DISTANCE EDUCATION AND THE INCORPORATION OF AN ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITY INTO THE HUMAN RIGHTS LAW COURSE TO PROMOTE DEEP LEARNING

This paper begins with a brief overview of the current teaching and learning aims and
assessment in the Human Rights Law course offered at RMIT University. Although this
course has been taught on a face to face basis, in future, it will also be offered to on line
students. This calls for new teaching and learning and assessment practices which
promote deep learning for those enrolled in distance education. After a brief discussion
of the theoretical literature relating to assessment, the paper discusses the perceived
benefits of introducing an online learning activity relevant to the aims of the course. The
paper then outlines the proposed on line activities and the relevant online tools. How the
student will engage with the activity is addressed as is student demonstration of
discipline based learning. It will be demonstrated that the overhauling of the existing
format of the teaching and learning component relating to the memorandum of advice
with online tools and exercises will strengthen and enrich the learning process for
students enrolled in distance education and will lead to higher order thinking and deep
learning.