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Program Type
Describe your blended/hybrid/online program
Mission
Providing access to legal education
Pioneer in skills education
50% synch online
50% intensive on campus
Some %age asynch online
(perhaps they give 110%)
Focus
Target student
Students from every state and several countries
Some straight from undergrad but most mid-career and some in long-term, high-level careers
Key aspects
Learning management system
Canvas
Some faculty still use TWEN or Lexis products
Class size
50-96 per online/blended course
48 per skills course
20 per seminar
Variance allows for 50 students
18 in first cohort
45 students in first cohort
10-20 students in workshop courses
Synchronous
Optional weekly synchronous office hour (recorded and posted for those who don’t attend).
In-person components are synchronous:
- Intensive on-campus preparation week or weekend to start first four semesters.
- Intensive on-campus capstone week every semester with 56 hours of instruction; class-specific meetings; experiential simulations integrating that semesters three courses
Complex two-to-three day simulation using doctrine and skills learned that semester.
- Live face-to-face, voice-to-voice for all students and
professor (video participation is required) - Socratic method questioning and discussion
(students are called on) - Live classes attendance and participation tracking
and grading for credit - PowerPoint and document display
- Application sharing (e.g., Lexis)
- Simultaneous text communication between students
and the professor, class-wide or privately - Multiple views (slides, application, whiteboard,
chat, roster, professor, student, class) - Hand raising signals professor that students have
a question - Live classes are recorded and available for review
Asynchronous
Outside of a few weeks per year, program is asynchronous.
Courses developed through a backward design:
- Formal statement of course competencies and sub-competencies.
- Twelve to thirteen weekly online modules build on those competencies with expressed objectives; weekly narrative summaries; interactive discussion boards; and written assignments.
Students receive feedback on all work from full-time and adjunct faculty.
Student:faculty ratio is 24:1 in doctrinal courses and 12:1 in skill courses.
Less than 50% of class time.
- Enriched lectures
- Socratic dialogues
- Roundtable discussions
- Hypothetical exercises
Highly interactive embedded exercises
- multiple-choice questions
- essay responses
Playlist of course content
iLaw provides tracking of student participation
Canvas online tracking tools used at the discretion of the professor
Required weekly graded assignments or graded discussion boards
- Discussions by the course community, guided by
the professor - Weekly graded timed writing practice
- Weekly graded multiple-choice quizze
- Graded practical skills assignments for students in
the upper level - Proctored and timed exam
- Feedback from professors on all assignments via
rubrics/comment - Immediate feedback on quizzes; feedback in a few
days on other assignment - Projects and practical learning experiences
embedded in many doctrinal course - Dedicated skills training course
- Course improvement via learning outcomes analysis
and feedback from students via end-of-course survey
Non-faculty experts
Five instructional design positions.
Two accessibility/remediation specialist positions.
Two learning management system specialists.
Faculty build asynch portions of classes with the university’s Instructional designers (IDs).
Faculty director for online education
Associate dean for online education
LMS provider 2U trains and supports faculty.
Professor spends 8-10 months developing course
- High-level strategy session with course strategist from 2U to discuss goals and learning outcomes
- Decide proper evidence to evaluate student progress
- Course designer from 2U works with prof. to chart weekly plan and asynch content based on what content is best delivered synch, asynch, or on campus
- Meet weekly until course is charted
- Professor travels to 2U studio in Arlington, VA to record
One instructional designer serves as trainer and guide
Each online professor designs own teaching experience
In July 2018, instructional designer reviewed evey course
Dean is an expert on law school assessment
On campus
Prep Sessions
Six-day prep week to start first and third semester.
Three-day prep weekend to start second and fourth.
- Intro to legal doctrine and critical skills. Begin torts, criminal law, and legal writing.
- In-class instruction to introduce the semesters courses (lecture, discussion, exercises).
- Intro to the semester’s courses. Intros to externships, career development, specialization, and co-curricular activities.
Capstone Weeks
56-hour intensives.
Semesters:
- Settlement negotiation
- Complex lease negotiation
- Oral arguments
- Jury trial
5-8. Custom blocks related to student specialization
Six residential courses:
- Foundations of legal studies: legal processes; common law system; techniques for understanding and studying law
2-4. Skills-focused courses
5-6. Specialized electives from experts in the field
60 credit hours of the Program include one Get REAL (Relevant Experience & Applied Learning) week per term.
Students reinforce the knowledge and skills obtained in the asynchronous and synchronous content and apply them to hypothetical cases in a simulated legal environment.
On campus for 4–5 day immersion periods four times a year:
- Twice in fall
- Once in spring
- Once in summer
Include community events on campus, around Concord, and throughout New Hampshire.
Connect residential and hybrid students.
Some faculty use problem-based instruction and group work
Hybrid model used to manage scheduling conflicts
Faculty training
Faculty are assigned an Instructional designer (ID) to help develop the course.
ID conducts initial one-hour meeting to consider the backward design:
- Course competencies
- Educational best practices
- Course-specific tech considerations
- General course template
- Timeline for course development
Faculty and ID check in frequently throughout development and through the teaching of the course.
IDs offer three trainings/webinars per semester for faculty.
IDs offer a 2–3 hour training for adjunct faculty prior to each semester.
Teaching and technical support for faculty
Those teaching asynch supported by university’s IDs and one-on-one mentoring from a law professor who has taught online
LMS provider 2U trains and supports faculty.
Professor spends 8-10 months developing course
- High-level strategy session with course strategist from 2U to discuss goals and learning outcomes
- Decide proper evidence to evaluate student progress
- Course designer from 2U works with prof. to chart weekly plan and asynch content based on what content is best delivered synch, asynch, or on campus
Meet weekly until course is charted
- Professor travels to 2U studio in Arlington, VA to record
Technical staff from 2U monitor the first several weeks of every synchronous class, attending each session and providing live assistance as needed.
Professors learn with IDs from iLaw how to take existing lectures and turn them into interactive online lessons.
Faculty trainings throughout the year including from the university’s Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
Ongoing training on Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Instructional designer holds regular training sessions and provides one-on-one assistance in course design
University offers online sessions and workshops used by few professors
Training is conducted by the dean, the faculty developer, and occasionally by the director of academic excellence
Community and Professional Development course in canvas
Distance co/extra-curriculars
Journals, moot courts, and student organizations
Blended students have same opportunities:
- Three journals/law reviews
- EIC of LR was blended student living in MO
- Remote meetings/online editing tools
- Moot court tryouts and practices via Zoom.
• Blended students have full participation and hold offices in Student Bar Association and many other student organizations
These student orgs use tech to engage remote students
- Student Bar Assoc.
- Veterans Issues
• Latin American Law Students Assoc. - Entertainment and Sports Law Society
- Corporate Law Society
First JDi students have applied for law review and journals
Law review, moot court, mock trial, and all student orgs.
Students in distance program selected own class pres. and secretary.
Hybrid students participate on equal footing in law journals, moot court (Con Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law), and student organizations.
Two SBA representatives from each class.
Online externships and clinics
Blended students usually complete externship in their hometowns at host sites of their choosing. Career development staff interview and vet potential sites. Students also complete online coursework and meet with faculty supervisors by phone or Zoom.
Blended students are also able to participate in several clinics. Students and clinic supervisors connect in a variety of ways.
All JDi students have 9-credit externship available.
- 6 cr. Placement/3 cr. Seminar
• Seminar can be online or in certain cities with in-person seminars
Clinic or externship required in final semester.
Externship in the student’s home town.
Clinics still in planning: Simulated clinic or online ADR clinic in consideration. Not considering a live clinic.
No clinical program, but one in development
Externship opportunities are part of the distance curriculum with an accompanying 4-credit online course
Support services online
Academic Support
Partnered with Kaplan Bar Prep for resources in all jurisdictions and developed three bar-prep courses specifically for blended students. Mandatory for <2.8 GPA and• recommended for all.
Offer a free post-graduation program including a commercial bar-review course.
Provide academic counseling, student support, professional development/guidance, and programming:
- student mentor program
- academic tutoring
• bar-readiness
Academic success program: Introduction to study of law modules before first sem; Learning communities in first two sem. To build skills, knowledge and social connections; Upper-level student mentors; for-credit curriculum and one-on-one online support; Learning skills lab in first semester; Elements of legal analysis in fourth; Advanced legal analysis in ninth for lower GPAs.
Academic success team offers online appts.
Themis-designed online, asynch. training called GRASP for C+ or below in certain bar courses.
Library
Library reference staff offer face-to-face, chat, email, and phone support during regular hours including Saturdays. Additional hours are available by appt.
Students may borrow materials via library mail or interlibrary loan services and have access to Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and other subscription databases.
Library staff may also make introductions for students at law libraries in their hometowns.
Full access to law library and university library system
Reference librarians in virtual classrooms for inquiries and instruction and via phone/email.
Databases, online research
tools, bibliographic information, indexing and
cataloging
Make most print materials available through electronic document delivery, at a local library, physical delivery, or inter-library loan system
Library collection heavy on digital; Databases like Bloomberg, Lexis Digital Library, CALI, West Academic, Elgar, Quimbee, Wolter Kluwer, and Gale.
Three library faculty.
Library faculty developed own virtual library, Isidore.
Career Services
Comprehensive career plan for blended students, many mid-career professionals from diverse fields. Each student is assigned a career counselor. Meet online/phone or in-person during on-campus weeks.
Targeted career programming during on-campus weeks including ethics and career exploration with alumni.
Counselors available one-on-one via Zoom
Live and on-demand webinars
Self service seminars and materials on legal careers asynchronously and by career services officer
Support career transition rather than career entry
Dean and professors provide support, services, and networking for students and grads
Other student services
COVID-19 Adaptations
Dean of students contacted all on-campus students with info and updates on the transition to online classes:
- Maintaining reg. scheduled class times
- How to log in to Canvas and Zoom
- Technical info about using Zoom
ID, Multimedia, and IT staff created a special section on the website with tutorials on using tech for faculty, staff, and students. A single email address was created for all questions related to moving online and monitored closely daily, evenings, and on weekends.
Online central bank of continuity resources for students
JDi students provided support to residential colleagues on transition to online learning including four information sessions (JDBeyond JDi student org)
Dean of students sent questionnaire asking if students has the needed technology and/or had any issues or concerns about the transition.
Kept synch. Instruction as planned, but moved online for spring.
Dean of Students and Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs emailed guidance and tips on online learning and Zoom, inc. Zoom Quick Start Guide.
Provided multiple Zoom trainings to FT and adjunct faculty and offered a TA.
Used courses designed for hybrid program for summer.
Zoom tutorials and in-house IT support.
Surveyed students prior to campus closure to ensure tech capacity.
- Provided laptops, hot spots, a parking lot hot spot, and emergency broadband funding
Weekly Zoom coffee chats with the dean, faculty, and staff
Instructional designer took the lead with in-person training on Canvas, Zoom, and best practices
University took over with remote training
Once up and running, training turned to online teaching best practices and creative tips by the university
COVID-19 applied prior experience
- Robust technical support infrastructure
- Understanding of the importance of a uniform and predictable structure for online learning.
- Many faculty experienced in blended learning and the associated technologies, and their willingness to help inexperienced faculty make the transition.
Experience in blended learning has been mostly asynchronous, so it was new to be doing synchronous distance learning.
Able to anticipate the most significant challenges:
- lack of access to technology
- fears of transition to this new system of learning
Been engaged in comprehensive, rigorous assessment and use of technology.
Smoothly transferred that knowledge to contingency operations.
IT experts were well versed in tech and training.
Several professors experienced and able to consult with faculty new to online teaching.
Weekly social events online:
- Movie nights
- Yoga
- Workouts
Photo/video show and tell
Two things: Canvas and professors frequently teach in non-J.D. online courses
Those professors served as peer mentors
Insights for future
Expand access to legal education for talented students for whom it would otherwise not be practicable.
Address the gap between where lawyers are located and where clients are.
Online legal education is likely here to stay after reopen.
Ability to engage all students all the time.
It’s crucial to unbundle legal education to reach students where they are and fit their personal and professional lives.
Break through barriers for students.
Technology gives greater ability to draw on experts from around the world.
There are opportunities to spend instructional time on asynchronous learning activities such as quizzing, discussions, writing assignments, presentation assignment, and other simulations
High quality curriculum elements increasingly available from specialty publishers
Learning takes place in doing,
Distance learning techniques work and are in demand by a growing segment of the market.
Advice for others forced to go online
Embrace it!
Data collection, and data-driven decision-making, afforded by well-designed distance learning directly and measurably improves a program of legal education.
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