Teaching the History of Law Through Visual Approaches: Infographics and Generative Artificial Intelligence as Teaching Tools

Abstract

This paper examines the use of visualization and infographics as teaching resources in university-level History of Law courses, within a context marked by the transformation of contemporary modes of transmitting legal knowledge. Taking as its starting point the specific difficulties inherent to the discipline—arising from the complexity of legal sources, the plurality of historical legal orders, and the need to contextualize institutions and legal concepts—the study explores the value of visual representation as a form of cognitive mediation aimed at fostering a structured understanding of historical law.

The paper also addresses the role of generative artificial intelligence as a technical support tool in the design of teaching materials, particularly in the creation of infographics and visual resources. In this regard, it emphasizes the importance of maintaining critical supervision by academic staff and of preserving the historical-legal method. Alongside the opportunities offered by these tools, the paper analyzes their risks and limitations, including excessive simplification, anachronism, and uncritical or decontextualized interpretations of visual representations in the teaching process.

Finally, the paper is complemented by the experience developed within a Teaching Innovation Project at the University of Valladolid, which allows for an assessment of the reflective integration of visualization and artificial intelligence into the teaching of History of Law, without undermining academic rigor or the methodological tradition of the discipline.