law schools

“Colleges are wasting valuable time. They can’t keep AI out of the classroom.” [Gulya] + other items re: AI in our Learning Ecosystems

On 10/30/2023, in adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business side of he, change, colleges, community colleges, education technology, emerging technologies, expectations, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, personalized/customized learning, platforms, strategy, student-related, teachers, technology (general), tools, United States, universities, writing, by Daniel Christian

Teaching writing in the age of AI — from the Future of Learning (a Hechinger Report newsletter) by Javeria Salman

ChatGPT can produce a perfectly serviceable writing “product,” she said. But writing isn’t a product per se — it’s a tool for thinking, for organizing ideas, she said.

“ChatGPT and other text-based tools can’t think for us,” she said. “There’s still things to learn when it comes to writing because writing is a form of figuring out what you think.”

When students could contrast their own writing to ChatGPT’s more generic version, Levine said, they were able to “understand what their own voice is and what it does.”

Grammarly’s new generative AI feature learns your style — and applies it to any text — from techcrunch.com by Kyle Wiggers; via Tom Barrett

But what about text? Should — and if so, how should — writers be recognized and remunerated for AI-generated works that mimic their voices?

Those are questions that are likely to be raised by a feature in Grammarly, the cloud-based typing assistant, that’s scheduled to launch by the end of the year for subscribers to Grammarly’s business tier. Called “Personalized voice detection and application,” the feature automatically detects a person’s unique writing style and creates a “voice profile” that can rewrite any text in the person’s style.

Is AI Quietly Weaving the Fabric of a Global Classroom Renaissance? — from medium.com by Robert the Robot
In a world constantly buzzing with innovation, a silent revolution is unfolding within the sanctuaries of learning—our classrooms.

From bustling metropolises to serene hamlets, schools across the globe are greeting a new companion—Artificial Intelligence (AI). This companion promises to redefine the essence of education, making learning a journey tailored to each child’s unique abilities.

The advent of AI in education is akin to a gentle breeze, subtly transforming the academic landscape. Picture a classroom where each child, with their distinct capabilities and pace, embarks on a personalized learning path. AI morphs this vision into reality, crafting a personalized educational landscape that celebrates the unique potential harbored within every learner.

AI Books for Educators — from aiadvisoryboards.wordpress.com by Barbara Anna Zielonka

Books have always held a special place in my heart. As an avid reader and AI enthusiast, I have curated a list of books on artificial intelligence specifically tailored for educators. These books delve into the realms of AI, exploring its applications, ethical considerations, and its impact on education. Share your suggestions and let me know which books you would like to see included on this list.

SAIL: ELAI recordings, AI Safety, Near term AI/learning — by George Siemens

We held our fourth online Empowering Learners for the Age of AI conference last week. We sold out at 1500 people (a Whova and budget limit). The recordings/playlist from the conference can now be accessed here.

How might you alter your teaching if in 5 years you knew: [Stefan Bauschard]

On 10/24/2023, in adjunct faculty, change, colleges, community colleges, expectations, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, liberal arts, online learning, pedagogy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Interesting fodder for thought, for sure. Thanks Stefan.

“The Game-Changer: How Legal Technology is Transforming the Legal Sector” [Perfect Portal] + other legaltech-related items

On 10/16/2023, in law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, tools, UK, Uncategorized, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The Game-Changer: How Legal Technology is Transforming the Legal Sector — from todaysconveyancer.co.uk by Perfect Portal

Rob Lawson, Strategic Sales Manager at Perfect Portal discussed why he thinks legal technology is so important:

“I spent almost 20 years in private practice and was often frustrated at the antiquated technology and processes that were deployed. It is one of the reasons that I love working in legal tech to provide solutions and streamline processes in the modern law firm. One of the major grumbles for practitioners is the amount of admin that they must do to fulfil the needs of their clients. Technology can automate routine tasks, streamline processes, and help manage large volumes of data more effectively. This then allows legal professionals to focus on more strategic aspects of their work. Ultimately this will increase efficiency and productivity.”

Some gen AI vendors say they’ll defend customers from IP lawsuits. Others, not so much. — from techcrunch.com by Kyle Wiggers

A person using generative AI — models that generate text, images, music and more given a prompt — could infringe on someone else’s copyright through no fault of their own. But who’s on the hook for the legal fees and damages if — or rather, when — that happens?

It depends.

In the fast-changing landscape of generative AI, companies monetizing the tech — from startups to big tech companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft — are approaching IP risks from very different angles.

Clio Goes All Out with Major Product Announcements, Including A Personal Injury Add-On, E-Filing, and (Of Course) Generative AI — from lawnext.com by Bob Ambrogi

At its annual Clio Cloud Conference in Nashville ~~today~~, the law practice management company Clio introduced an array of major new products and product updates, calling the series of announcements its most expansive product update ever in its 15-year history.

AI will invert the biglaw pyramid — from alexofftherecord.com by Cece Xie

These tasks that GPT can now handle are, coincidentally, common tasks for junior associates. From company and transaction summaries to legal research and drafting memos, analyzing and drafting have long been the purview of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed new law grads.

If we follow the capitalistic impulse of biglaw firms to its logical conclusion, this means that junior associates may soon face obsolescence. Why spend an hour figuring out how to explain an assignment to a first-year associate when you can just ask CoCounsel in five minutes? And the initial output will likely be better than a first-year’s initial work product, too.

Given the immense cost-savings that legal GPT products can confer, I suspect the rise of AI in legal tech will coincide with smaller junior associate classes. Gone are the days of 50+ junior lawyers all working on the same document review or due diligence. Instead, a fraction of those junior lawyers will be hired to oversee and QC the AI’s outputs. Junior associates will edit more than they do currently and manage more than they do right now. Juniors will effectively be more like midlevels from the get-go.

Beyond Law Firms: How Legal Tech’s Real Frontier Lies With SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) — from forbes.com by Charles Brecque

Data and artificial intelligence are transforming the legal technology space—there’s no doubt about it. A recent Thomson Reuters Institute survey of lawyers showed that a large majority (82%) of respondents believe ChatGPT and generative AI can be readily applied to legal work.

While it’s tempting to think of legal tech as a playground exclusive to law firms, as technology enables employees without legal training to use and create legal frameworks and documentation, I’d like to challenge that narrative. Being the founder of a company that uses AI to manage contracts, the way I see it is the real magic happens when legal tech tools meet the day-to-day challenges of small and medium-sized businesses (known as “SMBs”).

Deepfakes: An evidentiary tsunami! [Kubicki]

On 10/07/2023, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, law schools, Legal operations, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, policy, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, by Daniel Christian

Deepfakes: An evidentiary tsunami! — fromthebrainyacts.beehiiv.com by Josh Kubicki

Excerpt: (emphasis DSC):

I’ve written and spoken about this before but the rise of deepfakes is going to have a profound impact on courts throughout the world. This week we saw three major deepfake stories.

Whether you are a lawyer or not, this topic will impact you. So, please consider these questions as we will need to have answers for each one very soon (if not now).

How will we establish a reliable and consistent standard to authenticate digital evidence as genuine and not altered by deepfake technology?
Will the introduction of deepfakes shift the traditional burdens of proof or production, especially when digital evidence is introduced?
Will courts require expert witnesses for digital evidence authentication in every case, and what standards will be used to qualify these experts?
Are there existing technological tools or methods to detect deepfakes? (yes there is but it is not 100%) How can courts keep abreast of rapidly advancing technology?
…plus several more questions

From DSC:
What are law schools doing about this? Are they addressing this?

And speaking of legal matters and law schools, this might be interesting or helpful to someone out there:

Take ownership of the file.

When you enter #biglaw, you’ll hear this constantly.

But: few people will tell you what it means.

I will endeavor to do so here–likely imperfectly.

Taking ownership of the matter means:

? Think big picture.

? Ask questions. ? /1

— Emily Stedman (@mindfullyemily) October 6, 2023

“The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings” [Rosowsky]

On 10/04/2023, in business side of he, change, colleges, community colleges, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, law schools, pace of change, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings — from forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org by David Rosowsky; via Robert Gibson on LinkedIn

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Brian Mitchell, former president of Bucknell University and Washington & Jefferson College, draws on his experience to offer insight in his newest Forbes contribution. He also offers a stern warning: “Boards, administrators, and faculty must wake up to the new realities they now face… the faculty can no longer live in a world that no longer exists… institutional change will happen at a speed to which they are unaccustomed and potentially unwilling to accept.” President Mitchell then goes on to offer some immediate steps that can be taken. Perhaps the most important is to “abandon the approach to governance where trustees are updated in their periodic board meetings.”

Incremental change is possible, but transformational change may not be.

Therein lies the conundrum about which Rosenberg writes in his new book. Higher ed’s own systems are inhibiting needed transformational change.

Also just published was the book, “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education” by Brian Rosenberg, former president of Macalester College. Articles on Rosenberg’s observations, analysis, and cautions have appeared this month in both The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed, the two leading higher education publications in the US.

Addendum on 10/6/23:

Higher Education as Its Own Worst Enemy — from insidehighered.com/ by Susan H. Greenberg
In a wide-ranging discussion about his new book, Brian Rosenberg explains how shared governance, tenure and other practices stifle change on college campuses.

He argues that the institutions designed to foster critical inquiry and the open exchange of ideas are themselves staunchly resistant to both.

The other would be some serious thinking about pedagogy and how students learn. Because the research is there if people were willing to take it seriously and think about ways of providing an education that is not quite as reliant upon lots of faculty with Ph.D.s. Is that easy to do? No, but it is something that I think there should at least begin to be some serious discussions about.
…
Shared governance is one of those things that if you ask any college president off the record, they’ll probably express their frustration, then they’ll go back to their campus and wax poetic about the wonders of shared governance, because that’s what they have to do to survive.

A three-headed monster — from rtalbert.org by Robert Talbert

The more I look around higher education, the more clearly it seems to me that there are three practices which we carry out every day – which seemed baked right into the very DNA of our current system of higher education – that are inimical to the actual purpose of higher education. Those practices are:

Lecturing,
Traditional grading, and
Student evaluations of teaching.

Before you get upset, let me say: I don’t think any of these practices is “evil”, and my understanding of the history of education says that all three were developed with good intentions, for legitimate reasons, to solve real problems. (With the possible exception of student evaluations of teaching – I’m working on trying to figure out where these came from and why they were invented.) But regardless of the background and intentions, they have taken over higher education like an invasive species.

Americans Value Good Teaching. Do Colleges? — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie

“If you looked at the average person outside of higher education and said, you know, ‘We’ve created a culture in higher ed where our core thing we do isn’t valued,’ that makes absolutely no sense,” says Amy Hawkins, assistant provost for teaching and academic leadership at the University of Central Arkansas, which has been working to change that dynamic on campus. “It would be like saying in a company, ‘Well, customer service isn’t really a big deal to us. We’re about product development. We treat our customers like crap.’ I mean. That’s nonsensical.”

Does the public know this? And does it care?

Surveys show that what the public values most about higher education is good teaching and meaningful learning.

What makes an effective microcredential programme? — from by Temesgen Kifle
Short, flexible and skills-focused, microcredentials must balance the needs of students and industry. Here are tips on how to develop courses that achieve this

Here are tips for higher education institutions (HEIs) to consider when creating and delivering microcredential programmes so they meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Collaborate with accrediting bodies, employers and other HEIs
Develop curricula with specific learning outcomes
Review and update programmes regularly
…and others mentioned here

An introduction to creating escape rooms — from timeshighereducation.com by Bernardo Pereira Nunes
Bernardo Pereira Nunes offers tips on how to get started on an escape room experience that will boost students’ teamwork, leadership, communication and problem-solving skills

Are you saving enough for college? Here’s what to know — from npr.org by Cory Turner

But I’ve also been hearing one intriguing question, over and over, that isn’t directly about loans or repayment, so much as it is about how to avoid them entirely. And it’s coming from parents of kids who’ve not yet traded in their sticker collections for student loans.

“I’ve got one little guy who’s about six years old,” Caleb Queern, of Austin, Texas, told me recently. “And my questions are, number one: How much should we be saving between now and the time my little guy is ready for college? And number two: What’s the best way to save for it?”

The Power of New Value Networks in Revolutionizing Education Systems — from michaelbhorn.substack.com by Michael B. Horn

Is school transformation possible without replacing the existing education system? In addition to Tom, Kelly Young of Education Reimagined joined me to argue that it’s not. In an educational landscape that constantly seeks marginal improvements, my guests spoke to the importance of embracing new value networks that support innovative approaches to learning. The conversation touched on the issue of programs that remain niche solutions, rather than robust, learner-centered alternatives. In exploring the concept of value networks, they both challenged the notion of transforming individual schools or districts alone. They argue for the creation of a new value network to truly revolutionize the education system. Of course, they admit that achieving this is no small feat, as it requires a paradigm shift in mindset and a careful balance between innovation and existing structures. In this conversation, we wrestle with the full implications of their findings and more.

Four Scenarios for the Future of Legal Education [Kennedy]

On 09/29/2023, in Alternatives, blended learning, face-to-face, future, higher education, hybrid learning, ideas, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Four Scenarios for the Future of Legal Education — from denniskennedy.com by Dennis Kennedy

Scenario 1: Fully Digitalized Law School
Scenario 2: Blended Law School Experience
Scenario 3: Specialized Legal Education
Scenario 4: Decentralized Legal Education

In the decentralized legal education scenario, the traditional model of law schools is disrupted by the emergence of alternative education platforms and micro-credentialing. The concept of a law degree is replaced by a more flexible and personalized approach to legal education. Students can choose from an array of legal courses offered by various providers, including universities, law firms, online platforms, and even government agencies.

“Transforming Legal Landscape: How AI is Becoming The Ultimate Sidekick for Lawyers” [aithority.com] + other legaltech-related items

On 09/19/2023, in innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, strategy, tools, trends, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Transforming Legal Landscape: How AI is Becoming The Ultimate Sidekick for Lawyers — from aithority.com

A survey by the American Bar Association found that 47% of lawyers believed that AI-powered chatbots could be a valuable resource for individuals seeking legal advice.

AI is more than just a buzzword—it has the power to automate tasks, analyze massive amounts of data, and provide valuable insights, revolutionizing the way law practices operate. In this blog, we’ll explore the top advantages and disadvantages of using AI in law practices, backed up by real-world examples that showcase its impact.

The Evolution of Legal Tech: Implications and Innovations — from einnews.com by Policy2050.com
A Policy2050.com analysis encapsulates lawyers’ perspectives on digital documents, Legal Tech software, Big Tech’s influence, and the promises and perils of AI.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA, September 10, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Tech-focused research and strategy firm Policy2050.com has released a new whitepaper titled “The Virtual Verdict: Evolution of Legal Tech in 2023” in its open-access Quick Insights category.

A vast global population remains underserved in terms of civil legal needs. Legal Tech could bridge this gap, making law firms more efficient and legal services more accessible. But might AI be something of a Pandora’s box, especially given the complexities of justice?

Legal Tech Meets Recruitment: Navigating Tomorrow’s Legal Landscape — from abovethelaw.com by haistack.ai
Discover how the synergy of legal tech and recruitment expertise is shaping the future of legal operations, with insights from Lateral Link and haistack.ai.

Here’s where automation stands as a beacon. The days of tedious document reviews and prolonged recruitment processes are being overshadowed by platforms like haistack.ai. Such tools aren’t mere conveniences; they signify a strategic pivot in legal practices, intertwining data analytics and deep learning to yield unprecedented outcomes.

Legal Tech Artificial Intelligence Market with New Technology Estimate to 2031 — from benzinga.com by The Express Wire

In this report analysis, we thoroughly examine the Legal Tech Artificial Intelligence Market by exploring it into different segments, including size, share, and end-users etc. Furthermore, we present forecasts covering the period from 2023 to 2031. Additionally, we provide insights into the current status of the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the upcoming period, and we shine a spotlight on the top players in the industry.

Reflections on “These office hours offer more than academic support” [Supiano]

On 09/13/2023, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, faculty, higher education, ideas, law schools, learning ecosystem, teaching & learning, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Teaching: These office hours offer more than academic support — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano

Why do so many students have the impression that they should attend office hours only if they’ve got a question? Here’s my hunch: Well-meaning, supportive professors mention their office hours at various points throughout the course: If you have questions about fill-in-the-blank, come to my office hours. The professors mean, “I am here to help! Come talk to me.” Students hear: “If you have a question.”

It’s a frustrating misunderstanding, because it contributes to the big problem my article focuses on: Many students miss out on the support professors stand to provide.
…
‘Adjunct Faculty 101’
“Sessions offered this year included ‘An Orientation to the Canvas LMS,’ ‘The First Day of Class,’ ‘Creating Student-Centered Course Materials,’ ‘Classroom-Management Tips,’ ‘Academic-Integrity Tips and Processes,’ ‘An Introduction to Our Tutoring Services and Writing Center,’ ‘Writing Across the Disciplines With AI,’ and more.”

From DSC:
I like the idea of using “office hours” for building relationships, helping students with their future career decisions, building broader understanding, ongoing mentoring, and for developing potential networking opportunities.

Start these 3 classroom habits ASAP! — from etrievalpractice.org by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Habit #2: Engage students in a brain dump or two things as an entry ticket or exit ticket. Spend one minute or less having students write down everything (or just two things) they remember from class. The key: Don’t grade it! Keep retrieval practice no-stakes to emphasize it’s a learning strategy, not an assessment strategy.

Teaching from the heart in 13 steps — from timeshighereducation.com by Beiting He
Engaging your students through empathy requires teachers to share their own stories and vulnerabilities and foster a safe space for learning. Here, Beiting He offers 13 ways to create a caring classroom

Move student communication from passive to active using ‘I like, I wish, I wonder’ — from timeshighereducation.com by Rebeca Elizabeth Alvarado Ramírez
Rebeca Elizabeth Alvarado Ramírez introduces a methodology that encourages effective communication in digital learning processes

In summary, “I wish” is about proposing positive changes and improvements, while “I wonder” is about asking thoughtful questions to gain insight and foster meaningful conversations within the team.

What if the presenter/teacher/professor/ trainer/preacher provided a set of notes for the AI to compare to the readers’ notes? [Christian]

On 08/29/2023, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, communications, communities of practice, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, future, Google, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, K-12 related, law schools, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, lifelong learning, presentations, religion, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Yesterday, I posted the item about Google’s NotebookLM research tool. Excerpt:

What if you could have a conversation with your notes? That question has consumed a corner of the internet recently, as companies like Dropbox, Box, Notion, and others have built generative AI tools that let you interact with and create new things from the data you already have in their systems.

Google’s version of this is called NotebookLM. It’s an AI-powered research tool that is meant to help you organize and interact with your own notes.

That got me to thinking…

What if the presenter/teacher/professor/trainer/preacher provided a set of notes for the AI to compare to the readers’ notes?

That way, the AI could see the discrepancies between what the presenter wanted their audience to learn/hear and what was actually being learned/heard. In a sort of digital Socratic Method, the AI could then generate some leading questions to get the audience member to check their thinking/understanding of the topic.

The end result would be that the main points were properly communicated/learned/received.

What if you could have a conversation with your notes? [Pierce]

On 08/28/2023, in adjunct faculty, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Design Thinking, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, future, Google, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, productivity / tips and tricks, research, student-related, teachers, tools, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Google’s AI-powered note-taking app is the messy beginning of something great — from theverge.com by David Pierce; via AI Insider
NotebookLM is a neat research tool with some big ideas. It’s still rough and new, but it feels like Google is onto something.

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

What if you could have a conversation with your notes? That question has consumed a corner of the internet recently, as companies like Dropbox, Box, Notion, and others have built generative AI tools that let you interact with and create new things from the data you already have in their systems.

Google’s version of this is called NotebookLM. It’s an AI-powered research tool that is meant to help you organize and interact with your own notes.
…
Right now, it’s really just a prototype, but a small team inside the company has been trying to figure out what an AI notebook might look like.

Unsurprising move by the ABA. Just a reminder, the legal market is already embracing innovation whether the ABA, or lawyers, participate or not. https://t.co/MJNgqNNXVB

— Timothy B. Corcoran (@tcorcoran) August 25, 2023

***
From DSC:
Having come from various other areas of higher education back in 2017, I was *amazed* to see *how far behind* legal education was from the rest of higher ed. And this is directly tied to what the American Bar Association allows (or doesn’t allow). The ABA has done a terrible job of helping Americans deal with today’s pace of change.

How are law professors using AI in their classrooms? [Linna]

On 08/22/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, experimentation, faculty, law schools, Legal operations, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, technology (general), by Daniel Christian

How are law professors using AI in their classrooms?
Great to be featured in this @2CivilityOrg article.
Thank you, @ErikaHarold!#AI4Law @NorthwesternU @NorthwesternLaw @NorthwesternEng https://t.co/oDdI5k9e3Q

— Daniel W. Linna Jr. (@DanLinna) August 22, 2023

Speaking of technology within the legal world, also relevant/see:

How in-house legal professionals can embrace technology — from legaldive.com by Lyle Moran
Colin Levy says generative AI tools, as well as well-known legacy products, can help lawyers and other legal department staff enhance their work.

Learning Ecosystems

“The Game-Changer: How Legal Technology is Transforming the Legal Sector” [Perfect Portal] + other legaltech-related items

“The Enemy Within: Former College Presidents Offer Warnings” [Rosowsky]

Four Scenarios for the Future of Legal Education [Kennedy]

“Transforming Legal Landscape: How AI is Becoming The Ultimate Sidekick for Lawyers” [aithority.com] + other legaltech-related items

Reflections on “These office hours offer more than academic support” [Supiano]

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