Using a Library‐Based Course Page to Improve Research Skills in an Undergraduate International Business Law Course

• Date: 01 September 2013
• Author: H. Vernon Leighton,Diane May
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jlse.12003
• Published date: 01 September 2013

Journal of Legal Studies Education

Volume 30, Issue 2, 295–319, Summer 2013

Using a Library-Based Course Page

to Improve Research Skills in an

Undergraduate International

Business Law Course

Diane May∗and H. Vernon Leighton∗∗

I. Introduction

As the economy is increasingly globalized, the acquisition of global knowl-

edge is recognized as an important learning goal for institutions of higher

education. However, the acquisition of global knowledge alone is not suffi-

cient for active participation in a dynamic global environment. Students must

develop and possess the intellectual and problem-solving skills and ability to

support the acquisition and analysis of global knowledge.1An international

business law course offers an ideal opportunity for undergraduate business

students to enhance global knowledge and global research skills as it intro-

duces business law concepts in the broader world and cultural context and

provides an established framework of laws and regulations to help develop

the intellectual and problem-solving skills on a global basis.2

To meet course learning goals in an international business law course,

students are expected to know how to use the library and online materials

∗Associate Professor, Business Law, Winona State University

∗∗Coordinator of Liaison Services, Darrell W. Krueger Library, Winona State University

1See Debra D. Burke et al., The Twenty-First Century and Legal Studies in Business: Preparing Students

to Perform in a Globally Competitive Environment,27J. Legal Stud. Educ. 1 (2010) (discussing

how faculty members can impact student learning in the complex global environment through

embracing Boyer’s definition of scholarship).

2Id. at 7; Jere W. Morehead, Making International Law an Integral Part of the International Business

Program,12J. Legal Stud. Educ. 95, 95 (1994); Michael E. Jones, A Primer on Teaching Interna-

tional Business Law to Undergraduate Students,8J. Legal Stud. Educ. 37, 38–39 (1990); Michael

P. Litka, International Business Law,8J. Legal Stud. Educ. 1, 2 (1989); Carolyn Hotchkiss,

International Perspectives in Business Law Courses,8J. Legal Stud. Educ. 17, 19 (1989).

C2013 The Authors

Journal of Legal Studies Education C2013 Academy of Legal Studies in Business

295

296 Vol. 30 / The Journal of Legal Studies Education

for research of international law. However, business students are not as fa-

miliar with resources for conducting legal research as law students, and they

are even less familiar with international legal resources. Students receive

some introduction to international legal resources through an international

business law text but still lack “hands-on” experience in finding, using, and

accessing these resources to answer questions or analyze issues.

To help students gain a better understanding of international legal is-

sues in business and familiarize students with international legal resources,

the course instructor developed a mock appellate exercise. The exercise re-

quires students to delve into international legal resources to explore disputes,

solve problems, and conduct analysis. To assist students with their research

for the mock appellate exercise, the librarian for the department created

a web-based course page (Course Page) to provide research guidance. The

librarian also presented the features of the Course Page to the students. The

students ultimately were surveyed as to the effectiveness of the Course Page

and librarian presentation. This article shows how the use of a course page,

in conjunction with a librarian presentation, is an effective learning tool to

enhance student research in international law.

This article addresses the use of a library course page as a research

guide in an undergraduate international business law course. Part II generally

discusses the importance of global knowledge as a learning outcome and

how an international business law course provides a platform to develop that

outcome by using a mock appellate exercise. Part III discusses the historical

development and the use of library course pages as tools to assist students

with research and the current Course Page and librarian presentation. The

results of a student survey to assess the utility of the Course Page and librarian

presentation along with an analysis of the survey data and a traffic log that

captured student activity is presented in Part IV. Finally, in Part V, the authors

draw conclusions regarding the use of a library course page, supplemented

with a librarian presentation, as a tool to assist business students with legal

research in an international business law course.

II. Setting the Stage for International Business

Law Research

A form of an international or global perspective is a recurring theme in

mission statements and in learning outcomes found in many levels of in-

stitutions of higher learning. For example, Winona State University (WSU)