Thursday, April 19, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Just under 20 persons attended this discussion. Anne Klinefelter began the session by explaining the purpose of the meeting to be
(1) a way to develop program proposals that COSELL could offer to SEAALL,
(2) a way to develop ideas for projects that COSELL could sponsor for its members, and
(3) a way for librarians at COSELL libraries to exchange ideas and develop a network of those performing similar tasks at different libraries.
After introducing themselves, those attending offered issues of concern to them, while others suggested possible solutions. The issues raised were:
1) How to provide timely and meaningful feedback to students when there are too many students, too little time, and many assignments to grade
Suggestions included:
a) emphasizing review of the research process by
avoiding or supplementing the treasure hunt approach,
having students keep a research log,
integrating research instruction with writing instruction, both at the
first year and upper levels, and
having students copy the tracking and history records from LEXIS
and Westlaw as a logging technique to show process;
b) lobbying for smaller sections and more credit hours;
c) using teaching assistants to help with initial grading;
d) allowing students to work in groups;
e) having teaching assistants do initial grading of assignments, leaving problems and mistakes to the instructor for more detailed responses;
f) having teaching assistants provide hands-on instruction to smaller groups in “lab” sessions; and
g) having more lecture and discussion after rather than before the assignments.
2) How to best structure the activities and grading of the class
Suggestions included:
a) combination of weekly assignments, a quiz at the end of the course, a “quickguide” short version of a pathfinder on a topic new to the student;
b) assignments and a presentation to the class;
c) including an assignment of using the catalog to find legal research guides;
d) using a topic that could be researched in three separate states, such as drunk driving laws in home, school and vacation states; and
e) emphasizing print research as well as electronic research techniques.
3) How to teach Citators
Suggestions included:
a) making sure to teach print Shepards;
b) integrating electronic Shepards and KeyCite early in the process.
4) Resources for instructors
Suggestions included:
a) COSELL could provide materials such as syllabi on its web site;
b) University of Tulsa has in the past maintained syllabi on its web site;
c) AALL-RIPS SIS will be creating a web site with material related to advanced legal research classes; and
d) Recommended textbooks including
Jacobstein, Mersky and Dunn, Fundamentals of Legal Research,
Foundation Press,
Bateson, Downs, Kunz, and Schmedemann, Process of Legal
Research, Panel Publishers,
Amy E. Sloan, Basic Legal Research: Tools and Strategies, Aspen
Law and Business, and
Berring and Edinger, Finding the Law, West Group.