I confess I’m not a particular fan of the term “disruption” as used today, which seems to float everywhere by everyone who seeks to impress an audience when discussing technology (or, perhaps, when pitching it to investors or buyers). I use the term here some deliberate irony. Online legal education is growing, primary among master’s degrees. But a recent proposal from the American Bar Association would offer greater opportunities for some online educational components in the traditional JD program. The Council moved ahead with plans to permit up to one-third of credits, and up to 10 credits in the first year, offered online.
So, with the advent and expansion of online legal education, might law schools actually disrupt… themselves? I thought I’d muse about what that might look like.
Typically, “disruption” is the idea of a new player dramatically changing how an existing enterprise operates: Netflix to home movies and cable, Uber to taxis, and so on.
Law schools are understandably clamoring for outlets to earn revenue. The dramatic spike
Comments
Agreed. Online ed done correctly with synchronous classes both uses the Socratic method and can be just as time consuming as live classes. There should also be grading throughout the semester, unlike most elite law classes.
Posted by: Profanon | May 24, 2018 3:03:57 AM
Have you ever taught in an online program? One does not simply record a lecture and hit the “play” button for subsequent offerings of the course. I have been teaching graduate education for over 15 years (in both business and law curricula) in both residential and distributed learning environments. There are many ways to offer non-residential education and none of the decent ones look like what you fear.
Further, you seem to fear that law schools that offer alternative programs will somehow erode their lucrative financial base. When the concern for funding streams trumps the concern for the quality and accessibility of education and the needs of students, your priorities have tragically inverted to favor the institution over its mission.
Posted by: Phil | May 23, 2018 6:20:50 PM