/LSP Courses

Objective assignment will meet: Students will demonstrate critical thinking in evaluating podcasts and determine whether the information presented is compatible with Michigan law.

Description of previous assignment: As the coordinator of the previously titled LAS, and recently renamed to LSP (Legal Support Professional) Program, I assist the adjunct instructors in developing assessment assignments that measure whether the students are meeting our program outcomes and objectives. Assignments typically consist of legal research assignments based on case scenarios.

Rationale for assignment revision: In researching podcasts for our 4th Unit, I was surprised at the number of law firms and law schools that have podcasts on their websites. These are highly respectived firms and schools - so the content should be credible. With increased interest in advanced technology, rather than students spending hours researching the laws of other states, they could much quicker review a podcast that provides a summarized version, and then make determinations on applicability. This provides a different method of learning, and saves time.

Technology: Computer, internet access, and appropriate websites containing podcasts.

Instructions needed to use: General instructions of computer capabilities. Warning that not all podcasts will contain the same worth as others.

Brief description of content students will need to complete assignment: Students will access the podcasts and then make comparisons based on the material they cover through lectures, the textbook, and research in Michigan law.

Instructions to complete assignment: Based on the information contained in the podcast - I believe the instructions could be different in each course. The courses consist of environmental law, domestic relations, corporate law, etc., and it appears easy enough to find podcasts from reliable sources which discuss these issues. This link: http://www.hjlawfirm.com/newsroom/podcasts.php is the lawfirm of Hellmuth & Johnson from Minnesota. They have a podcast that is applicable to domestic relations - in Minnesota recent child support changes. Michigan has also undergone extensive changes - so it would be interesting to see the comparisons that students would draw between these two states. They also have podcasts on shareholder agreements and trade secrets - which is covered in the corporate law class. For this class there would probably not be significant differences, but listening to a lecture, reading the book, working on a project, and then listening to the podcast would help reinforce the information.

Grading criteria: I always have a difficult time trying to grade these sort of assessments because I worry about technological difficulties. But - I believe that a rubric could be written to make sure that students correctly analyze the information contained in the podcasts and then answer questions - probably in an essay format for an exam - that explains the benefits or disadvantages to the podcast's recommendations, or point out inconsistencies with Michigan law.