STSC 14/3
Update on ULP eReader Project
To: Members of STSC
Date: 01/02/12
1. We have distributed approx. 100 Kobo eReaders (with cases) to ULP students in the following
pilot group areas: Singapore, UK, Kenya and Germany.
2. Study guides for Contract Law and Criminal Law have been created in ePub format by the
International Programme publishing team. These have been distributed to all of the pilot groups
via email.
3. Two course textbooks by McKendrick (Contract) and Omerod (Criminal) have been prepared as
eBooks in ePub format by the publishers Palgrave McMillan and Oxford University Press
respectively. These have been automatically sent to student eReaders via the Kobo bookstore.
4. Introductory workshops were held with project participants who are now undertaking a range of
directed activities using the distributed resources.
5. There have been minimal technical issues with the Kobo readers and support requirements for
the students have so far been straightforward and quickly solved.
6. Only one device has been returned through mechanical failure.
7. The first focus group with UK students has just been held and feedback has so far been very
positive:
I am managing to cover a greater amount of material and therefore find I am learning more due to
the fact that the content on the eReader is much more accessible and portable than hard copy books,
especially while travelling. Having my learning materials to hand encourages me more often to cover
additional chapters here and there whereas I would have been restricted before using only traditional
methods, for instance heavy textbooks.
I also learn in a different way as a result and would say that it is beneficial, particularly as the laws
programme has voluminous documentation to cover! Without the eReader, considering my other
commitments it would be taking me longer to cover the same amount of material and I would not
have learned as much as this stage.
Feedback from ULP UK student- sent by email after UK focus group
8. The project has already been presented at the CDE Annual conference in October 2011 (poster)
and will be presented at Going Global March 2012 (poster) and at BILETA March 21012 (paper).
9. Further focus group meetings are planned for all of the student pilot groups.
Steven Warburton and Patricia McKeller
International Programmes, Undergraduate Laws Programme