Suman Luhach, Bennett University, India
Abstract
The art of constructing an assertive argument is a crucial lifelong skill for law students to master. The English language teachers at Bennett University Law School introduce the topic of argumentative essay writing to its first-year law undergraduates and teach the basic structure of an argument in a standard five paragraph argumentative essay and then gradually elaborate on the content. The pedagogy makes use of the online platforms of i-Learn learning management and Clarity English programs (customised English language teaching software) to engage students in essay writing tutorials. The study analyses how the students develop the understanding of framing a strong argument and move towards attaining appropriation in it. This was done by comparing pre-test and post-test results of the control and experimental groups and by content analysis of the transcripts. The target group in the study included 120 students of BA LLB (Hons) who are divided into control and experimental groups. The study also tries to figure out the comparative advantage of classroom teaching in physical settings, online group discussions on i-Learn forums, and individual practice sessions on Study Skills Success and the Practical Writing program offered by Clarity English. This was done through student survey analysis. The overall data involved pre-test and post-test essay writing transcripts, online discussion forum transcripts on i-Learn, and student surveys. This educational intervention is an attempt to assess and design the best teaching practice with available resources for teaching argumentative essay writing to law undergraduates.
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