Engaging Students with Technology: So Easy a Lawyer Can Do It!
~ Brian Levey & Chris Clark Kaneb Center Workshop November 2, 2017 1 Background
Corporate lawyer turned college professor
Hired to teach sophomore-level “B Law”
Realized quickly:
Parts of B Law are exciting!
Other parts aren’t
Statute of Frauds
3 Another Problem: Socratic Method
Speak louder, Mr. Hart! Fill the room with your intelligence!
John Houseman as Professor Charles W. Kingsfield Jr. in The Paper Chase (1973)
4 Another Problem: Socratic Method
Anyone? Anyone?
Ben Stein as the Economics Teacher in
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) 6 Background
What to do?
Read how-to manuals
Thought back to classes I had enjoyed -- favorite teachers and professors
Sought advice of most everyone I encountered
Listened to my wife!
Went to Kaneb Center workshops
8 Background
Reminded of what I already knew
Teaching begins with enthusiasm
Requires stimulating student interest
We want our senses stimulated, the more the better, with vision trumping the others
Concrete, emotional stories
Active learning is better than passive
9 Engaging Students with Technology
Film Clips Polling
PowerPoint
Engagement? 10 Questions?
11 Benefits of PowerPoint
Use it to outline class Integrate: material Text My outline becomes the students’ outline Pictures
Questions / Polls Stay on script
Clips On time
Sounds Across multiple sections
13 Challenges of PowerPoint
Too many slides
Too many words
I need an intervention
14 Questions?
15 Slicker than Clickers: Poll Everywhere— A Web and Text-Messaging Student Response System
~ The Technology of Teaching: Matching the Media to the Message ALSB 2011 Annual Conference Agenda: Polling
Pedagogical goals Attendee take-aways
Resource name and location Register w/ Poll Everywhere
Create a poll in Poll Cost Everywhere
Estimate for faculty Begin thinking about how to use Poll Everywhere Estimate for students How I use it in class
Research supporting its use Pedagogical Goals: Polling
What pedagogical goals is this resource designed to accomplish?
Increase student engagement
Improve critical thinking skills
Increase substantive or content knowledge
Improve ability to provide feedback to students Resource name and location
Poll Everywhere
Web and text-messaging student response system
https://www.polleverywhere.com/how-it-works Cost estimate for faculty
On the one-hand . . .
It’s free! (If you want/need 40 responses or less per poll, e.g., 40 students or less per class)
On the other hand . . .
There’s tiered pricing depending on number of responses per poll (e.g., students in your class)
And number of users (e.g., faculty who want to use the service)
https://www.polleverywhere.com/plans/higher-ed Cost estimate for students
On the one-hand . . .
It’s free!
Assuming students have:
Unlimited or generous texting plans
Or access to ND Wi-Fi
On the other hand . . .
It’s the price of a text message x ? questions per class x ? classes Attendee take-aways
Register w/ Poll Everywhere
https://www.polleverywhere.com/signup/ 28 Attendee take-aways
Create a poll in Poll Everywhere
http://www.polleverywhere.com/my/polls/new Attendee take-aways
Begin thinking about how to use Poll Everywhere
How I use it in class
Reinforcing the reading with a question students probably will get right
Getting students’ attention with a question they’ll probably get wrong
Addressing potentially sensitive issues through anonymous participation Question students probably will get right Original, Inc., sells its product under the name "Phido." Quik Corporation begins to market a similar product under the name "Fido." This is most likely
____ a. a theft of trade secrets.
____ b. copyright infringement.
____ c. patent infringement.
____ d. trademark infringement. You can download a slide from the Poll Everywhere website, but I have encountered compatibility issues And so I just click on a link to the site
35 Question students probably will get right Original, Inc., sells its product under the name "Phido." Quik Corporation begins to market a similar product under the name "Fido." This is most likely
____ a. a theft of trade secrets.
____ b. copyright infringement.
____ c. patent infringement.
____ d. trademark infringement. Question students probably will get wrong
Mary offers to pay Mike $50 if he runs naked from the Main Building at the University of Notre Dame to LeMans Hall at St. Mary’s College. Mike can accept the offer only by completing the contract performance. If Mike does run naked from the Main Building to LeMans Hall, he and Mary will most likely have formed
____ a. a bilateral contract.
____ b. a unilateral contract.
____ c. a quasi contract.
____ d. no contract.
37 Addressing potentially sensitive issues
44 Addressing potentially sensitive issues
45 Addressing potentially sensitive issues Have you ever downloaded copyrighted music from the Internet and not paid for it, or copied it from a friend who has downloaded it?
____ Yes ____ No
46 Addressing potentially sensitive issues
48 Addressing potentially sensitive issues
Students have responded in a variety of ways:
I’m stickin’ it to the man
It’s only one song
Everyone does it; we grew up in culture where it is considered ok
It’s already been paid for
It’s not tangible (there is no incremental cost or loss)
I wouldn’t buy it; I only copy it because it’s free and so there is no lost sale to the artist, the record company
I won’t get caught Research supporting its use
In-Class Polling: Less Teaching, More Learning?, Teaching with Technology Volume 2: The Stories Continue, Learning Technology Consortium, March 16, 2011
http://ltcessays.wordpress.com/category/ essays/ Research supporting its use
95% of the 173 responding students either strongly (138) or somewhat (27) agreed with the following statement: “I like using texting in this class to answer questions”
93% either strongly (88) or somewhat (73) agreed with the following statement: “Using texting in this class helps me learn”
98% either strongly (147) or somewhat (23) agreed with the following statement: “Using texting makes the class more engaging” Research supporting its use
Comments include:
It makes everyone participate so that I did not have to buy a . . . clicker from class is more engaging and the Bookstore - or remember to bring everyone is responsive. it. My phone is free and I always remember it. It is easy and simple, and it really gauges how well I’ve mastered the You don’t have to be embarrassed material. to answer a question wrong.
Gives an idea of what test questions Mixes it up. Keeps the class moving. will be like. Highlights important key concepts. It’s fun.
Able to see where I stand in the class. AWESOME Research supporting its use
Incorporates research on effectiveness
Contains examples of questions and teaching activities
http://kaneb.nd.edu/assets/2557 31/iclicker_taxonomy.pdf
55 Conclusion: Polling
Posing a limited number of questions to a class using Poll Everywhere is:
Engaging
Cost-effective
Fun
So easy, a lawyer can do it! Questions?
57 Using Film Clips in the Classroom: Something Old, Something New?
~ Brian R. Levey, University of Notre Dame 15th Annual Midwest SoTL Conference, April 11, 2014
59 Agenda: Film Clips
Film Clips & B Law: Results Something Old Conclusion Film Clips & B Law: Something New?
Theme Days
Review
61 Something Old
Hardly first professor to use films clips
Simple Internet search reveals use of films clips across disciplines as diverse as:
Architectural history
Foreign language
Mathematics
Psychology
62 Something Old
Fairly standard approach
Develop point
Show clip illustrating point
Review point
63 Something Old
Variations include:
questioning students before and/or after clip
E.g., using clip as a hypothetical and asking them to apply law
Sometimes they work alone towards answer
Sometimes they work with others (e.g., think, pair, share)
64 Something New? Theme Days . . .
If one or two questions about a clip are good, wouldn’t a whole class be better?
A class dedicated to:
The movie (or TV show)
The character
Or the actor
And his/her other movies, tabloid lifestyle, etc.
And so Theme Days were born . . .
66 Something New? Theme Days . . .
Before class:
Scrolling PowerPoint with trivia, photos, etc., relating to theme
Accompanied by related music
Beginning of class: key clip
Throughout class: related questions, trivia, tabloid news stories, etc.
Anything to break up what is mostly lecture
67 Something New? Theme Days . . .
Examples:
2 clips from Philadelphia to illustrate employment discrimination
Including scene with Tom Hanks in law library where Denzel Washington has a change of heart and takes the case
68
69
employer
AIDS) against Beckett’s former former Beckett’s against AIDS)
Beckett’s discrimination case (based on on (based case discrimination Beckett’s
Miller has previously turned down down turned previously has Miller
Hanks)
law library as Andrew Beckett (Tom (Tom Beckett Andrew as library law
Miller (Denzel Washington) in the same same the in Washington) (Denzel Miller
We find personal injury lawyer Joe Joe lawyer injury personal find We
In this scene: this In
69
(1993) Philadelphia
70 5:40 Philadelphia Discrimination
This is the essence of discrimination: formulating opinions about others not based on their individual merits, but rather on their membership in a group with assumed characteristics.
71 Something New? Theme Days . . .
Others include:
Breaking Bad Day: using the misadventures of Walter White – the chemistry teacher turned drug lord – to illustrate criminal law
Entourage Day: featuring Hollywood agent Ari Gold on agency relationships
George Costanza Day: using arguably the world’s worst employee to examine employment law
72 Something New? Theme Days . . .
Contracts-related Themes:
Kevin Costner Day: featuring a clip from Field of Dreams to illustrate contractual consideration – the bargained for exchange of something of value
Iron Man Day: examining the remedies associated with Stark Industries’ breaches of contracts
Kim Kardashian Day: Internet, privacy & social media
73 It’s Tom Cruise Day! Statute of Frauds
§1: Writing Requirement: The Statute of Frauds
§2: Contracts That Require a Writing
§3: Exceptions to the Writing Requirement
§4: Sufficiency of the Writing
§5: The Statute of Frauds in the International Context
Jerry Maguire: high-powered sports agent for large agency
Gets big bucks for his clients, and himself
But at what price?
Epiphany: selfish, soulless, empty life
76 Jerry Maguire
Hammers out mission statement
Advocates new approach – fewer clients!
Fired
Scrambles to persuade clients to stick with him
77 Jerry Maguire
Tom Cruise . . . Jerry Maguire
Beau Bridges . . . Matt Cushman
Jerry O’Connell . . . Frank Cushman
78 Jerry Maguire
You know I don’t do contracts. But what you do have is my word, and it's stronger than oak.
80 Jerry Maguire
You know I don’t do contracts. But what you do have is my word, and it's stronger than oak.
81 Statute of Frauds - Quiz The Statute of Frauds resulted from Congress’ desire to combat fraud.
_____ True
_____ False
82 Statute of Frauds – True/False Under the Statute of Frauds, certain types of contracts that are not in writing are void.
_____ True
_____ False
83 The One-Year Rule
84 True/False HOLLYWOOD (AP) - Brad Pitt agreed today to star in Mission Impossible V. Due to previous commitments of all parties involved, shooting will not begin until November 15, 2018. Generally speaking, under the Statute of Frauds, the contract must be in writing to be enforceable.
_____ True _____ False
85 Get it in writing because Brad could be occupied with other legal matters . . .
86 What is your favorite Tom Cruise movie?
Top Gun The Last Samurai Rain Man Minority Report A Few Good Men War of the Worlds Mission: Impossible I, Tropic Thunder II, or III Valkyrie Jerry Maguire Other
87 What is your favorite Tom Cruise movie?
Before Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol crossed $600 million at the box office, T.C.’s top grossing film was . . .
. . . War of the Worlds with $591,745,528 in worldwide gross revenue.
89 Something New? Review . . .
Raiders of the Lost Ark & “Name that Tort”
After completing two chapters of tort law
Break students into groups
Show opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Provide students with fill-in-the-blank exercise
First team to finish wins!
91 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Harrison Ford
Opening scene finds archeologist, Dr. Indiana Jones entering cave of Hovitos tribe in search of golden idol
Accompanied by an assistant, Sapito
When Jones exits cave, he will make acquaintance of Hovitos, as well as an old adversary, Belloq
Finally, he’ll escape to a plane owned and operated by Jock
92 Name that Tort
94 Name that Tort
95 Something New? Review . . .
Some might view this as a bit simplistic, but
Students like it
Learn from each other
Challenges them to apply material
Done similar reviews with
Flubber: intellectual property
It Could Happen to You: contracts
96 Results
Positive comments on CIFs:
Some glowing:
“MORE MOVIE CLIPS!”
“Love the themes!”
Some less so:
Levey usually manages to keep everyone awake, which is pretty good. He has themed days, which makes subjects easier to remember (when we can connect ideas in class to movies we’ve seen it’s easier to remember things). The movies are a bit out of date so I haven’t seen many of them, but he makes the effort which has to count for something.
98 Results
Positive comments:
Others are more to the point:
[Using film clips] helped me so much during the exams! I recalled certain situations that happened in the films we watched during class and it helped me remember rules/exceptions/etc. I actually wrote down what happened in the videos on my notes, so when I was studying everything felt easier.
99 Results
Positive responses, fall 2012 CIFs:
Questions Strongly Somewhat Not Sure / Somewhat Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Disagree Using film 144/150 5/150 0 1/150 0 clips makes (96%) (3.33%) (.67%) the class more engaging Using film 110/149 37/149 0 2/149 0 clips in class (73.8%) (24.8%) (1.4%) helps me learn
100 Results
Repeated in Fall 2013 CIFs:
Questions Strongly Somewhat Not Sure / Somewhat Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Disagree Using film 132/144 11/144 0 1/144 0 clips makes (91.67%) (7.64%) (.69%) the class more engaging Using film 113/141 22/141 2/141 2/141 2/141 clips in class (80.2%) (15.6%) (1.4%) (1.4%) (1.4%) helps me learn
101 Conclusion: Film Clips
Using film clips is:
Engaging
Active
Fun
So easy, a lawyer can do it!
102