Teaching property law in Australia in the twenty-first century: what we do now, what should we do in the future?

[Extract] The contemporary law degree is changing. Globally, law schools have faced the twin challenges of: the introduction of standards-based quality assurance;2 and the sustained critique of the content-heavy focus of the traditional law degree.3 The profession, academia and the judiciary are calling for graduates who are proficient in a range of professional skills as well as being well versed in the law and its context.4 In terms of property law, new frontiers for the property law teacher to grapple with include the relatively recent creation of new property rights involving land; more sophisticated forms of community title; the increasing importance of environmental considerations; the concept of sustainability in what has otherwise been a market-based field as well as recent significant developments in personal property law. Given the central role ascribed to the teaching of property law, as highlighted in Gray's quote, it is entirely appropriate, and indeed timely, that property teachers take stock and reflect not only on the current and proposed future content of property law units but also on how this content is being taught and assessed. During 2011 the authors invited property law teachers from all Australian law schools to participate in a comprehensive survey regarding the teaching of the compulsory property law unit.5 The survey covered various aspects of teaching property law including content; teaching format; the extent to which skills are taught in property law; learning outcomes; the methods of assessment; the developing areas of property law; and the challenges faced by property law teachers in the twenty-first century. The survey findings provide an in depth insight into the views of Australian property teachers on the current and future teaching of property law