Teaching and Engaging Adult Law Learners in a Singapore Business Law Class—A Reflection of Legal Teaching Strategies

Abstract

In an environment that aims to promote lifelong and adult learning, legal education needs to be acutely aware of the different skill and learning aptitudes among adult students as well as their motivation and interest. I present a case study of a first-year undergraduate law course, law of business organisation, at the Singapore University of Social Sciences where I used various adult teaching techniques, a strategy of gamification, and digital tools to engage and spark an interest in my law classroom. Overall, students have found the approach successful in cultivating their interests and developing their practical skills. The findings speak to broader concepts of active engagement and developing their practical knowledge to aid law students in their learning and future careers. Albert Einstein once said that ‘it is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge’. 2 The article is divided into five parts, the first part provides an overview of the pedagogy of adult teaching and learning, the second part provides an overview of generic curriculum approaches at the law school, the third part covers the tailored approach to teach adult learners, the fourth part examines in further detail specific teaching methods for a business law module which I am course leader for, and the fifth part explores the effectiveness of these teaching methods.