Getting the hang of highly specialized legal content like understanding Individualized Education Programs (IEP) through the communication strategies taught in the DAS Communication digitale program at the University of Geneva.
Respecting the intent of the current conditions, every effort is being made to help students to connect with professors through distance learning formats. When the subject matter takes the form of a digestible text, and topics are easy to connect with, like general legal topics it is relatively easy to get the hang of studying from home. However, when the topic is highly specialized in nature such as understanding Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) and the terminology is very dense, the process can be a lot more challenging. In order to provide insight into how useful the digital communication strategies taught in the DAS Communication digitale program at the University of Geneva can help students better engage with complex legal topics, we will take a closer look at the article Understanding the Legal Nature of an IEP, written by Florian Bessonnat, Jurist specialized in Disability Law, Child Rights and public authorities.
According to the text, an IEP is “a document that outlines how a disability affects a student’s ability to learn and how schools and families will work together to ensure appropriate educational benefits.” The purpose of an IEP is to make sure that “students receive personalized services to their specific needs so they can access the same education opportunities as their peers.” It includes both the specific objectives or goals a student is required to reach and the strategies, methods, and accommodations that must be implemented in order for a student to meet IEP goals and participate in an educational program. In order for a document to be considered a legal document, it must contain certain components.
The components that Florian Bessonnat emphasizes must be present to consider a document a legal document include: It is important to keep in mind that when it comes to assessing the usefulness of a legal document, it is not only a matter of understanding the information provided within the document, it is about verifying the correctness of the content and whether or not proper processes were followed to ensure that rights were respected. Often times, complex specialized legal terminologies can pose a challenge for people with even the most basic background knowledge of legal concepts. This is where the digital communication strategies taught in the DAS Communication digitale program at the University of Geneva come into play. In short, digital communication education teaches people how to use technology to break down barriers and make complex content more accessible to people who lack the vocabulary to discuss specialized topics.
The benefits of understanding how to use digital tools to express relevant information to educate people on the importance of legal rights in the field of education are valuable, but in order to fully understand how to bridge the gap between complex legal information and comprehension of said information, instructors must first break down content so that it is understandable to people with limited background knowledge. This is where proper training in best practices related to search engine optimization become a relevant asset. In this case, the article Understanding the Legal Nature of an IEP can be considered a great example of why professors/training programs must share practical examples of things that they teach and explain how these things are used in real-world situations to help students establish the connection between theory and practice.
It is also important that instructors make a conscious effort to explain how information can be shared on social media to contribute to the dissemination of valuable information. For example, Florian Bessonnat cited a link to the Council of Europe’s Special Educational Needs website as a source of relevant information. By posting this article on a livelihood social media account like LinkedIn, it makes it easier for people to engage with this content and share it with their network of contacts. This is essential to raising awareness about legal rights related to special education programs.
For more information on legal documents and their implications, you can visit the Wikipedia page on legal documents.