Lawyers learning to survive: The application of adventure-based learning to skills development

• Main Author: ALEXANDER, Nadja
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 1996
• Subjects: Legal Education; Legal Profession
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/2236; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/4188/viewcontent/NadjaSpegelLawyersLearnin__2_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Keeping pace with the changing face of Australian legal practice requires new approaches to teaching, both at university level and in professional training. This article considers the integration of adventure-based learning (ABL) approaches to meet new challenges in skills training. The discussion reviews the relevant literature and reports on a recent ethnographic study on the effectiveness of ABL techniques in the teaching of skills at tertiary level. Both the literature review and the ethnographic study indicate that ABL is an effective method for developing participants' skills. The results of the study suggest that ABL is effective for coaching participants in skills relevant for law graduates. The article argues for its application to the teaching of skills to students of law and discusses how ABL can be practically utilised by legal educators.