United States

5 reasons why legal tech matters [Colin Bohanna]

On 07/05/2022, in 21st century, Access to Justice (A2J), Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, society, trends, UK, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

5 reasons why legal tech matters — from lawyer-monthly.com by Colin Bohanna

Excerpt:

5. Technology can improve access to justice
Using technology can help to increase access to justice in a number of ways. The increased adoption of videoconferencing technology seen during the pandemic has had a positive impact on those who have traditionally struggled to access legal services. That includes those living in rural areas, who may not live in proximity to a lawyer qualified to deal with their specific matter; those working in precarious situations that may not enable them to travel to meet a lawyer or who may have family- or elder-care responsibilities; and people with disabilities who may have mobility issues that make travel difficult.

Tech can also play an essential role in the support of legal aid. We know there’s a perception that the level of paperwork, admin, and invoicing requirements means the burden of conducting legal aid is high. As Clio is committed to transforming the legal industry, we offer a legal aid solution as part of our practice management software at no extra cost in order to increase access to justice, for all. It helps to cut legal aid processes drastically so that legal aid providers can focus on their client work and make legal aid work more financially viable.

Also relevant/see:

Top 10 Legal Operations Trends in 2022. — from jdsupra.com

Key legal operations trends for 2022

1. Growing legal operations teams
2. Formalizing the legal operations function
3. Implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) program
4. Finding new ways to improve processes
5. Insourcing more work
6. Strengthening vendor management
7. Expanding the use of data analytics tools
8. Increasing technology investments
9. Strengthening the law department’s technology acumen
10. Improving data security

DC: Sounds like a learning ecosystem to me:

“All of this will require a rethinking of how we support adult and non-traditional learners as they merge and exit, and reenter our higher education system.”#learningecosystems #lifelonglearning https://t.co/YdDkaANo8i

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) June 30, 2022

So while we may be a few years from plugging into the Matrix, what is becoming clear is that to survive and thrive in the coming decades, colleges and universities will need to focus on creating an online experience as compelling as their on-campus experience.

Ryan Lufkin

The Edtech Top 50 Emerging Companies for Workforce Development [Taylor & Co.]

On 07/04/2022, in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, education technology, Europe, India, training / L&D, UK, United States, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The Path Ahead for Community Colleges [Gardner]

On 07/04/2022, in adult learning, community colleges, higher education, ideas, leadership, learning ecosystem, skills, society, strategy, student-related, United States, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The Path Ahead for Community Colleges — from chronicle.com by Lee Gardner; PDF file here
3 ways to reset and succeed.

Excerpts:

This country often underappreciates its community colleges, but there’s no question that it needs them and the job they do. Here are three specific areas that scholars, advocates, and community-college leaders say are vital to future success for two-year institutions, and some examples of those that are trying new strategies to help themselves reset and rebuild.

Rethink Enrollment
Cater to Adults
Look for New Leadership

Virtual reality gives humans a turtle’s-eye view of wildlife [Hamers]

On 07/03/2022, in digital storytelling, emerging technologies, Emotion, engagement / engaging students, platforms, presentations, simulations, story, storytelling, United States, universities, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

Virtual reality gives humans a turtle’s-eye view of wildlife — from phys.org by Laurel Hamers, University of Oregon

Excerpt:

A virtual reality simulation designed by a University of Oregon (UO) professor could help spur people to environmental action.

Participants in Project Shell don a virtual reality headset and take on the body of a loggerhead sea turtle, sporting flippers instead of arms. During a 15-minute immersive experience, they journey from a hatchling to an adult turtle, dodging hazards like ships and wayward fishing gear.

Participating in the simulation increased people’s empathy and concern for environmental issues, new research shows.

…

“Embodiment of non-human bodies is a powerful tool that environmental storytellers can use,” said Daniel Pimentel, a professor in the UO’s School of Journalism and Communication who led the work. “I hope that this experience can help raise awareness and hopefully engage the public in a way that trickles down to more support.”

From DSC:
While we’re talking turtles, see these miniature creations!

Metaverse, NFTs, Web3 And Virtual Land In The Sandbox — from forbes.com by Bernard Marr

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

So, what does Borget – undeniably one of the pioneers of the concept – think the metaverse actually is?

“For us, metaverse is really this myriad of worlds,” he tells me during our recent webinar conversation, “that users can experience through an avatar that becomes a 3D representation of themselves.”

These avatars are the key to unlocking “all sorts of new experiences … more creative, more immersive, unlike what we’ve seen before with traditional virtual worlds, where users can already socialize … here, what’s important is the ability of users to truly own their own identity, own their own belongings, digital assets, virtual land, houses … and are able to move that identity from one world to another without being constrained.”

“There will be millions of virtual worlds, places where users can take their avatars,” Borget continues. “What’s important is this ability to move from one to another while … keeping all their content they create in one and using it in others.”

Also see:

Metaverse Opportunities, risks and policy implications — from europarl.europa.eu by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS)
Metaverse Opportunities, risks and policy implications

Summary:

One of the most talked about concepts in modern technology, the metaverse can be described as an immersive and constant virtual 3D world where people interact by means of an avatar to carry out a wide range of activities. Such activities can range from leisure and gaming to professional and commercial interactions, financial transactions or even health interventions such as surgery. While the exact scope and impact of the metaverse on society and on the economy is still unknown, it can already be seen that the metaverse will open up a range of opportunities but also a number of risks in a variety of policy areas.

Major tech companies are scaling up their metaverse activities, including through mergers and acquisitions. This has given impetus to a debate on how merger regulations and antitrust law should apply. Business in the metaverse is expected to be underpinned largely by cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, raising issues of ownership, misuse, interoperability and portability. Furthermore, the huge volume of data used in the metaverse raises a number of data protection and cybersecurity issues (e.g. how to collect user consent or protect avatars against identity theft).

There is considerable scope for a wide range of illegal and harmful behaviours and practices in the metaverse environment. This makes it essential to consider how to attribute responsibility, inter alia, for fighting illegal and harmful practices and misleading advertising practices, and for protecting intellectual property rights. Moreover, digital immersion in the metaverse can have severe negative impacts on health, especially for vulnerable groups, such as minors, who may require special protection. Finally, the accessibility and inclusiveness of the metaverse remain areas where progress has still to be made in order to create an environment of equal opportunities.

Also see the following from the Legal Talk Network — with Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell

Metavisting the Metaverse – Dennis and Tom plunge into the metaverse—its trends, current tech, and possibilities for the future.
The Wild World of NFTs – Dennis and Tom dive into these unique digital objects (art, video, and much more) and outline the issues surrounding their current hype and value in the real world.

Blurring the lines between education and workforce — from hechingerreport.org by Javeria Salman
A proposition to ‘blur’ the boundaries between K-12, higher ed, and the workforce industry

Excerpts:

One idea that’s been gaining steam since last year is to break down barriers between high school, college and career to create a system that bridges all three.

The concept is called the “Big Blur.”

“What would it look like to change the typical, or what we think of as the conventional high school experience and instead design something that was built for the modern economy?” said Vargas.

Vargas said that JFF is arguing for new programs or institutions that serve students in grades 11 through 14 (grades 13 and 14 being the first two years of college, under our current configuration). The institutions would be co-designed with regional employers so that all students get work-based learning experiences and graduate — without tuition costs — with a post-secondary credential that has labor market value.

The state of teaching and learning in K12 — from Instructure

What began as an unplanned shift to remote learning two years ago has grown into a movement—a transformation, really—that has given way to a more measured approach to intentionally designed digital learning. The adoption of new educational technologies and instructional strategies has evolved teaching and learning as we know it at an unprecedented pace.

Changing the narrative on degree requirements [Fain]

On 06/24/2022, in 21st century, Alternatives, business, career development, change, corporate / business world, cost of getting a degree, society, sociology, United States, workplace, youth, by Daniel Christian

Changing the narrative on degree requirements — from workshift.opencampusmedia.org by Paul Fain; with thanks to Ryan Craig (I believe) for this resource
An ad campaign from Opportunity@Work and the Ad Council will call on employers to drop the “paper ceiling” and hire more skilled workers without four-year degrees.

Excerpt:

A new national advertising campaign will seek to influence employers to look beyond the four-year degree in hiring, with the message that a “paper ceiling” holds back half the U.S. workforce.

The ads from Opportunity@Work and the Ad Council are slated to start running in September. With slick production and some big corporate partners, including Walmart and Google, the campaign is designed to nudge hiring managers across the country to make good on the growing number of pledges from company C-suites, state capitals, and the White House to drop barriers for skilled job seekers who lack bachelor’s degrees.

This group of more than 70M Americans includes community college graduates, experienced workers, veterans of the U.S. military, and completers of job training programs or alternatives to college, according to the nonprofit Opportunity@Work. The ads will celebrate these workers, which the group says are skilled through alternative routes (STARs).

Also relevant, see:

Americans support student loan forgiveness, but would rather rein in college costs — from npr.org by Cory Turner; with thanks to Bryan Alexander for posting this on LinkedIn

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Erasing old debts vs. fixing the system
In one of the poll’s most unexpected findings, respondents were asked to choose which sentence they agreed with more:

1. “The government should prioritize making college more affordable for current and future students”
2. “The government should prioritize forgiving some debt for those with existing student loans”

A whopping 82% said the government’s priority should be making college more affordable for current and future students. Just 16% believed forgiving student debts should take priority.

“What that tells me is that, while student loan forgiveness for some is seen as a good proposal and a short-term fix, where we actually need to go from here is true, systematic change,” Newall says.

We need to go beyond the focus on STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) towards HECI (humanity, ethics, creativity, imagination) — from futuristgerd.com by Gerd Leonhard
…an important realisation that recently dawned on me. What will our schools, colleges and universities do about this?

“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.”

Gerd Leonhard

We need to go beyond the focus on STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) towards HECI (humanity, ethics, creativity, imagination)

Also see:

Animated Series: What’s Up with the Metaverse [Raczynski & Harmening; produced by ABA]

On 06/23/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Access to Justice (A2J), innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Metaverse, platforms, programming, technology (general), telelegal, United States, by Daniel Christian

Animated Series: What’s Up with the Metaverse — from joetechnologist.com by Joseph Raczynski with creative by Elise Harmening, Esq.

Video description (emphasis DSC):

What’s Up with the Metaverse, published on June 2, 2022, was written by Joseph Raczynski of Thomas Reuters, a member of the Governing Council for the Center for Innovation, and created by Elise Harmening, Esq., Project Specialist Manager at the Center for Innovation. Innovation and You is a production by The American Bar Association’s Center for Innovation to help lawyers and our members think about innovative legal technology and practices as the legal landscape continues to change. Join the conversation on Twitter @ABAInnovation.

Also see:

Animated Series: What is an API? — from joetechnologist.com by Joseph Raczynski with creative by Elise Harmening, Esq.

Second Chance Pell helps deliver degrees to over 9,000 incarcerated students [Spitalniak]

On 06/23/2022, in colleges, community colleges, funding / grants, higher education, legislatures / government / legal, society, sociology, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Second Chance Pell helps deliver degrees to over 9,000 incarcerated students — from highereddive.com by Laura Spitalniak

Excerpts:

“Some programs may start as a real passion of an individual faculty member,” she said. “But in order for them to be sustainable, programs need cross-college support. Students need things like academic advising and access to library services. We’re seeing more and more of that, which is terrific.”
…
The existence and funding of such programs benefits people both in and out of the prison system. Inmates who participate in correctional education programs are 28% less likely to return to prison after their release than those who don’t, according to a 2018 meta-analysis of research. And research suggests that offering postsecondary programs could reduce levels of violence in prison.

Majority Want Online Courts To Keep Going – Survey [artificiallawyer.com]

On 06/23/2022, in innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, telelegal, UK, United States, by Daniel Christian

Majority Want Online Courts To Keep Going – Survey — from artificiallawyer.com

Excerpt:

A major survey by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) of 1,000 individuals, plus 1,000 businesses, has found that a majority want to keep the online court system going, despite the end of the worst of the pandemic in the UK.

The results were:

three-quarters of the British public are content with online hearings and other remote access arrangements. Just 27% of the public object to such innovations.
64% of businesses support remote access to the civil courts…..although, that means that up to 36%, a notable minority, of companies are not that happy with remote court hearings.

And here’s a related item from here in the United States:

Virtual Courts are here to stay in Louisiana. HB124 sponsored by Rep. Muscarello (@Nicky705) was recently signed into law by the Governor. Check out ACT No. 372. https://t.co/m4BXLh2xVW pic.twitter.com/Zk5Ms28JJw

— Judge Scott Schlegel (@Judgeschlegel) June 16, 2022

Research reveals the benefits of online tutoring [Gaskell]

On 06/23/2022, in K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, online tutoring, research, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

Research reveals the benefits of online tutoring — from adigaskell.org by Adi Gaskell

Excerpt:

The Covid pandemic resulted in considerable disruption to the education of pupils around the world, with many parents resorting to online tutoring in a bid to ensure their children didn’t fall behind. Research from the University of California San Diego highlights the effectiveness of such tutoring.

While there have long been suspicions around the effectiveness of such schemes, concerns have existed about both the high costs associated with them and the limited availability of tutors.

“Our program explores the possibilities of a low-cost model with volunteer tutors which has the potential to reach more students in need,” the researchers explain.

Learning Ecosystems

5 reasons why legal tech matters [Colin Bohanna]

Sounds like a learning ecosystem to me [Christian]

The Edtech Top 50 Emerging Companies for Workforce Development [Taylor & Co.]

Virtual reality gives humans a turtle’s-eye view of wildlife [Hamers]

Metaverse, NFTs, Web3 And Virtual Land In The Sandbox [Marr] + other relevant items

Changing the narrative on degree requirements [Fain]

Animated Series: What’s Up with the Metaverse [Raczynski & Harmening; produced by ABA]

Second Chance Pell helps deliver degrees to over 9,000 incarcerated students [Spitalniak]

Majority Want Online Courts To Keep Going – Survey [artificiallawyer.com]

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