Dr Marie Hadley is a Lecturer and Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning at the Newcastle Law School, University of Newcastle, Australia. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate law students Contract Law, Intellectual Property Law and Internet Law.
Connecting through Creativity in the Pandemic Virtual Classroom: A Flat Stanley Project for Law Students
Abstract:
This paper discusses a novel intervention to improve student wellbeing, introduced part-way through a 3 month-long COVID-19 lockdown and a semester-long period of virtual classes at the Newcastle Law School, University of Newcastle, Australia. Drawing upon research that suggests a connection between creative hobbies, productivity, and well-being, two cohorts of law students involving a mix of undergraduates and postgraduates were invited to participate in a Flat Stanley Project during the mid-semester break. The Flat Stanley Project is an educational project inspired by the children’s book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, that typically involves primary school students and a focus on literacy. The authors explain the nature of their Flat Stanley Project, known as the #flatlecturer Photo Contest, that involved law students taking a laminated cartoon avatar of their Lecturer on an adventure in their neighborhoods and taking photographs related to the theme of ‘law student experience in lockdown’. They note how the contest generated engagement with students, Law School staff, and the broader public, and was used to as a prompt for in-class discussion around well-being during the pandemic. In reflecting upon the experience of running a Flat Stanley Project for law students, the authors suggest the usefulness of creative activity for fostering a positive classroom environment and a sense of connection between students and their peers, teachers, and Law School, including in times of crisis.