Technology in Teaching
Prof. Lydia Pallas Loren
Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark
College
Tell me, I forget.
Show me, I remember. Involve me,
I understand.
-Proverb
I. Introduction
Computers have become part of all of our lives as
lawyers and as educators. The students
we are charged with educating have grown up with computers and will continue to
use computers in their work after
graduation. Computers have the
potential to enhance learning in a multitude of ways and therefore should be
considered by the new professor as one of the tools for teaching. As with other tools, sometimes computers are
the right tool for the job and sometimes they are not.
A. Do not use technology just to say you do!
B. Technology can serve a useful purpose – know
what it is!
C. The politics
of technology
D. The politics of money
II. Power Point and Other Computerized Visual Aids in the classroom
A. Introduction
1.
Possibilities are limitless – anything you can get on your computer screen you
can project
2.
Use animation of the slides for greater impact
B. Power Point Slide Presentations
1.Why
use it?
a. Different modalities of learning
-Research
on cognitive learning theory suggests that people learn in different ways –
auditorally, experientially, visually
b. Increase memory of the concepts taught (read
it, hear it, see it)
c.
Get and keep student attention
-High
student interest is a key factor in motivating and learning
-Using
a variety of teaching techniques helps students stay interested
-Students
are genuinely appreciative of the effort involved in developing these materials
d. Graphics --
-Connect
concepts in meaningful ways
-Rethink and think differently
-Good
check on your own preparation and understanding (and your students’
understanding)
e.
Focusing attention
-Particularly using animation, can get the students to focus on one point at a time
2. Specific tasks
a. Statutory text
b. Particularly tricky/complex material
c. Graphics to illustrate and connect concepts
d. Review lectures
3. Risks
to consider
a.
The Nap Factor
Solution: use dark backgrounds with
light printing/graphics
b.
Competition for attention
Solution:
use animation and other special effects carefully
c. Reading slides
Solution:
use slides to highlight lecture points
d. Reduced Spontaneity
Solution:
learn how to skip around (crtl + slide #) or don’t use power point for those
types of classes/issues
4.
Additional Benefits
a. Handouts
Risk: reduced note taking
Solution: questions only on slides,
not answers
Solution:
slides give black letter law, allowing in-class discussion to focus on the
deeper issues
b.
Web posting –
Risk:decreased
attendance
Solution:
add value in your lectures!
c. Free you from your podium
d.
C. Tips on “how-to”
1. Open the program and use the “wizard” to get
started (PowerPoint or Corel’s “Presentations”)
2. Don’t be afraid to fiddle
3. Check into your institution’s resources
4. Do a dry-run your first time out
A. Introduction
Professors
who use class websites view them as extensions of the classroom and office
hours. These class websites can be very
basic or can be more elaborate and include items such as threaded discussions,
interactive quizzes and more. But,
beware of the blackhole of cyberspace.
B. Website
1. Why do it?
a.
Enrich the law and the learning of your students
b. Lead your students to resources in the field
c. Reduce class disruption of passing out
handouts
d. Reduce excuses
2.
Risks
a. Time drain
b. Student overload
c. Technology inequalities
3. Options to consider
a.
Password protection
b. Continual evaluations
(anonymous?)
C.
Email lists and Threaded Discussions
1.
Advantages of either
a.
Enhance classroom learning before and after class
b. Encouraging legal literacy in the medium
used by attorneys and clients
c. Extension of class discussions
d. Extension of office hours (but in your
bathrobe!)
2.
The difference
a. Email lists cause emails to be directly
mailed to students
–
Push technology, creating a SPAM potential unless moderated by Professor
b. Threaded discussion are on the web
– Pull technology, creating the possibility
that the threaded discussion will be ignored by students
3.
Options to consider
a. Graded/ungraded/bonus points
b. Anonymous postings permitted?
c. Archiving emails
d. Consider having an author or a litigator who
worked on a case the students have read respond to questions on-line
D.
Tips on “How-To”
1. Check your institutional resources
2. Consider using research assistants
3. Explore other course web-sites <
4. Authoring software – Claris Home Page, Front
Page, etc.
5. Westlaw – TWEN
The
West Education Network – learn more at: <
6. Lexis – Virtual Classroom
Learn
more at: <
A. CALI (Center for Computer Assisted Legal
Instruction)
CALI
provides numerous interactive multimedia lessons for students. These lessons are provided at no charge to
students enrolled at institutions that are members of CALI. Most of the lessons are downloadable over
the web (password required) <
B. E-Teach listserve
From
your email account, send an email to with the following message in the message text (not
the “Re:” line):
“subscribe
e-teach [your name]”
C. Other listserves for law professors: <>
with
instructions for subscribing found at: <>
Additional Resources
(all linked at )
General
CALI (Center for Computer
Assisted Legal Instruction) <
Chronicle of Higher
Education: Distance Education <
Education Bytes: The Problems
and Promise of Technology, ACADEMEVolume 85 Number 5 (Special Issue, September‑October
1999)
EDUCAUSE ‑‑ Information Resources Library and
Publications <
Gerald
F. Hess & Steven Friedland, Techniques for Teaching Law 81 (1999)
JURIST – The Legal Education
Network <
Lessons from the Web, monthly
column on Jurist <
William R. Slomanson, Electronic
Lawyering and the Academy, 48 Journal of Legal Education 216 (June,
1998), <
Richard Warner, et al., Teaching
Law With Computers, 24 Rutgers
Computer & Tech. L. J. 101 (1998)
Power Point and other
in-class visual aids
Gerald
F. Hess & Steven Friedland, Visual
Tools, in Techniques for Teaching
Law 81 (1999)
Alison Sulentic, Adventures
in PowerPoint: Teach with punched-up visual aids and see the difference, The Law Teacher (Fall 1999).
Gerald
F. Hess & Steven Friedland, Computers,
in Techniques for Teaching Law
81 (1999)