ADR education: Creating engagement and increasing mental well-being through an interactive and constructive approach

Abstract

Recent research shows that participation in an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) course can increase a student’s sense of belonging to the school in which it is taught, and can increase the levels of the students’ mental health.

This article summarises two studies conducted in the Law School at the University of Western Australia that highlight the links between the interactive nature of teaching ADR and the students’ increased engagement with the school and, in turn, their mental well-being. In addition, the studies show that developing an ADR course to include tasks which provide an opportunity for sustained thinking and exploration, and which are meaningful and related to "real life" is critical to the students’ learning of ADR skills and concepts. The article concludes by endorsing the New South Wales Attorney-General’s call for an expanded and improved coverage of ADR, and urges universities to consider the value of constructive and interactive ADR education to students in all disciplines; not just law students.