Released on 23 Sep 2009

OUP goes online and interactive with legal skills learning

Oxford University Press is pleased to announce the publication of a unique legal skills innovative resource. Skills for Law Students is an online interactive tool written by a team from Kent Law School; it is the first resource of its kind, written specifically for law students.

The website www.oxfordinteract.com/lawskills is divided into five parts: the first focuses on general study skills - acknowledging the fact that law students are today drawn from a very diverse educational background. The other four parts emphasise legal study skills, such as reading cases, using a law library, and mooting. The interactive nature of the website enables students to immediately practise the theory behind each skill. This delivery method appeals to students who engage with new teaching methods and have a range of different learning styles.

Sarah Viner, Senior Publishing Manager at OUP commissioned the project and was responsible for managing it through to its launch. "Legal skills are an essential part of any law degree; but the ways in which they are taught and incorporated into modules are many and varied. In order keep pace with the diverse needs of students and lecturers it made sense for us to look beyond the textbook; the online nature of Skills for Law Students encourages a blended learning approach and supports flexible learning and self-directed study."

Oxford University Press publishes a wide range of legal textbooks with accompanying online resources. Skills for Law Students turns that model around: with the website acting as the stand alone product, and a textbook as a guide to the website.. Students purchase the book in order to gain personal login details to the website and access to over 170 interactive activities and videos. They are provided with immediate scores and feedback, enabling them to test their progress, to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, with their progress tracked in an online reflective diary.

Notes for Editors

1. Oxford University Press is the UK's leading publisher of legal educational material. It is committed to delivering innovative publishing and continually looks for ways to exceed the expectations of lecturers and students.
2. Skills for Law Students costs £35.00 for four year's access. ISBN 978-0-19-953219-3
3. Sample material is available from www.oxfordinteract.com/lawskills
4. The authors are: Helen Carr, senior lecturer, Sarah Carter former law librarian and Kirsty Horsey lecturer, all Kent Law School.
5. Similar projects currently underway by OUP include LPC Skills Online and LPC Accounts Online, both web-based interactive products designed for use on the Legal Practice Course.