PORTSMOUTH BUSINESS SCHOOL

PhD Studentship inLegal Education and Technology Enhanced Learning

Supervisors:

Dr Valerie Anderson, Ms Caroline Strevens

Funding Status

The full-time studentship will cover tuition fees and an annual grant equivalent to that offered by the ESRC – set at £13,996 per annum for 2014/15 for a maximum of three years. UK/EU residence eligibility conditions apply.

Application Deadline – Sunday 10 May (midnight BST)

Project title: Legal Education and Technology Enhanced Learning: An investigation into the implications of Technology Enhanced Learning for professional legal identity development.

Project details

This research will fall within the remit of the PBS Business Education Research Group (BERG). The focus will be on legal education and the implications of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) for student engagement and professional identity development. Technology enhanced learning is defined as: the support of learning or training activity through technology. The implementation of TEL is a strategic priority in UK Higher Education Institutions. It presents opportunities to foster an active learning process promoting autonomous and constructive learning activities.

However, attention has mostly focused on the outcomes for science-based students and the issues for legal education remain under-researched. TEL challenges prevalent pedagogical dependence on subject specific and ‘technical’ forms of knowledge transmission but also presents a number of issues for those involved in legal education. The implications of TEL for student engagement, motivation, curriculum content and the ‘boundaries’ between learners and educators in legal education have received scant attention are under-theorised.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and complete doctoral research that contributes to theory development, knowledge and practice in relation to TEL in a legal education context. In addition to practical impact in relation to interventions in legal education the research is expected to contribute to the scholarship of higher education and to the scholarship of legal education. Key journals in this field are: Studies in Higher Education; Innovations in Teaching and Education International, British Journal of Educational Technology, Higher Education Quarterly, Journal of Law and Society, Law and Social Enquiry, International Journal of the Legal Profession.

The project will involve:

  1. The development of an appropriate conceptual framework through which to examine TEL in relation to learning and teaching processes;
  2. An empirical examination of the relationship between TEL, the learning experience of those engaged in legal studies and their professional identity development.

Enquiries related to the topic or project should be directed to: Ms Caroline Strevens, Head of School of Law () for applicants from a legal studies background or Dr Valerie Anderson, Director of Business Education Research Group () for applicants with expertise in the Technology Enhanced Learning area.

Support

This studentship would be based in the well-established PBS Business Education Research Group (BERG) and would be situated within the legal studies cluster. We are committed to the encouragement of a scholarly ‘community of practice’. We are committed to robust and relevant research and practice to contribute to the achievement of excellence in Business Education. This studentship may involve up to 6 hours work per week to support the work of the group.

Funding Notes: This full-time studentship is open to UK/ EU students only and is located in Portsmouth Business School, Hampshire, UK.

Qualifications: Applicants will have a good first degree(minimum 2.1 or equivalent) and a Mastersdegree or equivalent in the cognate fields of either Legal Studies orBusiness Education; Further Education; Higher Education etc.

Potential applicants can find further information on PBS Research and Research Degrees at:

Information about the Business Education Research Group is available at:

Information about the School of Law is available at:

Applications should include:

[Please note to follow this guide to apply for this bursary award – do not send an online application for a PhD]

  • A full CV including personal details, qualifications, educational background, where applicable, any employment or other experience relevant to the application
  • Contact details for TWO referees able to comment on your academic performance
  • A 1000 word project proposal outlining your ideas in relation to the proposed project, the objectives of the research and discussing how the work will contribute to scholarly debates in this area.

Interviews: Interviews will be conducted on Monday 1 June 2015

Start date for the studentship: 1 October 2015.

Applications should be sent to: Lauren Payne, Postgraduate Centre, University of Portsmouth, Richmond Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth, PO1 3DE (applications can be submitted electronically via: and cc to )

Search terms in and

Legal studies; E-learning; Technology Enhanced Learning; Higher Education