Brief abstracts of conference sessions will be listed here once the final program has been confirmed.
Title: The Birth, Growth, and Nurturing of a CLE Program in Myanmar
Lead Presenter: Treuhart, Mary Pat
Co-Presenters:
- Win, Soe Thiri
Session Abstract: THE BIRTH, GROWTH, AND NURTURING OF CLE PROGRAM IN MYANMAR Panel number one of this session is designed to showcase the benefits and examine the challenges of international collaborative and interactive teaching arrangements in CLE programs. While focusing on the specific practices of international teachers and their Taunggyi University law department counterparts in Myanmar, we anticipate that the presentation will present information and generate discussion that will be relevant to other cross-border teaching experiences. The typical method of instruction throughout law departments in Myanmar is largely comprised of a classic hierarchal lecture style and the evaluation process consists of examinations that reward rote memorization. While each of these may offer a certain efficiency, they do not promote effective student learning in either traditional doctrinal courses and especially not in the classroom components of clinical or externship courses. Beginning two years ago, International-Clinicians-in-Residence (ICIRs) under the auspices of BABSEACLE, their sponsoring Southeast Asia-based NGO, began working as volunteers at Taunggyi University. Staff at BABSEACLE had developed a curriculum and written course materials to assist with the integration of skills-based learning into two new courses at Taunggyi: The Externship course and the Community Teaching course. The law teachers at Taunggyi who were responsible for teaching these courses received training in interactive and hands-on teaching pedagogy. The ICIRs benefitted from the groundwork that had been laid and the on-going support that was provided by BABSEACLE. There was also the opportunity for ICIRs to communicate directly about their experiences via e-mail and by reading the reports of the former ICIRs who hailed from three different areas of the globe. All panel participants will share their experiences and offer suggestions in the following areas: • working effectively with a bi-lingual interpreter • observing class sessions of the clinical courses (Externship and Community Teaching) • co-teaching modules of the clinical courses (Externship and Community Teaching) • teaching doctrinal courses upon request • meeting individually – and in small groups – with students • interviewing externship supervisors • visiting the offices of local NGOs such as the Gender Equality Network and the Women’s Peace and Action Alliance to strategize about community teaching opportunities • exchanging ideas for interactive teaching and learning techniques with partners whose law training, peer support, and current resources might differ in significant ways • maintaining the relationships established The next phase of this cross-border project involves further development of a partnership between the Department of Law at Taunggyi and the ICIRs or other international teachers to: • share thoughts about pedagogy through e-mail, a Facebook group, and a listserv • explore possibilities for faculty and student exchanges between Taunggyi and the home institutions of the ICIRs • create opportunities for ongoing and potential joint scholarly collaboration.
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