Mapping the Topics, Trends, and Themes of Education Technology in Legal Education with Topic Modeling and Network Analysis

Abstract

Digital transformation varies markedly across disciplines in the way technologies are used, how much, and for what purposes to foster educational innovation. In legal education, they are used for various purposes to respond to the capacities and competencies that are required from contemporary lawyers and legal professionals. This article addresses a gap in existing research by approximating digital technologies and digital transformation in legal education research. It uses topic modeling and network analysis to explore digital transformation in legal education research and to demonstrate how digital technologies used for pedagogical purposes are reflected in legal education research. It finds that while digitalization is a clear recent trend in legal education research, the role of digital technologies in legal education research is not as strong as in other fields of higher education and that practical skills and the practice of law continue to have a central role in legal education irrespective of the education technologies used. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.