If DLE is the Answer, What is the Question?

John MayerExecutive DirectorCenter for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction312-906-5307jmayer@cali.org

What is Distance Legal Education?• Obvious

– Videoconference Courses– Web courses– Media by Mail

• Less Obvious– Co-teaching– Guest lecturers– Partial DLE– DLE “pieces”

• “Outside the Box”– LE for non-lawyers (for profit?)– LE for the public (public service)– Expanding Int’l opportunities

What is Distance Legal Education?• Synchronous

– Videoconferencing– Webcast– Chat– Conference call

• Asynchronous– Web-based materials– Lessons– Discussion (threaded, email, etc.)

– Offline Access

Course Design

Technology

Staffing

Costs

Scalability

Re-use

Why is DLE Interesting?

• Learning anytime, anywhere• Student-centered learning

model• Attuned to Net-Gen students• Attract or serve previously

un-servable students• Co-optition (cooperate & compete)

• New Markets/Revenue• …most important

Why is DLE Interesting?

REQUIRES FACULTY AND INSTITUTIONS TO EXAMINE THE LEARNING PROCESS

TO

…but, does Legal Education need to improve?

• Too expensive• Grads not ready for

practice• Faculty emphasize

scholarship - teaching excellence is not rewarded

want

Exercise:What is Broken in Legal Education?

Law is more important than ever

• Law is more ubiquitous than ever• Law is non-violent war• Law is friction to business• Law is codified morality• Law is advocacy’s sharpest tool• Law practice is legal education for

clients• …in short…

EVERYONE should be a lawyer!

Law is more important than ever

• We didn’t use to question our doctors…

• We didn’t use to know so much about computers

“Legal Literacy” is the next big global/societal

literacy wave

Why is DLE Interesting?

Defensive Distance Learning

• Online law schools succeeding

• There are new for-profit law schools in the US that challenge the traditional model of LE

• Huge unmet demand for legal assistance

• Huge increases in SRLs and greater demand for A2J

DLE Compellers

• Make money• Not lose money• Not lose academic control• Altruism

Exercise:What is compelling DLE at your school?

Exercise:What about DLE is compelling to you?

Barriers to DLE

• Institutional Interest• Aversion to Pioneering • Technical challenges• Finding the markets• Administrivia• Quality• What is everyone else

doing?

• Address N x M Problem• Web services, tools,

databases, surveys, etc.• Training – maybe

• Bring to surface scattered interest

• Don’t have to start from scratch

• Applied Research

Goals of CODEC:Lowering the Barriers

• Observe• Report• Disseminate• Facilitate• Innovate

Progress Report

• 48 members• http://codec.cali.org• Presentations at 6 schools• Japan and Europe• Peter Martin’s DE on DLE• Videoconferencing Survey• Classifieds • Grades and Calendars• ClassCaster

Videoconferencing Survey

• 77 Responders / October 2004• 22% do not use VC• 17% use university computing

or media services for VC• 25% have NO VC facilities at

law school• 39% have roll-around units• 25% have perm-installed

seminar room for VC

Videoconferencing Survey

• 49% used VC for guest lecturers

• 40% have used VC for a semester-length course

• 41% conducted NO course related VC in FY03-04

• 11% conducted several/week course-related VC sessions

• 34% used VC for student interviews

Progress Report

• 48 members• http://codec.cali.org• Presentations at 6 schools• Japan and Europe• Peter Martin’s DE on DLE• Videoconferencing Survey• Classifieds • Grades and Calendars• ClassCaster

Classifieds

codec.cali.org

Grades and Calendars

• Calendars are a slog and we are slogging

• Grades need a deft touch and we are looking for consulting help

ClassCaster

• New Service from • www.classcaster.org• Classroom + Podcasting

(but this goes way beyond the classroom)

• Even Luddite Faculty Can Use It

experimental

=

1. Register at CALI website

2. When class starts, Make a phone call

3. Teach the class

4. Students download to theiriPod or listen to the lecture via the web.

5. Faculty downloads and editsFor future classes, distance learning, etc.

2. In class, play back the interview

1. Outside of class, call your interviewee and conference in ClassCaster

ClassCaster

3. After class, students can listen to the interview via the web or download to their MP3player

Audio Legal Education Ideas

• Pre-recorded interviews with attorneys in current events cases

• “Phone in” lectures instead of canceling class

• Audio exam reviews• “Director Commentary” on

Law Review Articles• Mystery Science Theatre

CALI lessons

This is where I ended the presentation due to time constraints. The rest is about Classcaster. There is a complete presentation on this in my other conference session.

1. Faculty goes to CALI website and runs CALI lesson in “Classcaster” mode

2. Faculty records commentaryby phone or directly into PC withUSB microphone

3. Faculty gets unique URL andsends it to students or posts to class website

4. Student runs CALI lessons from that URL and can seeTheir own professor’s commentary

---------------------------------Professor Smith’s Commentary

---------------------------------Professor Jones’s (Louisville) Commentary

---------------------------------Professor Quentel’s (Chicago-Kent) Commentary

---------------------------------Professor McFarland’s Commentary (authorof this CALI lesson)

Lowering the Barriers to

Inter-institutional Distance Legal

Education CLOSING REMARKS