Debate as a Pedagogical Practice: A Case Study from Finland on Teaching International Law

Abstract

<p>Although debate is one of the most traditional teaching and learning methods, if not the oldest, going back to the ancient educational cultures in Greece and Rome, it has lost ground in modern university pedagogy. We argue that when practiced with a firm pedagogical base, debate is a form of experiential learning and, as such, well in tune with contemporary educational psychology. We aim to show that debate is an especially suitable approach to teaching law and thus of interest to the international community of legal education. Law studies still follow a rather traditional teaching pattern of lectures and seminars in many countries, and this may be the case particularly for teaching international law even in the U.S. universities where more interactive models are otherwise common.<br></p>