One Model for Distance Legal Education:
A Work in Progress

I. Introduction: The Courses and Students

II. Breaking Out of the Classroom's Constraints

III. Pacing and Accountability in Asynchronous Instruction

IV. Other Challenges and Next Steps

I. Introduction: The Courses and Students

The Courses: Copyright Law and Social Security

My Pedagogical Aims: Quite conventional for courses of this sort

The Students: Experienced upper level law students enrolled in full-time law studies

 

II. Breaking Out of the Classroom's Constraints

The Key Components: As they related to the absent classroom meetings

Some Expected Gains:

• The on-demand, endlessly patient, on-line law teacher

• Tight integration of discussion and core texts

• Class sessions shaped to the topic

Interactivity?

 

 

III. Pacing and Accountability in Asynchronous Instruction

Some Hidden Functions of Scheduled Class Meetings:

• Pacing through accountability

• Opportunity for self-appraisal

• Framework for student-student interaction

Techniques for Pursuing These Same Ends in an Asynchronous Learning Environment

 

IV. Other Challenges and Next Steps

• Cultural barriers appear to represent more serious obstacles than technology or cost.

• These are intended to be prototypes for other courses, to be built at Cornell and elsewhere.

• They are constructed of reusable components.

• Their modularity and subject matter should allow for versioning.

• Our ambition is that they represent a modest, responsible experiment from which there should be much to learn.

The Classroom

Sharing the Screen and Mouse

Elements of 2000-2001 LII Distance Course Design

Digitally distributed course readings

Scheduled progression through a sequence of topics

Presentation using this technology of linked "streaming audio"

Computer-based tutorials and exercises

Asynchronous but paced on-line written discussion

Writing and problem-solving assignments

Final exam

Questions and Comments

martin@lii.law.cornell.edu

To replay go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/background/distance/demo01.htm