Problem-Based Learning and International Commercial Dispute Resolution in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

One of the primary challenges for a law lecturer is to take students beyond their own assumptions about the parameters of a subject and provide them with new oppor tunities for exploration and a broader vision to enhance learning. A significant feature of law as a discipline of study in higher education that has the potential to impact on the curriculum and the way in which it is taught is the academic/ vocational divide. Problem-based learning (PBL) activities make classroom settings unpredictable and surprising, and learning to deal with such uncertainty prepares students for one of the most crucial aspects of professional life: the ability to make judgements in a context of uncertainty. This article analyses the integration of PBL within an LLM module on International Commercial Dispute Resolution. The logic of using PBL in this module is to ensure that the more abstract and less engaging aspects of the course are learned in relation to a close involvement with problems that are highly relevant to students’ more concrete ideas of what the course is about and what competence would mean within it. The experience of the students with the PBL activities, captured in reflective narratives and anonymous questionnaires, is also discussed.