Brook K Baker, “Learning to Fish, Fishing to Learn: Guided Participation in the Interpersonal Ecology of Practice”

This article argues that an ecological learning theory should be applied to legal clinics. Ecological learning theory emphasizes the value of meaningful co-participation in tasks, mutual respect from supervisors and peers, and responsiveness from the larger social environment. Ecological learning theory suggests that students can be relatively independent and self-directed learners. Supervisors do not have to engage in constant dialogue with students or force self-reflection in order for students to learn competent practice; rather, students’ robust participation in the work context will provide the most benefit.

Supervisors can implement the participation-centred ecological learning theory by:

1. Encouraging students to work with others;
2. Being alert to barriers to participation: internal, interpersonal, and institutional;
3. Give students meaningful work; 
4. Create multiple opportunities for side-to-side collaboration;
5. Create a co-participatory alliance with students;
6. Put their own (supervisor) performance on the line, both directly and indirectly;
7. Contextualize performance;
8. Be task-focused;
9. Provide plenty of advice;
10. Broaden and deepen students’ exposure; and
11. Create explicit bridges for the transfer of skills.

Current methods used in clinical settings by and extensive practice collaboration between supervisors and students, where nurturing and mentoring are important to supervisors. During the collaboration, clinicians model both lawyering activities and professional identity. However, the real teachers within the clinical context are the people in the workplace, peers and clients who facilitate students’ growth in skills and identity.

Brook K Baker, “Learning to Fish, Fishing to Learn: Guided Participation in the Interpersonal Ecology of Practice” (1999) 6:1 Clinical L Rev 1.