Reimagining Experiential Academic Learning (REAL) Project

About this initiative

Clinical legal education is a form of experiential learning that enhances law students’ practical legal skills, graduate attributes and aptitude for life-long learning. Yet, experiential learning in law remains under-developed in the Irish higher education system. There is an absence of shared resources across the sector to facilitate success in terms of student engagement and employability, and to support the professional development of academic staff. The objective of the ‘REAL Project: Using Experience to Teach & Learn in Law—A Framework for Engagement, Assessment and Transferability’ is to create a national alliance for the development of experiential legal education in Ireland. This will be achieved by the collation and creation of best practice resources in an open-access repository. Ultimately, the outputs of the REAL project will be transferable to other disciplines. The REAL Project involves a comprehensive review, research and consultation process with students, academics, institutions, instructional designers and employers both nationally and internationally. This evidence-based approach ensures academic rigour in the selection and preparation of the open-access experiential resources and it allows for the creation of a community of practice in experiential learning where best practice can be identified and shared between institutions.