Mooting into the Gap of Transition

Felicia Snyman, Law lecturer, Akademia, South Africa

Abstract

Moot court—a mock proceeding where students argue points of law—is an innovative teaching method well suited to bridging the gap of transition from secondary school to university. However, the practice of moot court is generally not available to first-year students in higher education, and mooting is usually conducted face-to-face rather than by distance education or broadcast technology. Akademia’s model of blended learning enables students from different geographical areas and backgrounds to cooperate through distance learning. Students perform roles for which marks are awarded by external assessors who assess from the studio. Peer review is facilitated, and feedback provided to the lecturer. This makes learning relevant and engaging.

Keywords:  moot court, holistic approach, blended learning, problem-based learning

*Corresponding author.  Email: Felicia@akademia.ac.za