Assoc Prof Dr Shahrul Mizan Ismail Portfolio - AAN2021

Go confidently to chase your dream........

"Education is not the
filling of a pail, but the

lighting of a fire."

- WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS -

Hi everyone!

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Anugerah Akademik Negara

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING 3
6
AND LEARNING 6
11
A) What Inspires Me...
B) Teaching Philosophy 12

1. Constructivism & Experiential Learning 15
2. Andragogy & Transformational 17
Learning
3. Disruptive Innovation & Flexibility In
Approaches
4. Maslow Before Blooms
5. Design & Re-Design My Teaching

PART 2: STRATEGY FOR TEACHING & 22
22
LEARNING 24
25
Introduction
The Subjects 30
Experiential Learning 33

Strategy 1: Reexamination of Course 35
Learning Outcomes & Reconstruction of
Teaching Plans
Strategy 2: Field Trip / Visit & Observation
Strategy 3: Setting Up The Roles &
Simulation Scenario
Strategy 4: Scaffolding Is Provided
Anywhere, Any How, At Any Time

ASSOC. PROF. DR. SHAHRUL MIZAN ISMAIL

Anugerah Akademik Negara

TABLE OF CONTENTS Game-Based Learning & Gamification 36
Strategies 36
38
Strategy 1: Start With Gamification In
Norms Where Competition is Common 39
Strategy 2: Use and Make Modifications
To Common Games To Achieve Learning 41
Outcomes 42
Strategy 3: Developing New Games 42
Suitable For The Purpose of Achieving 44
Learning Outcomes
Strategy 4: Incorporating Augmented 46
Reality Into My Games 46
Interactive Role Playing 46
Strategy 1: Incorporate Role Playing In 47
Formative Assessment Exercise
Strategy 2: Elevate Their Roleplay Roles, 47
Widen The Scope of The Role Play and
Incorporate Problem Based Learning
Maslow Before Bloom Strategies
Strategy 1: Adopt Visual Learning,
Embrace Asynchronous Learning
Strategy 2: Flip My Classes and More
Engaging Activities During Classtimes
Strategy 3: Give Students Some
Autonomy & Make Them Co-Curator of
The Learning Experience
Strategy 4: Encourage Engagement By
Building Confidence

ASSOC. PROF. DR. SHAHRUL MIZAN ISMAIL

Anugerah Akademik Negara

TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 3: CREATIVITY AND 51
55
INNOVATION 59
62
(1) Interactive Role-Play & Simulation In 65
Teaching Philosophy 71
(2) Time-Based Pressure Assessment As A 84
Tool Of Transformative Education 86
(3) Immersive Legal Profession World Via 88
Virtual Law Firm Simulation 91
(4) Developing Educational Board Game To
Teach Procedural Law
(5) Incorporating Experiential Learning In
The Teaching Of Procedural Law
(6) Using Game-Based Learning (GBL) To
Teach Procedural Law
(7) Postgraduate Virtual Work Lab
(8) Talent-Based Assessment
(9) Mockumentary / Documentary Youtube
Video In Teaching Philosophy
(10) Story Telling Method Via Interactive
Graphic Novels & Comics

PART 4: VALUATIONS AND 97
100
TESTIMONIALS

Rating and Valuation
Subject: Civil Procedure
Subject: Advocacy

ASSOC. PROF. DR. SHAHRUL MIZAN ISMAIL

Anugerah Akademik Negara

TABLE OF CONTENTS Subject: Jurisprudence 101
Subject: International Human Rights Law 102
Testimonial: Student (SPPP UKM)
Subject: Civil Procedure 104
Subject: Advocacy 114
Subject: Jurisprudence 115
Subject: International Human Rights Law 116
Testimonial: Dean, Faculty of Law,
UKM 117
Testimonial: Colleagues 119
Testimonial: Industry 121

PART 5: IMPROVEMENT OF 125
128
TEACHING AND LEARNING 131

Improvement 1: Flipped Classroom
Improvement 2: Game-Based Learning
Improvement 3: Collaborative Learning

PART 6: SCHOLARSHIP 137
142
Youtube & Podcast Channel 164
Workshop, Webinar & Training 169
Textbook 174
Research Article
Massive Open Online Course 183
(MOOC) 189
Research Grant 201
Awards, Medals & Winnings
Position, Appointment & Expertise

ASSOC. PROF. DR. SHAHRUL MIZAN ISMAIL

"Life as a teacher begins
the day you realize that

you are always a
LEARNER"

- ROBERT JOHN MEEHAN -

PHILOSOPHY OF
TEACHING & LEARNING

PART 1

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 3

A) What inspires Me…

My Failures... During my studies, I have always
been one of those who sit at the
My Failures... front row of the lecture halls asking
What inspires me to do all and questions to my professors, and I
everything that I can for my students was an active participant in all of my
is my own failure in the past. I tutorials. I completed all
consider myself a failure when it assignments on time if not sooner,
comes to being a legal practitioner. and constantly score excellent
My nine months chambering period grades in tests and exams.
was such a ‘culture shock’ to me that
I ultimately chose to leave the legal Frankly, I was a smart student… or
profession for good, and not to so I thought.
pursue my dream of becoming a full-
fledged litigation lawyer anymore. I
gave up. I surrendered. I was scared.
As someone who graduated top of
his class, a moot oralist, a debater
and an avid student researcher,
finding out that I did not have what
it takes to be a lawyer was one of
the most difficult moments in my
life.

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And suddenly there I was at the end of my chambering, discovering for the
first time that I was not good enough. Not cut out for the reality of my dream
job. Simply not ready for the real world. Suddenly I didn’t know what to do
with my life. I had failed.

It was a horrible feeling.

Looking back at those days, as someone who is now in the teaching
profession, I notice that the cause of the so-called ‘culture shock’ was very
much due to the nature and teaching style of most of the law schools in
Malaysia at that time. What was delivered to us in lecture halls was purely
theoretical. What we learned in law schools was the law, but we were never
taught the reality of the legal system and the legal profession that awaits us
out there.

It was a spoon-feeding exercise.
We were lectured but not asked
to try doing what has been
lectured to us. We were made to
listen but we were never given
the opportunities to really try
and to learn from our own
mistakes. There was a lot of
teaching but a lack of learning.
Students were trained to be
'parrots' that do nothing but
regurgitate whatever spewed out
of the lecturer's mouth. We were
fed with lots of data, knowledge
and theories and were
repeatedly instructed to think
critically all the time. And yet, we
were not exposed nor trained
how to do so.

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The Legal Industry… The Real Work…
We were given the knowledge, but we Most importantly, I didn’t have the
were not equipped with the tools and skills to handle the stress and
apparatus to survive the challenging pressure of the industry, and I did not
working world. We were not prepared have the ability to quickly resolve a
for the industry. We didn’t know where problem or to make sound
the courts were, how the court looks administrative decisions. I was so used
like from the inside or how cases are to ‘absorbing’ knowledge in lecture
called and sometimes thrown out, how halls, and regurgitating answers in
a law firm is run every day, what legal tutorials and exam scripts that I
documents to be drafted and filed, became lost when thrown into the real
where and how to do the filing of the world. Practical things that come so
documents or a file search at the naturally to others, became something
court’s counter etc. so foreign to me.

The Challenges…
Most importantly we didn’t know what
to do when unpredictable ‘hiccups’
suddenly happened in our court
hearings and the judge yelled at us
from the bench for failing to comply
with certain pre-action protocols or
practice directions. It was then that I
realized that we have been given the
‘fish’ but we have never been taught
how to fish! I have a law degree, and
yet I did not know how to behave, how
to work effectively in a team consisting
of people who were different from me.
I have the knowledge, I have the skills,
but I have not been trained how to
handle my feelings, manage my stress
and cope with pressure.

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B) Teaching Philosophy

The CornerStones of
My Teaching Philosophy…

1. Constructivism & Experiential Learning

Give the Industry What it Wants…
The first day I became a lecturer, I vowed never to let any students feel what I
felt 18 years ago. To change the prevalent practise in legal education, I must
change myself and develop ‘disruptive innovation’ in my teaching styles. The
students must be exposed to the real world before they even graduate, and
must be treated like an adult.

They must be given room to make decisions and learn that every decision has
implications. They must make mistakes of their own, and they must learn from
their own mistakes. Classes should not just be a place where students come
to ‘inhale’ all information from the lecturers and to later ‘parrot’ them back
onto their exam answer scripts. It should be a nurturing life workshop
producing graduates with a legal practitioner’s mindset, knowledge and skills.

Constructivism Learning Theory &

David Kolb’s Experiential Learning

I resorted to Constructivism as the

learning theory that underpins my

students’ overall learning

experience, both at the

undergraduate and postgraduate

levels. And to implement

constructivism effectively, I adopted

David Kolb’s experiential learning

method (also known as “learning

through reflection on doing”).

Instead of giving the students are towards those other
lectures and tutorials on a weekly distractions that don’t affect
basis, I usually start the semester by meaningful changes in their lives.
giving them problems or issues to
work on. The young generations "To implement
have short attention spans and are constructivism effectively,
easily distracted. Too many outside
distractions will lead to them losing I adopted David Kolb’s
their attention and being aloof in experiential learning
class. So, if I could not prevent the method (also known as
distraction, why not distract them
all the way? Rather than being “learning through
engaged with other things, I might reflection on doing”)."
as well increase their engagement
by allowing them to make more
decisions, do more things and
interact with each other in class.
Not that they don’t interact often,
but much of those interactions are

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 7

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Thus, to further amplify their without saying that the easiest thing to
engagement, I use gamified problem- do is just to give them lectures and be
based learning, which combines the done with it. That would make my life
highly engaging components of so much easier (and happier) since
gamification in a simulated learning time could be well spent somewhere
environment based on a problem. else, completing other tasks. But the
Learning in my class happens through teacher inside of me sits very
discovery, with structured scaffolding uncomfortably with the idea of taking
where I would step in and step out the easy way out, instead of doing
accordingly based on their needs and right by my students. As teachers are
achievements. To be honest, this was we to give them what they want, or
an extremely tedious and taxing what they need? They may want to be
process for me. When students learn spoon-fed with a mouthful of lectures,
via discovery, their learning pace, and be graded an A for spewing out
patterns and levels of understanding every single thing we have on our
differs. In fact, their discoveries are lecture notes, but will this help them
different from one another since their become productive human beings and
experiences differ. In my early days of a resilient future legal professional?
using experiential learning, the old,
conventional me was constantly "When students
worried about how to ensure that ALL learn via discovery,
students would receive the required their learning pace,
amount of knowledge intended for patterns and levels
them to achieve the learning
outcomes. I spent hours designing and of understanding
redesigning my instructions, while differs. In fact, their
patiently endured their consistent
complaints and disgruntlement. Oh discoveries are
well, this was not unexpected. Being different from one
students, they’d always choose the another since their
easy way out. And law students being experiences differ."
law students will of course be critical
about everything. Any form of learning
which requires any extra effort will not
be accepted without a fight. I have to
be patient, and I have to fight my own
self to do the right thing. It goes

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My days usually end with me legal practice world was very
dragging myself to bed to lie down positive. They told me during
or slouching on the sofa for hours chambering (9 months compulsory
before I could even get up to grab practical training for all who wish to
my dinner. Missing breakfasts and join the Malaysian legal profession),
lunches were sometimes inevitable they were considered to be sources
since I personalized the learning to of references among peers. And as
accommodate 120-180 students they have matured into working
depending on the size of the adults, they started to realize the
batches. Second-guessing myself rationale of my teaching methods
and enduring high levels of anxiety hence were willing to share with me
was just part and parcel of the what they actually felt deep down
challenge. Since I am not from the despite their resistance, when they
Faculty of Education, most of the were in my class years back. They
things that I implement are based on told me that they felt so alive in my
my own readings, researches, class since they were indirectly
workshops that I attended, and challenged to be what they never
consequently my own try & error thought they could be. Constantly
attempts throughout years of expected to be at the top of the
teaching. There were times when I game, due to the nature of the work
just felt like giving up, but my gut was and the environment they are
telling me that I was on the right placed in during their learning days
path and that in the long run, this with me have transformed them into
would help my students become a meticulous and zealous legal
different, unique and industry-ready. practitioners. This feedbacks
continued to pour in consistently
After several years, I started to see every semester from every batch
the fruits of my labour. Feedbacks that graduated. They kept me going
from my ex-students who have albeit the utter exhaustion.
graduated, and have gone into the

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 10

I continued using experiential learning move to the Faculty of Law, UKM and
and continuously making gradual implemented experiential learning for
changes and improvements to the the same subject in AIKOL, IIUM, i.e.
learning process so as to lighten the Civil Procedure.
burden on the students, without
jeopardizing the quality of the process. In June 2016, I joined UKM and was
This continued until 2016 until I given the responsibility of setting up
received a better offer from UKM. The the facilities. There was already a Moot
Dean of the UKM Faculty of Law at that Court. What was needed was a Court
time, who discovered my teaching Registry, and office setting for the
methods, arranged to meet me on a students to do their work. The faculty
series of occasions to find out more then allocated spaces and rooms for
about them. These discussions ended the Court Registry and law firm's
up with him persistently insisting on offices. Using the budget given by the
me bring and implement experiential faculty, we purchased nearly 50
learning in UKM. He promised the second-hand office cubicles, chairs,
facilities I needed to make the learning meeting tables, office counter (for
process and experience more real. It court registry) and other office
was then that I made my decision to appliances and furniture to set up the
facilities.

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2. Andragogy & Transformational Learning

After almost 5 years of implementing dilemma (element of pressure) will be
experiential learning, I discovered compelled to evaluate their past ideas
another concept that can further and understanding and shift their
enhance my students’ experience. beliefs as they obtain this new
Mezirow's transformative learning is information and through critical
defined as “an orientation which holds reflection. It goes beyond simply
that the way learners interpret and acquiring knowledge, and dives into
reinterpret their sense experience is the way that learners find meaning in
central to making meaning and hence their lives and understanding. This
learning.” Put in simple terms, kind of learning experience involves a
transformative learning is the idea that fundamental change in the learners’
adults learn differently from children, perceptions since the disorienting
and that the former can learn more dilemma (the element of pressure that
effectively (but reluctantly) via the instructor imparts into the learning
elements of pressure. In other words, experience), will lead them to question
learners who upon getting new all the things they knew, believed, or
information through a disorienting thought before, and examine things
from new perspectives in order to
make room for new insights and
information. Many learners and
experts agree that this kind of learning
leads to true freedom of thought and
understanding.

This was a totally different ballgame
for me altogether. I remembered my
heart was pounding so hard when I
discovered this principle. Once again,
it took me several months to read and
research on the theory, and the model
and several other years to perfect its
implementation. Throughout the
process, I discovered that employing
this method means I will be hated. Not
many rational adults will accept stress
and pressure with open arms even it is
for their own benefit.

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 12

Self Regulation & Self Control Towards Legal Muscle…
Legendary Performance… By taking this approach in teaching my
According to Robin Sharma, at the students civil procedure and civil
base of all legendary performances litigation, my activities throughout the
lies a strong character—born from 14 weeks of the semester are
well-practiced self-control. Self- somewhat like an exercise programme
regulation or self-control has been that will help my students tone their
found to be a lot like a muscle: the legal practice 'muscle’. A similar
more you exercise it the stronger it approach is taken for my postgraduate
grows. It's a pure myth that elite students, where instead of lecturing
achievers are born with gifts you don’t them on various international human
have. And buying into that idea is a rights issues, I simply ask them to
great way to avoid the discomfort of examine and suggest solutions for
doing the work you need to do to those issues, while I gradually check
enjoy the success you deserve to have. and correct their mistakes in stages.

3. Disruptive Innovation & Flexibility In Approaches

When it comes to teaching, I’ve always the way” for teaching all laws. Legal
been a firm believer in the principle education is neither independent nor
that to affect changes, I must first isolated from learning challenges that
change. Expecting students to change affect other disciplines. Hence
and become better just by nagging at changes are just imminent. In fact, law
them in every class is absurd. Students lecturers in the 21st century should
observe and subconsciously follow view themselves as the founding
what we demonstrate as their closest game-changers of legal education. As
role model. So, if I want them to much as I hate to say this, but the
change, I must be ready to question reality is (especially before Pandemic
the old ways and traditions, and I must Covid-19), that law lecturers are
exemplify the bravery of transforming commonly known to resist the
myself that I expected out of them. emergence or introduction of any new
methods of teaching, especially those
Hanging on to old methods just that involve the use of technology. As
because that has always been the way someone who goes against the
for the discipline of the law runs current, it has been a lonely journey
diametrically opposite to my teaching for me when it comes to trying new
philosophy. There is no such thing as things or doing the unusual.

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Situations were even worse before the current form of teaching "is unable
Pandemic Covid-19 when online to provide today's pupils with the skills
learning or redesigning instruction was they need to master in order to
not a necessity. Apart from the interact with and within the digital
challenge of getting approval or society". He then goes on to highlight
support from the faculty, some the need for a disruptive education
colleagues or bosses even went to the that approaches learning in
extent of either directly or indirectly another way.
condemning or discouraging me from
doing anything different. Students’ Personally, I am someone who
strong resistance towards my believes in 'Flexibility' in teaching. You
methods was expected since they may be teaching the same subject, but
have never been placed in such it does not mean that your way of
situations in any other law subjects teaching remains the same for the rest
during their first to third years of law of your teaching career. You may be
degree. But as a human being, I have teaching one same law course, but
my down moments too and have to that does not in any way mean that
battle with myself on a daily basis to your methods are the same for all 14
just keep going. I have to keep weeks of your semester. I believe in
reminding myself that I am ‘disrupting’
the tradition and compelling a new set
of norms.

I remember reading somewhere that a
thinker by the name of Ken Robinson
described disruption as a sudden
break or interruption, therefore,
disruptive education is a new method
that intends to break with the
established model to improve the
existing one.

Curtis Johnson, co-author of the
bestseller Disruptive Class: How
Disruptive Innovation Will Change the
Way the World Learns, explains that

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 14

using various teaching methods, and "I had also
to change these methods, to suit the constantly ensured
circumstances of the students and that there will be an
class, and taking into consideration element of surprise
various factors.
in every class."
Previously, because of my background,
i.e. LAW, I was a very conventional Not only must it be different from the
person. During my early teaching previous year or semester, but it must
career in AIKOL IIUM, I used only also be something so extraordinary
traditional methods, i.e. face-to-face that the possibility that such a
lectures backed by face-to-face teaching method is used by other
tutorials to further explain the lecture. lecturers from other law schools (for
However, based on students' results that topic) is highly minimal.
and feedback from the industry, I
somehow question these 'Strict' In addition to that, I had also
teaching methods. Thus, I started to constantly ensured that there will be
research how to make the class more an element of surprise in every class.
effective, engaging and interesting. For this, I employed challenge-based
learning and introduced a challenge
Thinking Outside the Box to Create every time students come to class.
Extraordinary Class For Every Class… There must always be a challenge for
To encourage students to willingly them to deal with. From wheeling a
come to class, I religiously practiced huge trolley with piling stack of court
thinking outside the box in planning files (for the students to handle a.k.a
ALL of my classes, and ensured that impromptu there and then), to
EVERY EACH class is DIFFERENT! The opening the lecture hall door and
topic may be the same as what has suddenly throwing ballots paper for
been taught in the previous each group to chase after, to filling the
year/semester (for the previous batch), class with hundreds of balloons for the
but the class MUST BE DIFFERENT. It students to pop in order to resolve a
may be playing a game of Jigsaw quiz, to standing on a table in the
puzzle and doing a sketch for last middle of the room and do some role-
semester, this semester, the same plays to illustrate cases that they have
topic might instead be taught via read, there will always be something to
Padlet and Augmented Reality. stimulate their mind to think.

Anugerah Akademik Negara Page 15

4. Maslow Before Blooms I was too rigorous in my effort to
produce a different generation of
When I first decided to go with Kolb’s legal practitioners. It was through the
Experiential Learning model, coupled students’ feedback that I learnt that
with Mezirow’s Transformational their human needs have been
learning theory, I made the mistake of neglected. Sometimes their packed
focusing too much on the Cognitive schedule will prevent them from
development of the students. Much of having the time to eat, sleep and rest,
the experience was to pressure them contact their elderly parents or
into getting imparted with skills, unwell siblings or take care of their
training with the legal knowledge that personal hygiene. This led me to
will make them extraordinary law further research the concept of
graduate with multiple intelligences Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It was
and talents. What I failed to take into taxing to complete my contact hours,
consideration was the fact that these keep up with research and
are human beings that I am teaching. publication in my own area of legal
expertise, while at the same time,
researching and redesigning my
courses. But the need was crucial. It
was then that I learnt that people are
motivated to achieve certain needs
and that some needs take
precedence over others. Our most
basic need is for physical survival, and
this will be the first thing that
motivates our behavior.

"It was through the
students’ feedback
that I learnt that their
human needs have

been neglected."

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Once that level is fulfilled the next "If the basic needs are not
satisfied the human body
level up is what motivates us, and cannot function optimally.

so on. If the basic needs are not Maslow considered
physiological needs the most
satisfied the human body cannot
important as all the other
function optimally. Maslow needs become secondary
until these needs are met."
considered physiological needs the

most important as all the other

needs become secondary until

these needs are met. Applying this

to students, I then understood that I am going to teach. If it is very

if they are hungry or tired, they important, and the students need

need food and rest before they to know them by heart, such as

could be expected to climb further drafting court documents, I use

up onto the ladder of needs. What experiential learning. If the topic is

we impart to them in class is simple, such as discovery by

fulfilling their self-actualization interrogatories, I use simpler

needs, which ranks at the topmost method gamification or game-

tier of the Maslow pyramid of based learning. Another factor is

needs. They can’t focus on realizing the class venue. The venue for the

their potential if they feel hungry, class might change during the

tired, insecure, unloved, or uncared semester. Sometimes, I get a

for. lecture theater with lots of stairs or

Moot Court that does not have a

Exploring Versatile Immediacy projector or a classroom that is
It was also here that I started to
explore the idea of immediacy small and cramped. For example,
introduced by Albert Mehrabian.
The techniques and approaches for the lecture theater, physical
such as the one introduced by
Marcia Dixon. It is also at this point activities such as game-based
in time that I start to look back into
the types of topics or subjects that learning are not suitable, due to

safety reasons. For Moot Court, I

might use experiential learning, or

interactive role-playing &

simulation, or game-based learning.

VARK Model Became Useful 5. Design & Re-Design My
Teaching
This is also when I realized that I
I personally believe that a lecturer
need to look at the type of students is someone who does not cease
from learning new things. Students
in my class, either they are visual, today are not the same as those we
had in the past. The world changes
auditory, read/write, or kinesthetic. every day and so does the type and
nature of students that we receive.
To guide me in doing this, I A great teacher to me is someone
who has the ability to constantly
discovered and resorted to change himself in order to continue
giving the best possible education
Flemming’s VARK Model. This led to his/her students.

me into designing and performing a Designing our instruction is
inevitable. Revising course outlines
demographic survey at the and relooking into our constructive
alignment is a MUST. I am from a
beginning of every semester, and to legal background and these
instructional design methods are
construct a more effective teaching simply alien to me. I started with

plan for my students. For example,

for auditory learners, I would use

interactive lectures; for visual

learners, I would use visual learning

and screencasting; and for

kinesthetic learners, I would use

game-based learning and

interactive role-playing & simulation

such as Mock United Nations.

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ADDIE Model, which to me is the
easiest to understand before
exploring further into Kirkpatrick,
Merrils and etc.

Expecting ALL students to adjust to
our style of teaching is not feasible
nor effective. It goes both ways.
They need to adjust as much as we
need to the adjustments on our
side as well. I am one of those who
believe that it is the teachers that
have to accommodate all types of
learners i.e visual, auditory,
read/write, and kinesthetic.
Sincerity in teaching is a must. Our
sincerity in giving our best will
encourage students to also be
sincere in doing their best in our
class. It all starts with us.

"Our sincerity in giving
our best will encourage

students to also be
sincere in doing their
best in our class. It all

starts with us."

- Dr. Shahrul Mizan

"Teachers have 3 loves:
love of learning, love of
learners, and the love of
bringing the first two

loves together."

- SCOTT HAYDEN -

"You can teach a student
a lesson for a day; but if

you can teach him to
learn by curiosity, he will

continue the learning
process as long as he

lives."

- CLAY P. BEDFORD -

PART 2

STRATEGY

FOR TEACHING &
LEARNING

UNDERGRADUATE &
POSTGRADUATE

Introduction

What Are The Subjects
Involved & Their Details?

In the previous chapter, I had explained my teaching philosophy.
This chapter will lay down the teaching strategies that I use based
on my teaching philosophies. The teaching strategies also explain
the general plan that I had devised to improve the teaching &
learning process and enhance the learning experience in my class.

Before I start my explanation, I think that it may help if I briefly
elaborate, all the subjects and courses involved in preparing this
portfolio. I have been teaching for almost 16 years; hence the
number of courses that I have taught is numerous, and it will be
beyond the capacity of this portfolio to include them all.

The Subjects

(1) Civil Procedure I & II

Course Name: Civil Procedure I & II

Course Code: UUUK4053 & UUUK4063

Number of Students: (1) Semester 1 & 2 2016/17: 98

(2) Semester 1 & 2 2017/18: 114

Level of Study: Undergraduate 4th Year

Remark: This is a procedural law subject. Procedural laws

are laws and rules that govern how a civil case is

brought to court. It is practical in nature, and

students learn the process from the beginning

until the case is finally settled.

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(2) Jurisprudence

Course Name: Jurisprudence

Course Code: UUUK3003

Number of Students: Semester 1 2016/17: 114

Level of Study: Undergraduate 3rd Year

Remark: This is a substantive law subject. Substantive

laws are laws that govern the society, and they

lay down the rights and duties of the member

of the community. The nature of this subject is

philosophical in nature and the students would

learn and discuss the basic foundational

principles of law, such as justice, right, moral

etc.

(3) Professional Practice IIB (Advocacy & Litigation)

Course Name: Professional Practice IIB (Advocacy &

Litigation)

Course Code: UUUK4236

Number of Students: (1) Semester 1 & 2 2016/17: 98

(2) Semester 1 & 2 2017/18: 114

Level of Study: Undergraduate 4th Year

Remark: This is a procedural law subject. Procedural

law is a law that governs how a civil case is

brought to court. It is practical in nature and

students to learn the process and procedure

of civil trial and how to conduct a civil trial in

court.

(4) International Human Rights Law

Course Name: International Human Rights Law

Course Code: UUUK6275

Number of Students: (1) Semester 1 2016/17: 14

(2) Semester 1 2017/18: 5

Level of Study: Postgraduate Master Programme

Remark: This is a substantive law subject. Substantive

law is the law that governs society, and it lays

down the rights and duties of the member of

society. The nature of this subject is

philosophical in nature and the students would

learn and discuss the philosophy and

principles of human rights at the International

level.

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Experiential
Learning
Strategies

I use Experiential Learning for

both my undergraduate and

postgraduate students. At the

undergraduate level, I teach final

year procedural law subjects

which are very practical in

nature. The subjects are Civil I started using Experiential
Learning about 11 years ago,
Procedure I (UUUK4053), Civil when I was assigned the subject
of Civil Procedure 1 and 2 in
Procedure II (UUUK4063) and Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws
(AIKOL), IIUM. Based on my
Professional Practice IIB experience during chambering
and the negative comments from
(Advocacy & Litigation) lawyers and law firms, I feel that
the students, similar to me once
(UUUK4375). I use experiential upon a time, are not ready for
the legal profession and its
learning because it is very demands. The subject is
procedural, but the syllabus is
effective and could be made to taught in a theoretical nature.
There was a certain belief among
resemble the actual legal law lecturers at that time that
preparing their students for the
profession. This goes in line with profession should happen after
they have graduated, namely
the fundamental concept of during the chambering process
since this is the training stage
Experiential activities, which are that bridges the higher learning
and the world of legal practice.
usually inspired by real-world

problems. These problems will

then require significant

collaboration among students

because they represent a

particularly authentic form of

learning. This in other words

ensures that students, and not

the teacher will do the

intellectual heavy-lifting of

extracting meaning from

experience.

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The industry on the other hand management and the university
shoved this obligation back to to change the teaching
the lecturers, saying that the approaches and methods, I
students should be sent to them decided to just do it on my own
fully trained and prepared. The and started using experiential
majority of law firms do not have learning. In doing so I had to
the time to teach, and they ensure that my experiential
would prefer candidates who are activities include social and
knowledgeable and ready for the emotional goals for social and
legal practice work, as opposed emotional goals for my students.
to fresh graduates who are just For example, while my academic
not industry-ready. The law goal may be for students to
school and legal industry are understand how laws operate,
contradicting each other, and the my social and emotional goal
students ended up becoming the may be for them to learn and
victims. practice conflict resolution skills,
manage their time effectively
After several failed attempts of and communicate effectively
trying to convince the Faculty’s with members of their teams.

Strategy 1: Reexamination of Course Learning Outcomes &
Reconstruction of Teaching Plans

There is one obvious, prevailing
practice in many schools at that
time, and that is the
unstructured implementation of
certain portions of experiential
learning without any systematic
mechanisms for post-experience
reflection. Research by the
Malaysian Bar Council and
certain media press statements
from the Chief Justice at that
time seemed to emphasize this
issue. So, I knew then that my
very first strategy should be to
really study the concept and
structure of experiential learning
as propounded by Kolb.

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I did not have any prior knowledge on this since I am not from the
Faculty of Education. It was a challenge to find which source to refer
to. Many books, the internet, friends were referred to. Many youtube
videos were watched and numerous notes were taken down before I
managed to gather the confidence to try the method. And try I did
numerous errors in several batches before I finally perfected the
approach. Every semester was an opportunity for me to ‘design’,
‘implement’ and ‘evaluate’ AND redesign again for the next
implementation. To ensure that my version of experiential learning
fulfills the objectives intended, and avoids the pitfalls of becoming
another unsystematic experience without any effective reflection
mechanisms, I designed my students’ experience, reflection,
conceptualization and experimentation into the following categories:

Stages in Executing Experiential
Learning in Teaching Procedural Law

01

Stage 1: Client Interview & Negotiation

At the early stage, students will interview the clients (I will act as the
'Client') for their case through various ways, either by face-to-face
interview or through written correspondence or through e-mail. There
is a dedicated e-mail for 'Clients'

With regards to negotiation, they will try to negotiate with the
"lawyers" from the other side (Their classmates will be the lawyers for
the other side), to try to reach a settlement that is beneficial to all
parties in dispute through face-to-face or e-mail. All students' law
firms will each have their own e-mail

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02

Stage 2: Meeting with The Boss

At this stage, the students will discuss and report to their senior
partner of the Firm (I will act as their 'Senior Partner') on the
development of the case.

The regular discussions with the senior partner will continue
throughout the semester, to enable the students to consult their
senior partner with regards to the cases that they are handling. The
consultation is made either through face-to-face, Telegram, or e-mail.

03

Stage 3: Drafting Court Documents

At this stage, the students, based on the client interviews and
instructions, as well as research done on their clients' problems, will
start drafting the necessary court documents called 'Pleadings'.

Pleadings are documents that the court will refer to in all contentious
cases registered with the court.

During this stage, the students are free to consult their senior
partners and/or lecturers for any guidance.

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04

Stage 4: Filing of Court Documents

At this stage, after the court documents have been drafted, and after
going through 'vetting' and 'consulting' with the senior partner,
students will file all the documents in to court. This process is very
important, as it is the starting point of the involvement of the court in
the matter.

The filing is done at the mock court registry (I will act as the 'Court
Staff' - with the help of students to enable them to experience the
work and task of the court). The filing could also be done online, using
a mock e-filing system.

05

Stage 5: Processing Court Documents

At this stage, the documents that had been filed with the court will be
processed and put in a dedicated file for each contentious case. Each
case will have its own court file.

The processing will be done by the Registrar (I will act that the 'Court
Registrar') and the court's registry (with the help of students, to
enable them to experience the work and tasks of the court registry).

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06

Stage 6: Managing Lawyers’ File

Part of the learning process is managing the case file. A filing system
in a law firm is very important because it will contain all the relevant
documents, research findings, correspondence, receipts, bills etc.

The students will be asked to manage their files and the "boss" will be
checking the file from time to time.

07

Stage 7: Case Management & Hearing Before the Court

Part of the learning process is managing the case file. A filing system
in a law firm is very important because it will contain all the relevant
documents, research findings, correspondence, receipts, bills etc.

The students will be asked to manage their files and the "boss" will be
checking the file from time to time.

08

Stage 8: Trial Before the Judge

At this stage, the case will go for trial, and the students need to
prepare all the documentation, evidence and witnesses for the trial (I
will act as the 'Judge'). They will go against their classmate who will be
representing the other party in the matter.

Strategy 2: Field Trip / Visit & Observation

To further amplify their experience, I use this method to bring my
students to relevant places and let them observe how things are really
done in the legal profession. For law students, the most crucial places
would be the courts & tribunals, law firms, governmental &
enforcement agencies, etc.

I use this method for the subjects of Civil Procedure, Professional
Practice IIB (Advocacy & Litigation) and Court, Lawyer & Society

Why Field Trip / Visit & Observation? Isn’t this quite common?
Field Trip & Visit can be considered as a common teaching
methodology to everyone. At least, everyone must have joined a field
trip or site visit during their primary or secondary school. But
providing meaningful lessons to students does not necessarily mean
scrapping old methods altogether and replacing them altogether with
something totally new. If the method works, maintaining, and
improving would be the best thing to do. For me, this method is a very
effective experiential learning experience because the students could
directly observe how things are actually done with their own eyes
apart from what has been simulated for them in class. Another reason
why I bring my students for a field visit is that there are certain details
or procedures which are not written and cannot be found in textbooks
or written sources, and in order to learn, the students need to observe
and experience themselves. But mere unstructured field trips will not
serve their purposes if they are not carefully planned and designed to
achieve my courses’ learning objectives.

I've conducted numerous field trips & site visits, especially to the
Court, since I was in AIKOL, IIUM. I've continued to use this
methodology and have gone on several field trips with my students
from UKM. I would usually do this about a week before the students
start their simulations with me as mentioned in Strategy 1.

"Providing meaningful lessons to students
does not necessarily mean scrapping old
methods altogether and replacing them
altogether with something totally new."

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Strategy 3: Setting Up The Roles & Simulation Scenario

To emulate the true features of real law firms and students were
Kolb’s experiential learning, I asked to come to class
treat my students as “real punctually at 9.00 am every day,
lawyers”, and throughout the adorned in full professional
semester, by putting on different office attire, and expected to
hats at any one time. Sometimes work as real lawyers in their
I would act out as the judge, respective mock law firms.
while other times, I became their Instructions were given via office
clients, court interpreters, staff memo from the boss or an email
at the filing counter, court from a client (both played by
registrars and the senior me), and fillings were done at a
partners in their law firms, all counter where I acted as the
according to the circumstances court’s clerk. Meetings between
of the exercises that they have them as the employees and me
to complete. I created legal as the employer were done on a
problems, and the students regular basis where they present
needed to resolve the problems, the progress of their work.
as to how real lawyers would, Whenever necessary, they will be
and in doing so, interact with attending mock court hearings
different parties, such as the representing their mock clients.
clients, the court, the boss (who The overall aim is to cause a
assigned the case) and the dramatic shift in their mindset
opposing lawyers. The expected and make them realize that they
outcome was the increase of are no longer students, but legal
students' understanding of the practitioners who have lots of
subjects from a practical responsibilities. It is also to
perspective; the high exposure familiarize them with the
to the legal industry, even before profession and the stress level it
graduating; the inculcation of entails. This will build endurance
professionalism as lawyers, even and resilience in them.
as students; and most
importantly, the high ...to cause a dramatic shift in
marketability of the students their mindset and make them
because they really fit the realize that they are no longer
demands of the legal industry.
students, but legal
I converted our classroom into practitioners who have lots of
an office setting that resembles
responsibilities



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Strategy 4: Scaffolding Is Provided Anywhere, Any How,
At Any Time

Since learning through this method happens through personalized
experience and subsequently discoveries, students need structured
and constant guidance to improve themselves. Hence my 4th Strategy
is to make learning happen anywhere, anyhow and any time, with the
help of technology, especially educational mobile apps. For that, I've
created an online class, using Telegram where all students are the
participant. I encouraged the students to pose any questions that they
do not understand about the subject and to make it convenient for
them, the questions could be posed any day, any time, with no
restriction such as office hours or only during weekdays. It is open
24/7 so that students feel my presence anytime they need my
guidance besides fostering better immediacy between me and them.
Students’ schedules are usually packed throughout the day, and these
younger generations of learners are known to be more active at night
compared to daytime.

Game-Based
Learning &
Gamification
Strategies

To go against the normal and
conventional practice in other
law schools, I also adopt
gamification and collaborative
game-based learning methods.
Commonly, law schools have
always been known to be formal
and serious. And though not in
all cases, law lecturers are
infamously known to be
monotonous. I’ve noticed both as
a student, and later as a lecturer
that this hampers engagement
and depreciates students’ soft
skills and affective values.
Imagine what sitting through
one-way lectures day by day, and
semester by semester can do to
a human being for four years!

Strategy 1: Start With Gamification In Norms Where
Competition is Common

Law students, just like their law professional training embeds
into us the inherent motivation
lecturers, are not used to to question everything. Going for
full-fledged gamified lessons
unconventional teaching would draw a dramatic response
from them. Hence, I strategically
methods other than lectures and started with implementing
merely components of games in
socratic discussions. The legal my classes. The aim is to develop
a more active, critical and quick
fraternity is also known to be

very critical towards anything

that may seem alien to them.

Speaking as a trained and

qualified lawyer myself, our

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student through gamification. always been a part of their
The elements of reward and
punishment in gamification will training as lawyers to be. In
push the students to win. I
started by asking students to order to win, the students know
work in mini law firms and
compete with each other in that they need to work hard in
terms of winning their cases
against one another, draft the every aspect, from dealing with
perfect court papers and be the
most professional in their dress the clients, doing legal research,
code, conduct and attitude as a
lawyer. Marks will be awarded at drafting all the court's
the end of the class for all of the
aforesaid categories. documents, preparing all the

For example, if the law firm wins evidence, prepping the
the trial, all members will be
given 5 starpoints (gaming witnesses, etc. All these need
currency in my class). Instead, if
the law firm loses the trial, 2 strong teamwork, critical
starpoints will be deducted.
These factors have always driven thinking, problem-solving,
the students to win, which have
negotiation, PR skills, etc. The

students will develop these skills

as they go along the process. In

the end, what is ultimately born

are not law graduates, but a

generation of holistic

professional legal practitioners

even before their graduations. In

terms of execution, it is easy to

gamify my class. At the start of

semester 1, the students will be

divided into groups and each

group will function like a law

firm. This grouping will be

permanent for the whole year,

until the end of semester 2.

Quotation:
“I don’t feel stupid,
just inadequate. After

three years of
studying the law, I am

very much aware of
how little I know”
(John Grisham).

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Strategy 2: Use and Make Modifications To Common
Games To Achieve Learning Outcomes

In addition to gamification where merely gaming elements (such as
marks, rules of games) are used in lessons, I also adopted “game-
based learning”. To prevent the immediate feel of a ‘culture shock',
and to save on time to explain new rules to my students who were not
familiar with this method, I have used many common games such as
the modified version of “Twister”, “Charade”, “Treasure Hunt”, Escape
Rooms (students were locked in a room and were asked to find their
way out by decoding secret codes based on what they have learned
many more) and many more.

01 Example Game 1: Escape Hunt

This activity is the combination of 'Escape Room' and 'Treasure
Hunt'. The students need to complete few tasks in order to
'Escape' and 'Hunt' for clues in order to win. The tasks
assigned are related to the subject. This game come about
after a session brainstorming with my colleague, after our
subject, Civil Procedure has been selected for 'Minggu
Pengajian Berkreatif UKM'. How to teach creatively, at the
same time, fun and exciting - Escape Hunt!

02 Example Game 2: Custom Made Jigsaw Puzzle

The students are given the task to
complete a custom-made jigsaw
puzzle that relates to the topics in
the subject. In this class activity, the
jigsaw puzzle is printed with a
diagram showing the flow of a civil
trial. The activity is done in groups in
order to stimulate problem-solving
skills, quick critical thinking skills, and
teamwork among the students. After
the groups were successful in
completing the jigsaw puzzle, they
need to re-enact the flow of the civil
trial based on the diagram printed on
the custom-made jigsaw puzzle.

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03 Example Game 3: Twister with A Twist

Twister is a fun game! I had modified the game so that it could
be effectively conducted as a class activity. A new set of rules
had been devised so that the game could be related to the
subjects. The students could be seen physically active, highly
engaged and 100% committed in this activity. I've played this
game in IIUM as well as UKM. However, it was quite a challenge
to come up with the rules of the game, because you need to
make sure that no 'immoral' incident happened during the
game.

Strategy 3: Developing New Games Suitable For The
Purpose of Achieving Learning Outcomes

Once the students (and the faculty members!) are familiar with my
approach, I moved a step further by developing digital trivia, face-to-
face races and classic board games for my lessons. These games were
developed through careful research and finalized only after a series
of dry runs with the early batches of students.

01 Example Game 1: Zombie Attack for Malaysian Legal System

This is a quest-based game where students work in a team, to
find clues and complete a series of tasks in order to get the
'Antidote' and find the 'Safe Haven' from an epidemic that will
cause everyone to turn into a zombie if they failed to do so.

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02 Example Game 2: Mission Impossible: The Ghost Protocol

Similar to ‘Zombie Attack’, this is also a quest-based game. It is
inspired by the movie, “Mission Impossible: The Ghost
Protocol” where students role-played as agents and virtually
‘globetrot’ the world to collect clues and solve problems about
court trials in Malaysia.

03 Example Game 3: Virtual Games via Genially, Wordwall, RPG
Playground, Google Slides & Google Forms

I also used new online apps such as Genially and Wordwall,
technical game builders such as RPG Playground, common
software such as Google slides and forms during class
activities in order to test the students' understanding in a 'fun'
way. The students will usually be asked to form groups and
compete with each other to win. This activity will refresh their
concentration during class as well as strengthen their bonds
as group members. I use this game for all my subjects,
including my postgraduate subject, i.e. International Human
Rights Law.

Strategy 4: Incorporating Augmented Reality Into My
Games

In 2016, I attended a workshop, organized by UKM on how to use
Augmented Reality (AR) teaching and learning. It was like a revelation
to me. Thus, the start of an adventure for me to use AR in class and as
a teaching tool. When I first use AR, the students cannot stop talking
about it for weeks. They thoroughly enjoyed it. It was new to them as
law students, and it was new to even the discipline of law. The class
was fun and students were highly engaged! I started by combining AR
with class exercises, making sure that the students are familiar with
the apps for simple assignments. Noticing that they are comfortable
with the technology and that the Faculty has no qualms about it, in the
next phase, I proceed to combine AR with gamification & game-based
learning to make the learning environment more immersive. The game
'Zombie Attack' and Mission Impossible that I've explained earlier have
few components which use AR. I've played the game with the students
in class, and again, it was a huge hit.

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