learning, teaching & assessment Pedagogy With Purpose

At the University of Law, we support our colleagues to provide positive and engaging learning experiences for our students. We do this through an extensive academic development offering. This begins with the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE), with optional progression to the Postgraduate Diploma and subsequently the Master’s in Education. For our Business Professional colleagues, we offer a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Master’s in Higher Education Administration, Management and Leadership, which provides exciting opportunities to develop leadership and management skills. Alongside our academic programmes, we are committed to providing colleagues with ongoing professional development, starting with the University of Law Teaching Essentials (ULTE) programme for colleagues new to teaching at the University, as well as a training series for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). We also regularly design and facilitate workshops on aspects of educational practice that are relevant to colleagues at different career stages.

Over and above training and qualifications, we place great emphasis on recognition and reward for our colleagues’ outstanding educational practices. We do this in a number of ways, such as through our AdvanceHE-accredited Fellowship scheme, TULIP, as well as by supporting colleagues to gain prestigious awards (e.g. National Teaching Fellowships and Collaborative Awards for Teaching Excellence). Our annual Festival of Learning and Teaching (FOLAT) provides a space to celebrate the great achievements of our colleagues and students, and to share good practice and identify priorities for ongoing development and enhancement of our learning and teaching community.

Research Informed Teaching (RiT) and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

At the University of Law, we are committed to ongoing enhancement of the student learning experience by fostering a strong and dynamic research culture and clear links between teaching, learning, and research. Research-informed teaching is at the heart of this, enabling students to engage with research-based content and activities throughout their university education.

Our colleagues take an evidence-based approach to teaching and learning, drawing on both disciplinary and pedagogic research to enhance their practice. We also support and fund SoTL projects as a way of ensuring our educational practices remain relevant and evidence informed. Importantly, our work in this area is often conducted in collaboration with our students through our student-staff partnership scheme.

To find out more about our research and scholarship activities, please see Applied Research, Enterprise and Scholarship.

The team works collaboratively; engaging with designers, Module and Programme leads, Programme Directors, student enhancement teams and operational teams to develop and refine our educational offering. We oversee and engage with curriculum design from inception of new programmes, through to programme development and revalidation, and regular review of materials to ensure consistency and alignment with University values such as inclusivity, flexibility and innovative digital design. We ensure authentic and reliable assessment, through supporting designers, running a thorough and structured scrutiny process, and providing clear and pedagogy-informed marking and moderation guidance. Our work is guided by pedagogical expertise and is further enhanced through engagement with the wider educational community and informed by current research.

All of our educational design and assessment guidance, training resources and toolkits are housed on our Learning Design Lab which is available on the University’s Intranet for all staff.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Framework sets out the principles that guide how we design, deliver, and assess learning across all programmes at The University of Law. Rooted in our Education Strategy, the framework ensures a consistent, high-quality student experience, whether you're studying on campus, online, or through blended learning.

The LTA Framework supports our vision of an inclusive, innovative, and student-focused learning environment. It is designed to enhance student engagement, promote excellence in teaching, ensure fair and inclusive assessment, and foster continuous professional development for our staff. By aligning all programmes to this framework, we create opportunities for shared learning, portfolio development, and long-term student success.

Our Digital Education Strategy sets out a bold vision for advancing learning through innovation, flexibility, and accessibility. It guides how we integrate digital tools and technologies to enhance teaching, personalise learning, and support inclusive, future-ready education.

With a mission to embed ethical, effective, and adaptive digital practices across all programmes, the strategy empowers both students and educators. From AI-driven personalisation and flexible online learning to microcredentials and global e-learning communities, we’re creating a digital ecosystem that supports lifelong learning and prepares students to thrive in a technology-driven world.

Our Digital Education Strategy can be viewed here.

At The University of Law, our TELT team plays a key role in transforming education through the thoughtful use of digital tools and technologies. We support our academic community in delivering engaging, flexible, and inclusive learning experiences, both online and on campus.

From virtual classrooms and interactive content to AI-powered learning tools and immersive technologies, TELT helps ensure that students benefit from a modern, connected, and future-ready education. We also harness the power of learner analytics to gain real time insights into student engagement, progression and performance, enabling data informed that enhance academic success and support every learner's journey.

Our work enhances collaboration, streamlines assessment, and supports personalised learning, so that every student can thrive in a digitally driven world.

We collaborate with teaching staff to design and deliver skills training that aligns with programme goals and student needs. From integrating research and referencing workshops into your modules to helping you curate accessible, high-quality reading lists, our team ensures that learning resources and support are embedded where they matter most.

Our team offers tailored support to help students build the academic confidence and capabilities they need to succeed. Through one-to-one appointments, workshops, and online resources, we support everything from essay writing and critical thinking to digital literacy and independent research.

ULTRA plays a key role in embedding advanced technologies into teaching and learning across the University, working closely with TELT. From AI-powered tools and immersive simulations to personalised learning platforms and microcredentials, ULTRA supports the development of flexible, inclusive, and digitally enriched learning experiences. These innovations directly align with our strategic goals to enhance student outcomes, promote lifelong learning, and prepare graduates for a tech-driven world.

Led by Associate Professor Patrick Grant, ULTRA fosters a vibrant research culture focused on the ethical and impactful use of technology in education and professional practice. Through initiatives like the AI Competency Centre, interdisciplinary projects, and the ULTRA podcast series, ULTRA connects students, academics, and industry to explore real-world applications of AI and digital innovation. This collaborative approach ensures our pedagogy remains relevant, evidence informed, and globally connected.

Recent projects demonstrate ULTRA’s practical impact:

1. Justice Unlocked: a co designed initiative with SMEs to enhance access to justice through AI-supported legal services, improving efficiency and support for underserved communities.
2. Welfare Bot: a proof-of-concept developed in collaboration with Calls9 and The University of Law, aimed at helping those in need access vital welfare information. Utilising speech-to-text (via Whisper AI), real-time translation, and an LLM-driven assistant, the system enables users to express their concerns in their own language, receive translated advice, access local support contacts, and even draft outreach on their behalf.