Understanding the Visible Learning Theory

Understanding the Visible Learning Theory Educators struggle with a number of questions regarding teaching methods, including: What educational policies have the greatest impact on students?What influences students to achieve?What are best practices for teachers yield the best results? Roughly 78 billion is the estimated dollar amount invested in education by the United States according to market analysts (2014). So, understanding how well this enormous investment in education is working requires a new kind of calculation in order to answer these questions. Developing that new kind of calculation is where Australian educator and researcher John Hattie has focused his research. In his inaugural lecture at the University of Auckland as far back as 1999, Hattie  announced the three principles that would guide his research: We need to make relative statements about what impacts on student work;We need estimates of magnitude as well as statistical significance – it is not good enough to say that this works because lots of people use it etc., but that this works because of the magnitude of impact;We need to be building a model based on these relative magnitudes of effects. The model he proposed in that lecture has grown to become a ranking system of influencers and their effects in education using meta-analyses, or groups of studies, in education. The meta-analyses he used came from all over the globe, and his method in developing the ranking system was first explained with the publication of his book Visible Learning in 2009. Hattie noted that the title of his book was selected to help teachers become evaluators of their own teaching† with the objective of giving teachers a better understanding of the positive or negative effects on student learning: Visible Teaching and Learning occurs when teachers see learning through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers. The Method Hattie used the data from multiple meta-analyses in order to get a pooled estimate or measure of an effect on student learning. For example, he used sets of meta-analyses on the effect of vocabulary programs on student learning as well as  sets of meta-analyses on the effect of preterm birth weight on student learning. Hatties system of gathering data from multiple educational studies and reducing that data into pooled estimates allowed him to rate the different influences on student learning according to their effects in the same manner, whether they show negative  effects or positive effects. For example, Hattie ranked studies that showed the effects of classroom discussions, problem-solving, and acceleration as well as studies that showed the impact of retention, television, and summer vacation on student learning. In order to categorize these effects  by  groups, Hattie organized the influences into six areas: The studentThe homeThe schoolThe curriculaThe teacherTeaching and learning approaches Aggregating the data that was generated from these meta-analyses, Hattie determined the size of the effect each influence had on student learning. The size effect could be numerically converted for purposes of comparison, for example, an influencer’s effect size of 0 shows that the influence has no effect on student achievement. The greater the size of the effect, the greater the influence. In the 2009 edition of Visible Learning,  Hattie suggested that an effect size of 0,2 could be relatively small, while an effect size of 0,6 could be large. It was the effect size of 0,4, a numerical conversion that Hattie termed as his â€Å"hinge point,† that became the effect size average. In the 2015  Ã‚  Visible Learning,  Hattie rated influence effects by increasing the number of meta-analyses from 800 to 1200. He repeated the method of ranking influencers using the â€Å"hinge point† measurement which allowed him to rank the effects of 195 influences on a scale. T he Visible Learning website has several interactive graphics to illustrate these influences. Top Influencers The number one influencer at the top of the 2015 study is an effect labeled â€Å"teacher estimates of achievement. This category, new to the ranking list, has been given a ranking value of 1,62, calculated at four times the effect of the average influencer. This rating reflects the accuracy of an individual teachers knowledge of students in his or her classes and how that knowledge determines the kinds of classroom activities and materials as well as the difficulty of the tasks assigned. A teacher’s estimates of achievement can also influence  the questioning strategies and the student groupings used in class as well as the teaching strategies selected. It is, however, the number two influencer, collective teacher efficacy, that holds an even greater promise for improving student achievement.  This influencer means harnessing the power of the group to bring out the full potential of students and educators in schools.   It should be noted that Hattie is not the first to point out the importance of collective teacher efficacy. He is the one who rated it as having an effect ranking of 1.57, almost four times the average influence. Back in 2000, educational researchers Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy advanced this idea, stating that â€Å"collective teacher efficacy shapes the normative environment of schools† and that the â€Å"perceptions of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on students.† In short, they found that â€Å"teachers in[ this] school can get through to the most difficult students.† Rather than rely on the individual teacher, collective teacher efficacy is a factor that can be manipulated at a whole school level. Researcher Michael Fullen and Andy Hargreaves in their article Leaning Forward: Bringing the Profession Back In  note several factors that must be present including: Teacher autonomy to take on the specific leadership roles with opportunities to participate in making decisions on school-wide issuesTeachers are allowed to collaboratively develop and communicate mutual goals that are clear and specificTeachers are committed to the goalsTeachers work as a team transparently without judgmentTeachers work as a team to collect specific evidence to determine growthLeadership acts responsively to all stakeholders and show concern and respect for their staff. When these factors are present, one of the outcomes is that collective teacher efficacy helps all teachers understand their significant impact on student results. There is also the benefit of stopping teachers from using other factors (e.g. home life, socio-economic status, motivation) as an excuse for low achievement. Way at the other end of the Hattie ranking spectrum, the bottom, the influencer of depression is given an effect score of -,42. Sharing space at the bottom of the  Visible Learning  Ladder are the influencers mobility (-,34) home corporal punishment (-,33), television (-,18), and retention (-,17). Summer vacation, a much-beloved institution, is also negatively ranked at -,02. Conclusion In concluding his inaugural address almost twenty years ago, Hattie pledged to use the best statistical modeling, as well as to conduct meta-analyses to achieve integration, perspective, and magnitude of effects. For teachers, he pledged to provide evidence that determined the differences between experienced and expert teachers as well as to assess the teaching methods that increase the probability of impact on student learning. Two editions of Visible Learning are the product of the pledges Hattie made in determining what works in education. His research can help teachers see better how their students learn best. His work is also a guide for how to best invest in education; a review of 195 influencers that can be better targeted by  statistical significance  for billions in investment...78 billion to start.

Understanding the Visible Learning Theory

Understanding the Visible Learning Theory Educators struggle with a number of questions regarding teaching methods, including: What educational policies have the greatest impact on students?What influences students to achieve?What are best practices for teachers yield the best results? Roughly 78 billion is the estimated dollar amount invested in education by the United States according to market analysts (2014). So, understanding how well this enormous investment in education is working requires a new kind of calculation in order to answer these questions. Developing that new kind of calculation is where Australian educator and researcher John Hattie has focused his research. In his inaugural lecture at the University of Auckland as far back as 1999, Hattie  announced the three principles that would guide his research: We need to make relative statements about what impacts on student work;We need estimates of magnitude as well as statistical significance – it is not good enough to say that this works because lots of people use it etc., but that this works because of the magnitude of impact;We need to be building a model based on these relative magnitudes of effects. The model he proposed in that lecture has grown to become a ranking system of influencers and their effects in education using meta-analyses, or groups of studies, in education. The meta-analyses he used came from all over the globe, and his method in developing the ranking system was first explained with the publication of his book Visible Learning in 2009. Hattie noted that the title of his book was selected to help teachers become evaluators of their own teaching† with the objective of giving teachers a better understanding of the positive or negative effects on student learning: Visible Teaching and Learning occurs when teachers see learning through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers. The Method Hattie used the data from multiple meta-analyses in order to get a pooled estimate or measure of an effect on student learning. For example, he used sets of meta-analyses on the effect of vocabulary programs on student learning as well as  sets of meta-analyses on the effect of preterm birth weight on student learning. Hatties system of gathering data from multiple educational studies and reducing that data into pooled estimates allowed him to rate the different influences on student learning according to their effects in the same manner, whether they show negative  effects or positive effects. For example, Hattie ranked studies that showed the effects of classroom discussions, problem-solving, and acceleration as well as studies that showed the impact of retention, television, and summer vacation on student learning. In order to categorize these effects  by  groups, Hattie organized the influences into six areas: The studentThe homeThe schoolThe curriculaThe teacherTeaching and learning approaches Aggregating the data that was generated from these meta-analyses, Hattie determined the size of the effect each influence had on student learning. The size effect could be numerically converted for purposes of comparison, for example, an influencer’s effect size of 0 shows that the influence has no effect on student achievement. The greater the size of the effect, the greater the influence. In the 2009 edition of Visible Learning,  Hattie suggested that an effect size of 0,2 could be relatively small, while an effect size of 0,6 could be large. It was the effect size of 0,4, a numerical conversion that Hattie termed as his â€Å"hinge point,† that became the effect size average. In the 2015  Ã‚  Visible Learning,  Hattie rated influence effects by increasing the number of meta-analyses from 800 to 1200. He repeated the method of ranking influencers using the â€Å"hinge point† measurement which allowed him to rank the effects of 195 influences on a scale. T he Visible Learning website has several interactive graphics to illustrate these influences. Top Influencers The number one influencer at the top of the 2015 study is an effect labeled â€Å"teacher estimates of achievement. This category, new to the ranking list, has been given a ranking value of 1,62, calculated at four times the effect of the average influencer. This rating reflects the accuracy of an individual teachers knowledge of students in his or her classes and how that knowledge determines the kinds of classroom activities and materials as well as the difficulty of the tasks assigned. A teacher’s estimates of achievement can also influence  the questioning strategies and the student groupings used in class as well as the teaching strategies selected. It is, however, the number two influencer, collective teacher efficacy, that holds an even greater promise for improving student achievement.  This influencer means harnessing the power of the group to bring out the full potential of students and educators in schools.   It should be noted that Hattie is not the first to point out the importance of collective teacher efficacy. He is the one who rated it as having an effect ranking of 1.57, almost four times the average influence. Back in 2000, educational researchers Goddard, Hoy, and Hoy advanced this idea, stating that â€Å"collective teacher efficacy shapes the normative environment of schools† and that the â€Å"perceptions of teachers in a school that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on students.† In short, they found that â€Å"teachers in[ this] school can get through to the most difficult students.† Rather than rely on the individual teacher, collective teacher efficacy is a factor that can be manipulated at a whole school level. Researcher Michael Fullen and Andy Hargreaves in their article Leaning Forward: Bringing the Profession Back In  note several factors that must be present including: Teacher autonomy to take on the specific leadership roles with opportunities to participate in making decisions on school-wide issuesTeachers are allowed to collaboratively develop and communicate mutual goals that are clear and specificTeachers are committed to the goalsTeachers work as a team transparently without judgmentTeachers work as a team to collect specific evidence to determine growthLeadership acts responsively to all stakeholders and show concern and respect for their staff. When these factors are present, one of the outcomes is that collective teacher efficacy helps all teachers understand their significant impact on student results. There is also the benefit of stopping teachers from using other factors (e.g. home life, socio-economic status, motivation) as an excuse for low achievement. Way at the other end of the Hattie ranking spectrum, the bottom, the influencer of depression is given an effect score of -,42. Sharing space at the bottom of the  Visible Learning  Ladder are the influencers mobility (-,34) home corporal punishment (-,33), television (-,18), and retention (-,17). Summer vacation, a much-beloved institution, is also negatively ranked at -,02. Conclusion In concluding his inaugural address almost twenty years ago, Hattie pledged to use the best statistical modeling, as well as to conduct meta-analyses to achieve integration, perspective, and magnitude of effects. For teachers, he pledged to provide evidence that determined the differences between experienced and expert teachers as well as to assess the teaching methods that increase the probability of impact on student learning. Two editions of Visible Learning are the product of the pledges Hattie made in determining what works in education. His research can help teachers see better how their students learn best. His work is also a guide for how to best invest in education; a review of 195 influencers that can be better targeted by  statistical significance  for billions in investment...78 billion to start.

Leftside bias and Holistic effect in face recognition Lab Report

Leftside bias and Holistic effect in face recognition - Lab Report Example One hundred twenty trials were done for each orientation (Upright: Left or Right and Inverted: Left or Right), that is 120 upright images (60 adult and 60 baby images) and 120 inverted images (60 adult and 60 baby images) were shown to the participants. Group data was analyzed using T - test. Results showed a significant difference (p Participant's T-test (two tailed, independent sample) was performed to compare the mean probability of the study group with the null hypothesis (i.e. probability of the participants holding the left-left face as the original face whether the image is upright or inverted is 0.5). In this study, 120 trials were done. Therefore to analyze the group data N = 60 was considered and to analyze individual data N = 120 was considered. For statistical calculations probability of null hypothesis was taken as 0.05. To find out if there was any significant difference between the two groups in terms of chimeric face chosen (left-left or right-right) with respect to how the images are positioned (upright or inverted), an Independent T - test was done. Table 2 and 3 shows the results of the T - tests (also the Descriptive Analysis is shown). Table 2 Descriptive Analysis The Descriptive Analysis showed that greater than 50 percent of the participants chose a left-left chimeric face. This result is in resemblance of the 'left-side bias' observed by Hsiao and Cottrell (2009). Table 3 T-test Results The t-test results revealed a significant difference of participants choosing a left-left chimeric face on both upright and inverted images. Discussion This study was carried out to identify whether the orientation of images upon presentation has a significant effect on the decisions made participants of the facial likeness task. One hundred twenty trials were done for each orientation (Upright: Left or Right and Inverted: Left or Right), that is 120 upright images (60 adult and 60 baby images) and 120 inverted images (60 adult and 60 baby images) were shown to the participants. Group data was analyzed using T - test. To find out if there was

Case study analysis and continuous professional development Essay

Case study analysis and continuous professional development - Essay Example Organizational contextual factors Sonoco Products Company is a global packaging company that was developed in 1899 in Hartsville, South Carolina. Major James Coker established the company and his main target was to make paper cone used to hold yarn in the textile industry. The company kept on making paper cones till it became a leading paper cone industry, experiencing competition from other cone producing companies. This led to its expansion and it started manufacturing packages till it became the largest packing industry in the world (Thomas, Groysberg, and Reavis, 2008). The company proposed a new organizational restructuring that would suit the function cost by at least 20%, this is for the reason that, the company had been highly taxed due to the high cost it was experiencing, so the company managed to increase the sales by 14% by reducing expenses with the increase in shareholders. The organization established a new organizational model; this was to improve the top growth in im proving the company’s sales to compete with companies around the world. The consumer packaging department was to check the packaging style to meet the demands of the customers around the world. This strategy was a rethinking strategy of certain company structures like the human resources. Under the HR every manager managed talents within each of her or his division (Kotelnikov, 2006). The managing director developed policies for performance, management, compensation, development and successful management. These polices advocated for the HR to increase general manager accountability for talent management, to distribute HR talent management and to distribute more, to optimize HR talent ability to give customized ability to the customers. These strategies are only effective if implemented by serious working staff members within the organization (Fort and Salin, 2001). The Sonoco Company established in 1889 in California was a textual industry and gradually developed into a consu mer packaging consumer industry. This growth occurred manly through acquisition in 1990 where the company made 60% acquisition around the world. The company occupied two segments the packaging segments and the consumer packaging. The industrial segment which served as the textile industry paper industry and film industry employed around 11000 employees and made 55% revenue to the company. The consumer packaging had a range of 6000 employees and made high revenue to the company with its products. Some of the company’s products are Gillette, Krafts, Nestle and Procter as well as Gamble. The cultural background of the company is friendly, collaborative, and ethical and team oriented. Most of these employees have been in the organization for over twenty years and enjoyed working with the members of the community. During the late 1990s there was a fall in the stock and change was a required in the structure of the organization to solve the problem (Mission statement - Sonoco, 2009 ). In the early 1990, the packaging companies generated around 40 billion and the consumer industry represented about 70% countrywide distribution. Paper industry accounted for 30% and film industry accounte

American Intervention in Cuba and Puerto Rico Essay -- American Histor

End notes are missing from the paper. To Secretary of State John Hay, the Spanish-American War was a "splendid little war", one that would bring tremendous benefit to those fortunate colonies liberated from Spain. For those places where the Spanish were forcibly expelled, there was nothing splendid about either about the war or its aftermath. To state simply that war is hell and that change is disruptive is merely to state the obvious. Beyond this, many U.S. historians have characterized the results of U.S. intervention and subsequent occupation of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines as a bequest, an opportunity to enjoy previously unknown individual liberties, political self-determination and potential economic prosperity. Other historians have characterized the actions of the United States as nothing short of exploitative imperialism, designed to subjugate those who it considered inferior to a state of political and economic servitude. What is clear is that, in Cuba and Puerto Rico, many viewed the American involvement initially as a positive development. What is equally apparent is that after the war and over time, these pro-American attitudes soured considerably. There were many reasons for this development. Leaving the economic, sociological, and psychological examinations of this large issue to other more ambitious endeavors, this paper aims to explore the way in which the intervention and occupation disrupted and complicated the normal political construction of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Also, in an effort to avoid the larger historiographical debate, political developments will be presented simply in response to conditions. The premise of this paper is that, intentionally or otherwise, the U.S. intervention and subseque... ...s E., Cuba 1933†¦Prologue to Revolution. 1972 Cornell University Press, N.Y. Carrion, Arturo Morales, Puerto Rico, A Political and Cultural History., 1983 WW Norton, N.Y., N.Y. Foner, Philip S., The Spanish-Cuban-American War and the Birth of American Imperialism, Volume 2, (1898-1902), 1972 Monthly Review Press, N.Y., N.Y. Knight, Franklin W., The Caribbean, The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism. 1990 Oxford University Press, N.Y., N.Y. Maldonado-Denis, Manuel, Puerto Rico: A Socio-Historic Interpretation. 1972 Random House, N.Y., N.Y. Perez, Louis A., Cuba Under The Platt Amendment, 1902-1934. 1986 University of Pittsburgh Press, Pa. Suchlicki, Jamie, "The Political Ideology of Jose Marti" from: Beckles, Hilary and Verene Shepherd, Caribbean Freedom: Economy and Society from Emancipation to the Present. 1996 Marcus Wiener, Princeton, N.J.

Digital Fortress Chapter 25

Inside the Clinica de Salud Publica, visiting hours were over. The gymnasium lights had been turned out. Pierre Cloucharde was fast asleep. He did not see the figure hunched over him. The needle of a stolen syringe glinted in the dark. Then it disappeared into the IV tube just above Cloucharde's wrist. The hypodermic contained 30 cc of cleaning fluid stolen from a janitor's cart. With great force, a strong thumb rammed the plunger down and forced the bluish liquid into the old man's veins. Cloucharde was awake only for a few seconds. He might have screamed in pain had a strong hand not been clamped across his mouth. He lay trapped on his cot, pinned beneath a seemingly immovable weight. He could feel the pocket of fire searing its way up his arm. There was an excruciating pain traveling through his armpit, his chest, and then, like a million shattering pieces of glass, it hit his brain. Cloucharde saw a brilliant flash of light†¦ and then nothing. The visitor released his grip and peered through the darkness at the name on the medical chart. Then he slipped silently out. On the street, the man in wire-rim glasses reached to a tiny device attached to his belt. The rectangular pack was about the size of a credit card. It was a prototype of the new Monocle computer. Developed by the U.S. Navy to help technicians record battery voltages in cramped quarters on submarines, the miniature computer packed a cellular modem and the newest advances in micro technology. Its visual monitor was a transparent liquid crystal display, mounted in the left lens of a pair of eyeglasses. The Monocle reflected a whole new age in personal computing; the user could now look through his data and still interact with the world around him. The Monocle's real coup, though, was not its miniature display but rather its data entry system. A user entered information via tiny contacts fixed to his fingertips; touching the contacts together in sequence mimicked a shorthand similar to court stenography. The computer would then translate the shorthand into English. The killer pressed a tiny switch, and his glasses flickered to life. His hands inconspicuously at his sides, he began touching different fingertips together in rapid succession. A message appeared before his eyes. SUBJECT: P. CLOUCHARDE-TERMINATED He smiled. Transmitting notification of kills was part of his assignment. But including victim's names†¦ that, to the man in the wire-rim glasses, was elegance. His fingers flashed again, and his cellular modem activated. MESSAGE SENT

What Is Law School Like

Law school is intense and competitive. The rigorous curriculum moves quickly, and youll be expected to read at least 50-75 pages of dense case law every day in order to keep up. In class, professors employ the Socratic method, cold-calling on students and asking them to apply legal principles to hypothetical (and sometimes outlandish) sets of facts. Unlike most undergraduate classes, grades for law school classes are usually determined by a single exam taken at the end of the semester. Law school can be intimidating, but knowledge is power. Understanding the basics of the law school experience will set you up for success in your first year and beyond. The Curriculum The law school curriculum is administered over a period of 3 years. All law schools offer the same courses during the first year (called 1L). The 1L courses are:   Civil Procedure. Civil Procedure is the study of complex rules that govern the mechanics of court proceedings. These rules often determine the who, when, where, and how of a lawsuit. Civil Procedure also dictates the rules preceding, during, and after a trial.Contracts. This two-semester-long course focuses on parties who enter into an agreement and what happens when a breach occurs.  Criminal Law. This course covers criminal offenses, including what makes something a criminal offense and how crimes are punished.  Property Law. In Property Law, you’ll study the acquisition, possession, and disposition of property. Expect to study dense case law outlining the nuances of property ownership.  Torts. Torts is the study of harmful acts that are punishable under civil law. You will learn about the repercussions of trespassing, false imprisonment, assault/battery, and more.  Constitutional Law. In Constitutional Law, you will learn about the structure of the United States gov ernment and individual rights.  Legal Research/Writing. This course teaches students the fundamentals of legal writing and how to write a legal memo.   In the second and third years, students can select classes based on their interests. Courses will vary depending on the law school, but typical options include real estate, tax, intellectual property, evidence, trial advocacy, mergers and acquisitions, wills and estates, bankruptcy, and securities law. It is a good idea to take a variety of classes in order to decide which practice area to pursue after law school.   If possible, try sitting in on a course before applying to law school. This experience is helpful because you can learn how law school classes are conducted without having any pressure to perform. The Case Method In law school, many of your reading assignments will come from casebooks. Casebooks compile court opinions, called â€Å"cases,† related to a specific area of law. You will be expected to read cases, then extrapolate broader legal concepts and principles based on how the case was decided. In class, professors will ask you to take the principles you extrapolated from the case and apply them to a different set of facts (called a â€Å"fact pattern†).   In the case method, reading assignments don’t tell you everything you need to know. You will be expected to apply critical thinking skills to everything you read in order to draw correct conclusions. This step-by-step primer explains the process:   During the first reading of the case, identify the facts, the parties of the case, and what the plaintiff or defendant is trying to accomplish; don’t worry about getting all the details. During the second read, identify the procedural history of the case and take note of the relevant facts. During the third read, hone in on relevant facts, focus on the judicial interpretation, and think about how the interpretation would change if another fact pattern was used.   Reading a case several times is standard practice; with each reading, you will become better prepared to answer questions in class. Over time, the practice will become second nature, and you will be able to identify key pieces of information with more efficiency.   The Socratic Method In law school classes, students are expected to learn through the Socratic method—a system of intense questioning designed to lead students to particular insights.   In a typical example of the Socratic method, the professor will pick a student at random (called cold-calling). The chosen student will be asked to summarize a case from an assigned reading and discuss relevant legal principles. Next, the professor will change the facts of the case, and the student will have to analyze how the previously-established legal principles apply to this new fact pattern. The expectation is that the student’s answers will lead to a solid conclusion. To succeed in a Socratic questioning session, students must come to class with a thorough understanding of the assigned cases and the legal principles presented within them.  (To be even more prepared, some students try to predict what the professor will ask, then prepare responses.) Exactly how long the â€Å"hot seat† lasts can vary; some professors call on many students per class period, while others grill a smaller number of students for a longer time. All students must pay attention to the dialogue, because there is always a chance that the professor could put someone else on the hot seat at the spur of the moment. Many students worry about potential embarrassment as a result of the Socratic method. Experiencing the Socratic method for the first time is inevitably stressful, but it is a rite of passage for first-year law students. Asking upperclassmen about individual professors’ questioning styles can help calm your nerves before your first class.   One Exam Per Semester   In most law school courses, your grade is determined by your score on a single exam, taken at the end of the semester. Exams cover all the information taught in the course and include multiple-choice, short answer, and essay sections. Naturally, there is a lot of pressure to perform on test day.   The most effective way to study for exams is to start preparing early. Learn the material at a slow and steady pace, start creating a course outline as soon as possible, and meet regularly with a study group. If tests from previous years are available, make sure to review them. Since feedback is limited during the semester, it’s important to be proactive about asking questions. If you’re struggling with a certain concept or principle, don’t be afraid to ask for help. And remember, this high-stakes form of testing is good preparation for the bar exam.   Extracurricular Activities Law schools offer a large variety of professionally-focused extracurricular activities. Getting involved outside of class is a great way to network with peers, connect with alumni, and develop professional skills. Two of the most popular activities are law review and moot court.   The law review is a student-run scholarly journal that publishes articles by law professors, judges, and other legal professionals. It is considered the most prestigious extracurricular at most law schools. Law students at the top of their class receive an invitation to join at the end of their first year. (At some schools, you can also gain a coveted slot via application.)  As a member of the law review, you will hone your research and writing skills by participating in the journal’s publication process: fact-checking, reviewing footnoted case citations, and potentially writing short articles yourself.   In moot court, law students learn about litigation and trial advocacy by participating in simulated trial proceedings. Moot court participants write legal motions, present oral arguments, speak to the jury, answer questions from the judge, and more. Joining moot court is a great way to strengthen your legal skills—particularly your ability to form and communicate legal arguments.