I teach undergraduate and postgraduate law students who are enrolled on a straight law degree course of the masters in banking and finance. It is interesting to reflect upon your learners. This year will be the first time my courses go on-line. I have faced opposition from staff already who have told me masters students do no want online learning, they do no like it and will not use it. Hearing this was devastating given that I can now only teach online because of a vocal issue I have following an op last year. However I shall persevere and hopefully win my colleagues round on this issue.

So often we take it for granted that we know who our learners are but I think we all bring a pre-conceived idea of what type our student is. I have jotted some bullet points down as to what typifies my law students.

• Black letter law – i.e. learn through cases/ statutes
• Verbose – likes to articulate views
• Opinionated – can argue on their views
• Traditional – come to law school to have a traditional experience - narrative
• Like to be presented with lots of information
• Not too IT savvy
• F-2-f learners, situated within a building – situational persepctive
• Like to keep pace with their peers – associationist perspective
• Like problem solving but equally likes describing and assimilating via essays
• Need to distinguish between the LLB and LPC/LLM where learning styles greatly differ and students differ too.
• Learn by rote
• Mixture of age ranges and also a diverse range of students from all different back grounds.

I have thought too about what I would like to achieve for my students in course design and how I would like them to learn in the future.

• Teach them to be self-learners as too reliant on law staff for information
• Be adaptable as to the blended learning approach to learning, use vle’s as part of their learning
• Be able to reflect upon what they have learnt rather than to just learn the law, by the use of reflective blogs
• More collaborative learning from each other, p-2-p learning.

Others views on learning styles of the law student

Professor LARC outlined the 6 types of law student per his observations in 4 years of teaching. There are: 

1. The Disgusting Elite (He says no one's ever graduated Baylor Law with a 4.0, but these are the 3.9s.) 

2. The Star Students (Solid performers that will make excellent lawyers, these folks generally can get a clerkship.) 

3. The Single Focus Student (Very good at one or two classes, but not an all-around virtuoso) 

4. The Survivors (The great middle, these can be further divided into Risers and Faders.) 

5. The Graspers at Straws (The ones who just don't get it, but trying and trying to "think like a lawyer" slowly drives them insane.) 

6. The DOAs (Rather self-explanatory, huh?) Sources: http://sothebearsays.blogspot.com/2004/02/6-types-of-law-student.html accessed 8 June 2011.

Or as Legally Blond in London states:

1. The mature student
2. The activist
3. The Eton boy
4. The desperate housewife

http://reallylegallyblonde.blogspot.com/2006/10/types-of-law-student-ii.html accessed 8 June 2011.