Education, Empowerment and Access to All - Public Legal Education and Massive Open Online Courses at the Law Society of Ireland

Abstract

Since 2014, the Diploma Centre at the Law Society of Ireland (‘the Society’) has implemented a programme of MOOCs; ‘Massive Open Online Courses’ in key areas of practice. This article outlines the provision of Public Legal Education at the Society and how MOOCs align with the mission to widen access to legal education and the legal profession. Of interest to others who may be developing MOOCs, we discuss the instructional design process and feedback from MOOC participants. MOOCs are very much on trend and have received a mixed reception but, subject to course design, they can provide substantial educational benefit and operate as an effective means to widen access to education.