Abstract:

The present research is based on two premises. First, the need that 21st-century university professors are required to adapt our teaching methods to the needs and realities of our students, with the aim of ensuring that they acquire competencies and learning outcomes optimally and efficiently. And, secondly, the challenge imposed by supranational organisations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Council of Europe that member states must introduce mediation and other alternative conflict resolution methods in their national legislations, as a way of complementing the justice system, and must offer the possibility for people who have a conflict to resolve it via auto-composition, with or without third-party assistance.
In this regard, we believe it is necessary for Spanish law degree programmes to have courses or parts of courses devoted to studying – in a practical and motivating way – these compositive methods for resolving conflicts and disputes other than through the judicial process. Further, these skills should be acquired by students via innovative methodologies that ensure that they experience their positive merits, as well as learning different learning techniques. Thus, this study is based on the proposition to include several innovative methodologies, such as simulation, the TBL (thinking-based learning) methodology, design thinking, or learning by doing in law studies.

Keywords:

Teaching innovation, acquisition of competencies, mediation skills, alternative dispute resolution.