Clinical Legal Education at the CCJHR: NAIRTL Integrative Learning Research Project
Clinical Legal Education at the CCJHR: NAIRTL Integrative Learning Research Project
Dr Shane Kilcommins, CCJHR, with academic staff from Medicine and Health, Applied Psychology and Education, has recently commenced a research project on integrative learning, funded by NAIRTL. This opportunity arose out of the iniqueness of the LLM in Criminal justice programme which embodies a strong clinical component. Part of the reseatch project will examine the extent to which LLM Criminal Justice students in the Centre benefit from having to undertake a learning journal as part of their postgraduate clinical education, and assess the extent to which they apply knowledge through real-world engagements. The project will also, in part, examine the extent to which learning journals facilitate the integration and interpretation of knowledge across different disciplines (criminology, criminal law, criminal procedure, penology); encourage students on the programme to move beyond curricular fragmentation and to develop a connected view of scholarship; and create a community of intentional, self-directed learners.The use of such learning journals will also permit more collaboration among Centre staff who will be required to identify key points of integration and conncection (between theory and practice; across modules; across disciplines). The project commenced in September 2008, involving 18 UCC staff,and will conclude in July 2009.