Critics warn that AI will undermine the value of education, eroding students’ critical thinking and writing skills. They might be right – if faculty ignore AI. You could respond to these warnings by not adopting an AI policy or simply prohibiting students from using it. If so, critics’ predictions are likely to become self-fulfilling prophecies. … Continue reading AI Critics Might Be Right – If Faculty Do Nothing
In the next few weeks, many faculty will finalize fall syllabi. I’ve been writing a series of short articles to help deal with the elephant in the room – AI. I just posted Using AI to Promote Student Learning Through Preparation for and Reflection about Simulations. It includes language for a model assignment that you … Continue reading Using AI to Help Students Learn from Simulations
Law faculty often hesitate to revise their syllabi. If it worked last year, why change it now? But legal practice and education are changing fast – and if our courses don’t evolve with them, students may miss out. That’s the message behind two short new articles – to make useful course changes feel possible, manageable, … Continue reading Two Practical Articles to Help You Improve Your Courses (Without Starting from Scratch)
I’ve always enjoyed writing. People accuse me of not really retiring from teaching. But the truth is that I’m a writer who used to earn a living as a law professor. I like the sound, rhythm, and feel of a sentence. I like making complicated things clear. And I like that moment when something feels … Continue reading Writing with a Bot: I’m Pretty Sure I Wrote Most of This
Until January 27, I hadn’t planned to develop an AI tool for dispute resolution . That changed when I Zoomed into a program where Susan Guthrie showed how AI could be used in mediation. A brief conversation at the end shifted from mediating disputes to improving writing – and that’s when a light bulb lit … Continue reading The Artificially Intelligent RPS Negotiation and Mediation Coach
If so, take a look at this Model Mediation Course Syllabus With Teaching Notes – even if you are teaching a dispute resolution course other than mediation. The model syllabus includes a menu of topics, readings, and simulations that can be incorporated in many DR courses. It includes links to short readings for students that … Continue reading Are You Preparing a Dispute Resolution Course Next Semester?
At this year’s AALS ADR Section WIP Conference, I presented data showing that more than 90% of law school mediation courses and more than 90% of the coverage in popular mediation texts focus on the mediator’s role. I asked people what they think the emphasis generally should be in generic mediation courses, and here are … Continue reading If You Will Teach Mediation (or Other DR Course) Next Year, Read This
There are many new mediation syllabi on the DRLE website. There now are two pages for these syllabi. One page is for courses focused on the perspective of neutrals and the other focused on the perspective of representatives in mediation. Both webpages have separate sections for simulation and clinical courses. The webpages include a lot … Continue reading New Mediation Syllabi on DRLE Website
It’s not breaking news that law school graduates generally have difficulty working with clients, don’t understand the “big picture” of client matters, and aren’t well trained in negotiation. The problem for law students and law schools is exacerbated by the transition to the NextGen bar exam and a movement in various states to use alternative … Continue reading Two Short Articles Proposing Courses Teaching Preparation and Advocacy in Dispute Resolution
This short article summarizes a program entitled Pracademically Speaking: Incorporating Real-World Legal Practice Into the Curriculum at the Legal Educators Colloquium during the annual conference of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution. Debra Berman and Denise Peterson (South Texas College of Law Houston) and I gave the presentations. The article describes problems with legal curricula, … Continue reading Preparing Law Students for Real-World Practice
