Field trips as teaching tools in the law curriculum

While fi eld trips are often employed in primary and even second level education; as a pedagogical tool, aimed at exposing students to real life experiences,; such activities are not as popular at third level (Falk and Balling,; 1982; Muse, Chiarelott and Davidman, 1982; Anderson and Zhang, 2003).; However, such experiential learning techniques can be invaluable to university; students by allowing them to engage more with the world around them; and to see a practical side to their area of study. Scarce indentifi es fi eld trips; as a form of ‘short-term experiential education’ and comments that ‘what; students learn and the way they learn it should be rooted in society and in; social experiences’ (Scarce, 1997, p. 219). He locates these activities in the; experiential learning framework, as espoused by educationalists such as; Dewey (1938) and DeMartini (1983). This short article contains an analysis; of academic literature on the use of fi eld trips in third level education and; their potential value in the law curriculum. Law is a suitable subject to; explore through the use of such trips, as lecturers endeavour to illustrate; how the rules and principles propounded in legal instruments and cases; infl uence society and how, concomitantly, societal changes and opinions; infl uence the creation and development of law.