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Mooting as a Pedagogical Intervention to Overcome Challenges of Learning Law in Distance Mode: Initiative in Sri Lanka
Edirimuni Nadeesh Rangana de Silva
Abstract:
Legal education is a multifaceted study with a varying focus on knowledge, competence, skills, ethics and practices. The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) is the only state University in Sri Lanka that offers legal education via Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode. In the ODL system, legal education is severely challenged by physical separation and limited interaction with teachers and peers, leaving graduates unprepared for legal practice. Hence, there is a need for innovative approaches to address the challenges of learning law in ODL. The present study reports on an innovative pedagogical approach of introducing mooting into the legal curriculum of the Department of Legal Studies, OUSL. Moot court is a simulation of a real court hearing that allows participants to analyze and argue fictional or hypothetical legal cases. A considerable amount of literature has reported the positive attributes of mooting in improving knowledge, skills, and professionalism among law students. However, there are very limited studies that develop a comprehensive adoption framework for mooting into ODL legal curricula. Thus, the current study proposes a framework for integrating mooting through a blended-learning approach that aligns with the ODL mode. The framework reported herein is grounded in the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the integration of mooting into distance and online learning modes and by the author's two decades of experience in mooting and ODL delivery. The proposed framework is built on three main levels: Foundation, Integration, and Institutional support and Sustainability. This framework provides step-by-step guidelines for blending the traditional mooting concepts with the ODL delivery mode. Overall, this study encourages educators to incorporate mooting into the curriculum of legal studies delivered via ODL mode to cultivate the next generation of competent legal professionals.
Keywords:
Distance learning, Framework, Legal Education, Mooting, OUSL, Pedagogical tool
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