Module Enhancement
School of Law
Feb 2010
Consider the learning outcomes of the three core first year modules of Contract,
Tort and Constitutional Law below. The General Introduction to Legal Studies
course – a new research and introductory legal course run over 6 weeks in
Semester I and taught by Tony Kerr and Eoin Carolan in conjunction with library
staff – was delivered through these three modules.
Q: How might the learning outcomes of these 3 semester I modules be enhanced
to capture the research skills and learning activities that GILS delivered?
Q: Are there any other suggestions as to how these learning outcomes might be
further enhanced outside of GILS?
Learning Outcomes – Contract Vitiating Factors
“Students should be able to: Understand the limited capacity to contract of certain
groups in society. Appreciate the range of factors that might vitiate a contract.
Understand the various remedies that can be awarded where a contract has been
breached. Appreciate the general principles that are applied by the court when they
calculate the appropriate amount of damages.”
Learning Outcomes – Contract Formation
“- to provide students with an understanding of the basic principles of law in relation
to the formation of contracts. In fulfilling this aim, the course focuses primarily on a
study of relevant case law and statute. - to develop in students an ability to analyse
factual situations and correctly identify the relevant principles of contract law that
are applicable to the resolution of problems raised by the particular factual
situations.- to equip the students to study further courses which rely on a knowledge
of contract law including Contract: Vitiating Factors and Remedies.- to cover the
substantive components of the Incorporated Law Society’s Law of Contract syllabus
pertaining to contract formation to facilitate those students who intend to sit the
Society’s Entrance Examination upon the completion of their Degree.”
Learning Outcomes – Tort
“On completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles governing each area of the module
covered through the use of appropriate legal terminology.
2. Comprehend the principles of each area of the module and the difference
between each area of the module.
3. Provide an analysis, discussion and commentary upon each area of the module.
4. Apply the principles arising from each area to novel factual scenarios.”
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Module Enhancement
School of Law
Feb 2010
Learning Outcomes – Constitutional Frameworks
“On completion of this module students should be able to:- State what are the main
institutions of the State and the main functions of each.- Recognize the legal issues
presented by a simple problem question on these topics.- Apply simple rules of law
to such problems.- Use the appropriate technical legal terms to describe a given
situation.- Analyse how relevant institutions and laws have changed and developed
over time.- Construct and defend simple arguments building on the knowledge
gained.”
A note on the GILS course
The objective of this course was to introduce students to the basic skills required for
the study of law. These were identified to students at the outset of the course as
follows:
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The identification of legal sources.
The extraction of legal principles.
The application of legal principles.
The communication of legal reasons.
The course was divided into four separate sessions with one devoted to each of
these skills. The course was delivered by a mixture of lectures, take home
assignments for students and in-class applied learning based on these assignments.
The lectures addressed issues relating to legal research (cases, statutes, policy
documents, etc) and legal writing (style, plagiarism etc).
The lectures on legal research were built on though the tutorials run in conjunction
with the library that focused on legal research on cases, statutes and policy – a
problem scenario was used as the basis for the tutorial.
The lectures on legal writing were built on though the submission of coursework
assessments in Constitutional Frameworks, Contract: Formation and Torts. Each
assessment will be of 500 words and will form part of the assessment profile for
these modules.
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