The specific aims of this module are to ensure that students can:

· Read and understand primary and secondary legal sources;
· Understand the doctrine of precedent;
· Locate and collect relevant materials for legal research;
· Adopt a critical approach in constructing an argument in response to a legal problem question.

(LO1) Critically analyse and interpret key points in primary and secondary legal texts;

(LO2) Conduct effective research to gather and process information about the law applicable in a given situation;

(LO3) Synthesise information from different sources to construct an effective argument in relation to a legal problem;

(LO4) Awareness of academic integrity and plagiarism in legal research and writing;

(LO5) Prepare a logical argument using appropriate referencing, citations, and quotations in the appropriate manner.

(LO6) Utilize competent writing and communication skills and sustain coherent arguments in expressing a central idea;

(S1) Critical analysis appropriate for advanced level masters study.

(S2) Problem-solving skills applicable to complex theoretical and practical contexts.

(S3) Time management and prioritisation skills by working to deadlines

(S4) Individual and group communication skills by presentations in an online environment (e.g the virtual classroom)

(S5) Take responsibility for independent learning agenda.

(S6) Reading, analysing and synthesising different viewpoints, becoming familiar with different viewpoints and presenting findings/conclusions in clear, comprehensible, structured format.

(S7) Critical skills with regard to the merits of particular arguments and making reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments in all modules and dissertation.

• Developing skills for legal research and reasoning
• The nature of legal rules and problems
• The construction and development of legal arguments
• Identifying and locating legal resources
• Evaluating sources
• Critical thinking in law
• Legal reasoning and legal theory
• Developing legal writing skills
• Originality and Integrity in legal research
These areas will be explored through a range of contemporary case studies drawn from a range of areas within international business law so as to ensure that student skills are developed in contextual alignment with the International Business Law programme.

Module delivery involves the establishment of a virtual classroom in which students work under the direction of the module instructor, using an internet-based distance-learning package. Module delivery proceeds via a series of one-week online seminars, learning materials (including directed reading and asynchronous AV material), and continuous assessment. This includes:
1) an online discussion forum, supported by structured learning materials, posted electronically in the virtual classroom and class discussions and assignments in class, facilitated and moderated by the class instructor;
2) short-form coursework assignments throughout the module (including directed reading assignments, critical analysis and authentic practical scenarios);
3) a final project which develops a deeper analysis of the legal issues and discussion across the module with instructor feedback and support through a summatively assessed plan and interim report.

A key feature of the approach i s the use of the moderated discussions of material introduced in the virtual classroom. Every week the module will include a discussion of topics specified by the instructor and participation in these discussions is a requirement for students attending (forming part of the summative assessment). This will ensure a continuing commitment from the students to the learning process. Communications within the virtual classroom is asynchronous, preserving the requirement that students are able to pursue the module in their own time, within the weekly time frame of each seminar.