Coding for Critical Thinking: A Case Study in Embedding Complementary Skills in Legal Education

Abstract

This article contributes to the debate over the place of skills in the law curriculum, offering observations from the author’s experience in scaffolding critical thinking skills and coding into an online legal philosophy class at the University of Canberra. It begins by justifying the selection of critical thinking and coding as skills that should be better integrated into the law curriculum in the 21st century. It then describes pedagogical models for improving students’ skills through scaffolding and other strategies. It proceeds to explain how these can be implemented to facilitate students’ critical thinking and coding skills and, in a complementary way, mastery of the subject matter. The article suggests how different types of skills can be integrated into law units and how the risks of over-crowding the curriculum can be managed. The conclusion reiterates the importance of critical thinking and coding skills and urges other educators to consider how these and other skills can be better integrated into their teaching.