Dr Daniel Berger

As a researcher, Daniel's principal interests are exploring higher education learning and teaching methods and techniques, to widen participation, improve graduate outcomes and identify and share best inclusive practices. His most recent papers address issues around attainment gaps, social mobility, and academic performance of under-represented student groups.

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Background

Having started university as a mature student – and the first in his family to enter higher education – Daniel became keenly aware that university study had the potential to create a paradigm shift in the social mobility and employability of large swathes of the population who, due to the demands and complexities of modern life, may otherwise not have the opportunity to benefit.

To ensure this shift takes place, universities must ensure that they are ‘student ready’, and not expect students to be ‘university-ready’. This means being welcoming, inclusive, approachable and job-market focused/relevant. Daniel's findings are that this can be achieved through enriching induction programmes, ensuring assessments are authentic to workplace scenarios, designing active blended learning environments, and accrediting co-curricular activities.

Research interests

• Active blended learning environments in higher education
• Enriched induction programmes in higher education
• Authentic assessment in higher education
• Social mobility and inclusion in higher education

Qualifications

• PhD in Law and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London
• Bar Professional Training Course, University of Law
• LLB (Hons) Law, University of Hertfordshire

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Birmingham City University – authentic assessment

Selected recent publications

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2017. Forgotten Lore: Can the Socratic Method of teaching be used to reduce the “attainment gap” of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students? Higher Education Review.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?Higher Education Review.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Enhancing student performance and employability through the use of authentic assessment techniques in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs). The Law Teacher.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Refining the traditional flipped-classroom model to optimise student performance on undergraduate degree programmes. Journal of Commonwealth Law and Legal Education.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Turned on, tuned in, but not dropped out: Enhancing the student experience with popular social media platforms. European Journal of Law and Technology.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Using authentic assessment techniques in Extra and Co-curricular course (ECCAs) delivery to reflect the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority’s (SRA) change towards legal vocational stage delivery. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 9(1).

Fenton, N., Neil, M. and Berger, D., 2015. Bayes and the Law. Annual Review of Statistics and its Application, 3.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 201. Using authentic assessment techniques in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs) to improve teaching standards on academic law programmes. Journal of Commonwealth Law and Legal Education, 10(1), p70.

Fenton, N., Berger, D. et al, 2014. When ‘neutral’ evidence still has probative value: implications from the Barry George Case. Science & Justice, 54, pp274-287.

Fenton, N., Berger, D. et al, 2014. Response to ‘On the use of the likelihood ratio for forensic evaluation: response to Fenton et al'. Science & Justice, 54, pp319-320.

Recent presentations and conferences

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Refining the traditional flipped-classroom model: Teaching students HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Presented at BILETA 31st Conference, University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. The Proposed Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): A Formula for Teaching Excellence. Presented at the 4th European Conference on Education (ECE2016), UK.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? Presented at the 22nd International Academic Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Getting the job done: Using authentic assessment techniques in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs) to improve law students’ employability prospects. Presented at the International Conference on Education and e-Learning (ICEEL), Barcelona, Spain.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Practice Makes Perfect: Using authentic assessment techniques in Extra and Co-curricular course (ECCAs) delivery to reflect the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority’s (SRA) change towards legal vocational stage delivery. Presented at the International Journal of Arts & Sciences’ (IJAS) International Conference for Education, Paris, France.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016.  ‘Burning the Paper Tiger: Using authentic assessment techniques in academic law degree delivery’, presented at the International Academic Business Conference, Venice

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2016. Giving students the third degree: Using authentic assessment techniques in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs) to improve teaching standards on academic law programmes. Presented at the International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences (IISES) 20th International Academic Conference, Madrid, Spain.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2015. The Real Deal: Using formative assessment techniques in authentic assessment delivery, to improve law degree academic performance. Presented at the International Academic Conference on Teaching, Learning & E-learning, CIAE, Vienna, Austria.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2015. Get Real: Using authentic assessment techniques to improve law degree academic performance. Presented at the International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences (IISES) 2nd Teaching & Education Conference, Florence, Italy.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2015. Social Media and the Student Experience,. Presented at the European Conference on e-Learning (ECEL) 14th Conference, UK.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2015. The central importance of co-curricular activities as an authentic assessment mechanism within modern legal education. Presented at the Annual Learning & Teaching Conference, University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Berger, D. and Wild, C., 2015. Turned on, tuned in, but not dropped out: Enhancing the student experience using popular social media platforms. Presented at BILETA 30th Conference, University of West England, UK.