What a LUVLE Way to Learn Law

This paper presents an evaluation of the development and implementation of the Lancaster University Virtual Learning Environment and its subsequent pilot to support collaborative learning on a compulsory first year undergraduate law course. This has been a collaborative venture between academic staff in the Law School and the University's central learning technology support staff to move beyond a simple web-based discussion space that was used previously on this course, to the more substantial web-based learning environment provided by LUVLE. The course has been designed to promote independent, collaborative, networked learning with a significant emphasis on problem-solving activities. The complexity of the web-based negotiations that form the main collaborative component of this course provides an ideal test-bed for LUVLE. LUVLE was designed and implemented for the start of the academic year in October 2001. The technology underpinning this environment is the Lotus Domino software. Outside the lecture-seminar format, LUVLE provides the main communications medium between staff and students for administrative and academic issues. During the negotiation exercises there is also considerable student-student interaction within LUVLE.