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Innovating Legal Pedagogy: AI Conversations in Blackboard as a Teaching Tool
Conference presentation

Innovating Legal Pedagogy: AI Conversations in Blackboard as a Teaching Tool

Karnika Bansal and Thilinika Wijesinghe
Australasian Law Academics Association (Brisbane, Australia, 02/07/2025–04/07/2025)
04/07/2025

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Abstract

Higher education Curriculum and pedagogy Higher education Pedagogy
The integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) into higher legal education is reshaping how students engage with legal knowledge, skills, and professional practice. As part of the broader digital transformation in legal education, the evolving academic discourse highlights GenAI’s potential to personalise learning. However, concerns around critical engagement, academic integrity, and ethics remain. This presentation offers an educator’s reflection on the introduction of an AI Conversation tool within Blackboard, the learning management system at James Cook University (JCU). The tool, developed by Anthology, was trialed in the Technology and Cyberspace Law subject to explore its potential to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Using Socratic questioning and role-play prompts, the AI Conversations encouraged students to challenge the AI’s responses, identify potential legal inaccuracies, and refine their own reasoning through structured dialogue. This created a dynamic and reflective learning environment where students could test their assumptions in a low-stakes setting. The tool was embedded into weekly learning activities as a formative task, shifting the focus toward authentic, applied learning and the development of AI literacy alongside core legal skills. This reflection examines how the integration of GenAI supported student learning and raises important considerations around academic integrity, learning design, and student preparedness for future legal practice. Drawing on classroom experience and pedagogical insights, the presentation highlights both the opportunities and limitations of using AI tools in legal education. By documenting this early-stage integration, the reflection contributes to the growing body of knowledge on how legal educators can responsibly incorporate AI to foster critical engagement, maintain ethical standards, and equip students for an increasingly AI-influenced legal landscape.

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