The value of using multi-methods in law courses in higher education

100%

The Law Teacher

This article examines the added value of using multi-methods in an intermediate law course for final-year undergraduate and master's degree students at a medium-sized university in South West Finland. The study involved twenty-three law students from various countries who were about to complete their bachelor's studies or pursue their master's degrees. The content analysis and constant comparative approach results indicated that employing multiple teaching methods in the course significantly enhanced the students' learning. The treaty simulation, based on the ongoing negotiations at two international organisations - the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization - had the most significant impact on the students. Participants felt accountable for their learning, gained self-confidence, developed a sense of fulfilment, and learned about the complexities of negotiating international treaties and building consensus. They felt more prepared for similar roles in their future careers. The course highlights the benefits of active learning and the role of simulations in developing professional competence and communication skills. It suggests that faculty should incorporate multi-methods and simulations, when possible, to teach law.

Introduction

Legal education has been evolving globally despite the diversity among different regions. Since the nineteen seventies, numerous reports have been published in various countries, including the United States, England, Australia, Scotland, Canada, and Hong Kong. These reports have addressed desirable approaches to curriculum design and legal education, recommending a shift in traditional legal education methods to emphasize the acquisition of skills and values rather than content-based teaching. They have also called for the curriculum to be "internationalized" to prepare students for an increasingly "globalized" legal practice. Consistent with this viewpoint, several scholars have proposed the expansion of the legal education curriculum.

The traditional dogmatic practice of requiring law students to learn theory and memorize numerous rules and a few cases, believing that this will make them good lawyers, is deeply rooted in many legal systems. However, scholars argue that memorizing cases and textbooks is ineffective for students' learning or using legal reasoning skills. In a globalized world, future lawyers will require the ability to familiarize themselves rapidly with a wide range of issues and even legal systems.

This article examines the impact of a course on intellectual property law taught to university students in Finland. The course combined doctrinal teaching (utilizing multiple methods) with experiential learning (simulation). By integrating simulation and doctrinal instruction, it aimed to stimulate students' active learning and enable them to develop professional competence and communication skills.

Evolving pedagogy in legal education

Why use multi-methods to teach the law?

Background to Finnish legal education

Research context and goals of the course

Course components and implementation

Method

Data source

Data analysis

Results

Prior understanding of IP law and international treaty negotiation

Change in perception of IP law negotiations and Global North/South divide

Aspects of the course beneficial for the student's future career

Components of the course and how they contributed to students' learning

Lectures

Reading

Field trip

Exhibition

Simulation

Discussion

Conclusion

Disclosure statement

Funding

Overview

The study explores the use of multi-methods in legal education, emphasizing how simulations enhance learning and prepare students for future careers in law. It advocates for incorporating diverse teaching strategies to accommodate various learning styles.

Key Points

1Multi-method teaching significantly enhances law students' learning experiences
2Simulations help students develop essential negotiation and communication skills
3The course focused on intellectual property law and treaty negotiations
4Active learning promotes accountability and self-confidence among students
5Faculty should diversify teaching methods to meet different learning needs

Details

Authors: Daniel Opoku Acquah, Ama Opoku Acquah, Emmanuel Opoku Acquah
Category: Education

PDF
From Laboratory to Classroom: A Pre-Service Teacher's Guide to Behaviorism
This document serves as a comprehensive guide for pre-service teachers on the principles of behaviorism, detailing how environmental factors influence student learning and behavior through various conditioning theories.
PDF
ENG 153 P2 Examination Review
This document serves as a comprehensive review for an examination in an English literature course, covering literature's significance, literary genres, teaching methods, comprehension levels, and assessment strategies.
PDF
The Influence of Employment on Senior High School Students' Decision Making to Enter Work or College
This study examines how employment-related factors influence Grade 12 Senior High School students' choices between entering the workforce and pursuing college after graduation. It addresses the impacts of financial considerations, family responsibilities, and career development on students' decision-making processes.
PDF
SIR BRIAN'S REVIEW & TUTORIAL CENTER "Reviewe with a Great Vision"
This document provides a comprehensive overview of agricultural marketing, including its systems, participants, and various approaches to understanding the exchange of goods. It explores market structures, marketing functions, and the roles of different entities in agricultural trade.
PDF
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION & COMMUNICATION FACE-TO-FACE REVIEW SUMMARY NOTES Prepared by: IGMangulabnan
This document provides an overview of agricultural extension and communication, detailing historical developments, legislative actions, and the evolution of agricultural services in various contexts, including Europe, the United States, and the Philippines.