July 26, 2024
Current and prospective law school faculty will have a new way to hone their skills with the launch of OsgoodePD’s brand new Certificate in Law Teaching. For practitioners contemplating stepping into teaching in an adjunct role, the certificate will introduce basic pedagogical principles, as well as how to deal with the challenges of law teaching in particular.
“This is an idea that has been percolating for some time,” says Audrey Fried, OsgoodePD’s Director of Faculty & Curriculum Development, explaining that she put the program together after identifying a gap in Canadian-focused law teaching programs.
“This is a unique offering,” she said.
Executive Director and Assistant Dean Victoria Watkins added, “The certificate is part of a long-time vision to make OsgoodePD a centre of professional development for not only learners but instructors of law as well. The legal profession has an honoured tradition of giving back by teaching, and this is a way to support and sustain that tradition – by creating a learning community of law instructors.”
Permanent and adjunct faculty members at Canadian law schools have traditionally looked to more general higher education-focused programs for professional development opportunities. But that will change with the introduction of Osgoode’s Certificate in Law Teaching, which will be led by Fried, with the help of several other instructors who have expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence and trauma-informed teaching.
“The certificate is a way to help faculty improve their teaching and also to attract prospective law teachers who will feel more comfortable taking on a course once they have learned a little bit more about teaching,” she says. “It’s also a chance to draw on the expertise of some of the really wonderful law teachers we have in Canada.”
To obtain the certificate, attendees must complete all three modules detailed below, which will be offered over three weekends in the fall of 2024 and winter of 2025.
Each module will be delivered online via a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities in order to maximize reach, according to Fried, who is looking forward to welcoming attendees with connections not just to Osgoode, but to other law schools across the country.
“It’s aimed at everyone from full-time faculty to adjunct faculty and prospective adjuncts,” she says. “We would like people to join us from all over Canada and beyond.”
- Foundations of Law Teaching: Scheduled to proceed in October 2024, this module will tackle some of the basics of law teaching, including learning design, classroom management, assessments, accessibility, Indigenization, and DEI in the classroom.
- Law Teaching with Problems and Projects: The second module will take place in November 2024 and is designed to give attendees a footing in instruction and assessment using problems and projects. Sessions will cover topics such as the benefits and challenges of teaching with problems and projects, problem-based learning and simulations, and teamwork.
- Special Topics in Law Teaching: Scheduled for January 2025, the final session will focus on emerging and perennial issues at the cutting edge of law teaching, including online instruction, artificial intelligence, the role of lectures and trauma-informed practices.
Want to learn more about The Osgoode Certificate in Law Teaching?
Audrey Fried – Osgoode Professional Development
Director of Faculty & Curriculum Development