Failure is Not an Option: An Essay on What Legal Educators Can Learn from Nasa's Signature Pedagogies to Improve Student Outcomes

Abstract

The story of the Apollo 13 mission is just one of the many inspirational stories from the space program. As 2010 marks the anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission, this essay honors NASA’s success during that mission by examining three of NASA’s signature training practices - simulation, teamwork, and optimism - and discussing how those practices could be used effectively in legal education to prepare students for the realities of practice.

Keywords: Pedagogy, legal education, NASA, space exploration, simulation, teamwork, optimism, training, professionalism