Hard to be Tactile in Law
Law classes are very auditory or based on the densely written word. It is difficult to be tactile in law. Typically, the best we can do is have students draft documents, whether court-ready documents or traditional writing assignments, in an effort to do the actual work of the legal professional. But I could not disagree with anyone who argues that document drafting is just a different version of the written-word form of education.
Even a task such as interviewing a client or negotiating with an opposing party is still more auditory than tactile, in my opinion.
It's too bad we don't get to dissect or handle animals like other programs. I'd appreciate some tips on how to be more tactile in law courses.
I agree with you Joseph - I was thinking of all the learning styles this doesn't fit with a lot of legal or business courses. I can incorporate the other 3 quite easily but when it came to Tactile all of the sudden I was just wishing I was teaching auto mechanics or how to draw blood. I did see in one forum the mention of that magnetic poetry and I think we might be able to do something with terms or pictures and have the students illustrate a story somehow using that but it seemed a stretch. The only other thing I thought of was to have a bunch of "evidence" on the table such as a toy gun, sky mask, fake pill bottle etc. and try to use that in a learning activity.
For learning activites of the terms...how about a word search or crossword puzzle to help with the vocabalary. websites such as "discovery education puzzle maker" are wonderful in doing this for you. You can have them complete this individually or in a team enviorment.
Hi Srey - Thanks for your post to the forum and for sharing some great ideas for teaching terminology. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I also teach legal courses and have been unable to come up with activities that would fit into the tactile category. I too use legal document preparation and interviewing to illustrate the actual work of a legal professional. Unfortunately, I think that is as hands-on as we can get in the legal profession.
Hi Heather - Thanks for your post to the forum.I think that the activities you are using are great choices! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I have found your posts to be interesting and pertinent as I teach classes in the Social Sciences, and it can be very difficult to incorporate the Tactile learning style when presenting course material. In the Tactile learning style is using your hands and movement the key? For example, if I am presenting a lecture using PowerPoint, would tactile learners better comprehend and receive the information if they were able to squeeze stress balls (for example), or is the learning in the actual doing?
Hi -Geoffrey, Thanks for your post to the forum. Certainly allowing your kinesthetic folks to doodle or squeeze stress balls helps them to better concentrate on a purely visual/auditory powerpoint. It also makes sense to incorporate hands-on activities into your powerpoint. For example, you can pause your ppt to have students get up and move in the classroom to pods of desks where they will be working in small groups to answer a question that you have just posed in your presentation. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
