Root Causes of Employee Stress— from auchtoon.com by John Auchter
On 07/25/2022,
in 21st century, accreditation, adult learning, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, change, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communities of practice, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, Cost of legal services - including access, credentialing, cryptocurrencies, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, distance education, emerging technologies, engineering, entrepreneurship, experimentation, face-to-face, future, higher education, Holographic comms, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, Hyflex learning, ideas, innovation, instructional design, law schools, leadership, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, learning spaces, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Metaverse, Michigan, Mixed Reality (MR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Near Field Communication (NFC), online learning, organizational change, pace of change, platforms, policy, productivity / tips and tricks, reinvent, robotics, skills, society, staying relevant, strategy, surviving, technology (general), telelegal, trends, Uncategorized, United States, universities, using teams, vendors, Virtual courts and law firms, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, Web3, workplace, XR - extended reality,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Given:
- the accelerating pace of change that’s been occurring over the last decade or more
- the current setup of the legal field within the U.S. — and who can practice law
- the number of emerging technologies now on the landscapes out there
…I think we’ve run out of time to effectively practice law in the U.S. — at least in terms of dealing with emerging technologies. Consider the following items/reflections.
Inside one of the nation’s few hybrid J.D. programs — from highereddive.com by Natalie Schwartz
Shannon Gardner, Syracuse law school’s associate dean for online education, talks about the program’s inaugural graduates and how it has evolved.
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
In May, Syracuse University’s law school graduated its first class of students earning a Juris Doctor degree through a hybrid program, called JDinteractive, or JDi. The 45 class members were part of almost 200 Syracuse students who received a J.D. this year, according to a university announcement.
The private nonprofit, located in upstate New York, won approval from the American Bar Association in 2018 to offer the three-year hybrid program.
The ABA strictly limits distance education, requiring a waiver for colleges that wish to offer more than one-third of their credits online. To date, the ABA has only approved distance education J.D. programs at about a dozen schools, including Syracuse.
Many folks realize this is the future of legal education — not that it will replace traditional programs. It is one route to pursue a legal education that is here to stay. I did not see it as pressure, and I think, by all accounts, we have definitely proven that it is and can be a success.
Shannon Gardner, associate dean for online education
From DSC:
It was March 2018. I just started working as a Director of Instructional Services at a law school. I had been involved with online-based learning since 2001.
I was absolutely shocked at how far behind law schools were in terms of offering 100% online-based programs. I was dismayed to find out that 20+ years after such undergraduate programs were made available — and whose effectiveness had been proven time and again — that there were no 100%-online based Juris Doctor (JD) programs in the U.S. (The JD degree is what you have to have to practice law in the U.S. Some folks go on to take further courses after obtaining that degree — that’s when Masters of Law programs like LLM programs kick in.)
Why was this I asked? Much of the answer lies with the extremely tight control that is exercised by the American Bar Association (ABA). They essentially lay down the rules for how much of a law student’s training can be online (normally not more than a third of one’s credit hours, by the way).
Did I say it’s 2022? And let me say the name of that organization again — the American Bar Association (ABA).
Graphic by Daniel S. Christian
Not to scare you (too much), but this is the organization that is supposed to be in charge of developing lawyers who are already having to deal with issues and legal concerns arising from the following technologies:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) — Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), algorithms, bots, and the like
- The Internet of Things (IoT) and/or the Internet of Everything (IoE)
- Extended Reality (XR) — Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Virtual Reality (VR)
- Holographic communications
- Big data
- High-end robotics
- The Metaverse
- Cryptocurrencies
- NFTs
- Web3
- Blockchain
- …and the like
I don’t think there’s enough time for the ABA — and then law schools — to reinvent themselves. We no longer have that luxury. (And most existing/practicing lawyers don’t have the time to get up the steep learning curves involved here — in addition to their current responsibilities.)
The other option is to use teams of specialists, That’s our best hope. If the use of what’s called nonlawyers* doesn’t increase greatly, the U.S. has little hope of dealing with legal matters that are already arising from such emerging technologies.
So let’s hope the legal field catches up with the pace of change that’s been accelerating for years now. If not, we’re in trouble.
* Nonlawyers — not a very complimentary term…
I hope they come up with something else.
Some use the term Paralegals.
I’m sure there are other terms as well.
From DSC:
There is hope though. As Gabe Teninbaum just posted the resource below (out on Twitter). I just think the lack of responsiveness from the ABA has caught up with us. We’ve run out of time for doing “business as usual.”
Law students want more distance education classes, according to ABA findings — from abajournal.com by Stephanie Francis Ward
Excerpt:
A recent survey of 1,394 students in their third year of law school found that 68.65% wanted the ability to earn more distance education credits than what their schools offered.
On 07/21/2022,
in 21st century, innovation, law schools, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, Michigan,
by Daniel Christian
Trends in State Courts — from ncsc.org
Excerpt:
Trends in State Courts is an annual, peer-reviewed publication that highlights innovative practices in critical areas that are of interest to courts, and often serves as a guide for developing new initiatives and programs and informing and supporting policy decisions. Trends in State Courts is the only publication of its kind and enjoys a wide circulation among the state court community.
Trends in State Courts 2022
External events continue to drive change and innovation in the courts. The 2022 edition of Trends in State Courts highlights post-pandemic eviction courts and eliminating racism and bias in the courts.
Also from ncsc.org:
The key role of non-lawyer practitioners — by Dimarie Alicea-Lozada
Excerpt:
Over the last 20 years, a variety of different states have developed efforts to try to provide for non-lawyer practitioners with varying degrees of success. The intention was simple: provide affordable legal services to those who cannot afford an attorney but need help. With 1 out of 10 people in the United States involved in newly filed cases each year and 3 out of 5 in civil cases not having a lawyer, state courts have been trying to help people who otherwise will not be able to afford access legal representation. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, several states have made changes in this area.
Oregon gets it done! ?
Non-lawyer licensing movement gains steam with Oregon approval https://t.co/tXrJasoR41 #legalinnovation
— Natalie Anne Knowlton (@natalalleycat) July 20, 2022
On 06/01/2022,
in adjunct faculty, business side of he, career development, change, changing business models, colleges, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, engagement / engaging students, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, law schools, learning ecosystem, liberal arts, Michigan, parents/guardians, participation, reinvent, society, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
The items below reminded me that things aren’t looking good for higher education these days. Having a son a quarter of the way through college makes this even more relevant/personal for our family.
The Big Quit | Even tenure-line professors are leaving academe. — from chronicle.com by Joshua Doležal
Excerpts:
We have become accustomed to the exodus of graduate students, postdocs, and adjuncts, but before Covid it was still possible to see tenured and tenure-track faculty members as relatively immune from the stresses of working in higher ed. No more. A 2020 study by The Chronicle and Fidelity Investments found that more than half of all faculty members surveyed were seriously weighing options outside of higher education: either changing careers entirely or retiring early.
“If a return to normal simply means restoring the burnout conditions that the pandemic inflamed, then the rumble of faculty members leaving may build to a roar that no amount of magical thinking can explain away.”
Here’s a relevant quote from a weekly newsletter — Teaching — from The Chronicle of Higher Education (by Becky Supiano)
The bottom line? “You don’t get student success,” McClure says, “unless you have invested in faculty well-being.”
The quote is from Kevin McClure, who is “trying to get the challenges front-line faculty and staff face on the radar of more college leaders.” As primarily a former staff member, I appreciate that he’s including staff members here. Staff are important members of the academe as well.
Drop in Spring-2022 Enrollment Is Worse Than Expected — from chronicle.com byAudrey Williams June
Excerpt:
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provide a final tally on enrollment for the spring of 2022 — and reveal a persistent trend: College attendance continues to decline.
Undergraduate enrollment fell 4.7 percent from a year earlier, a shortfall of more than 662,000 students. Since the pandemic began, the undergraduate student body has dropped by almost 1.4 million students.
But also in play, he said, are students who increasingly question the value of college, are wary about taking out student loans to pay for it, and who have options to join the labor market instead.
Michigan colleges experience nation’s worst spring enrollment dive, new report shows — from mlive.com by Samuel Dodge
Excerpt:
College enrollment across Michigan plummeted 15% during the spring semester this year, dragged down by a 20% hit to four-year public universities, a new report shows. Spring enrollment across all sectors dropped to 360,220 students, a decrease of more than 62,000 from 2021 to this year, according to data released Thursday, May 26, by the National Student Clearinghouse.
[Cost of Inequity] The Student Loan Crisis — from businessinsidre.com by various
How the student loan industry put a $1.7 trillion price tag on the American dream and the proposed reforms that could pay the bill.
A somewhat-related item:
The Future of Higher Education Is the Hybrid Campus — from campustechnology.com by Dr. Jeffrey R. Docking
Blending the best of face-to-face instruction with the flexibility of online learning can enhance the higher ed experience for all types of learners, lower the cost of a degree and better prepare students for the workforce.
Excerpts (emphasis DSC):
What Students Want
Students and families are increasingly rethinking whether a traditional college education is worth the investment, leaving higher ed leaders searching for innovative ways to showcase their school’s value and entice students. When we think about what students really want, they want more than a degree — they want skills training that will ensure a well-paying, rewarding career. In fact, 62% of college students say they would be more likely to re-enroll if their institution offered “new programs and certificates tailored to the new economy” with high-demand majors and education that connects them to employability. This makes sense since employers are continuing to find value in students developing a “broad skill base that can be applied across a range of contexts.”
But over the last several years, and after seeing the success of it at Adrian College, I’ve become convinced that the future of residential colleges is not face-to-face or online, but an intelligent blend of both modalities.
A somewhat-related item:
Navigating career turbulence — from ted.com by Adam Grant; with thanks to Deirdre Honner for this resource
Description:
Everyone’s career will hit some turbulence at some point. Instead of pushing harder against the headwinds, we’re sometimes better off tilting our rudder and charting a new course. In this episode, host Adam Grant speaks with people who have taken unusual steps to battle uncertainty, rethought their approach to finding and landing a job and reached out for help in unexpected places — as well as an expert on recessions who forecasts the future by looking to the past. Listen and subscribe to WorkLife with Adam Grant and more podcasts from the TED Audio Collective wherever you’re listening to this.
On 05/23/2022,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, face-to-face, faculty/staff, graphics, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), interactivity, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, liberal arts, mathematics, Michigan, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, teaching & learning, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities,
by Daniel Christian
Also see:
On 05/18/2022,
in accessibility / UDL, education, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Michigan, neurodivergent/special needs, student-related, teachers,
by Daniel Christian
Teacher Kelly VanDyke awarded ‘Educator of the Year’ by the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan — from mlive.com by Skyla Jewell-Hammie
Excerpt:
Grand Rapids elementary teacher Kelly VanDyke was recently recognized as the 2022 Educator of the Year by the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan.
VanDyke, who teaches at Central Elementary in Kenowa Hills Public Schools, was celebrated for her successful, supportive approach to teaching children with Down syndrome…
On 05/09/2022,
in architecture, art, biology, colleges, communities of practice, creativity, design, graphics, health, Michigan, project-based learning, student-related, United States,
by Daniel Christian
Kendall College of Art and Design spotlights sixteen student projects — from dezeen.com
Addendum on 9/26/22:
Ten student showcases from universities based in the USA — from dezeen.com
On 05/09/2022,
in adult learning, career development, change, changing business models, chemistry, CMS/LMS, colleges, communities of practice, community colleges, competency-based learning/education, education, education technology, faith, higher education, ideas, innovation, lifelong learning, Michigan, society, sociology, technology (general), United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
A Turning Point for Prison Education — from chronicle.com by Taylor Swaak
With reinstatement of Pell Grants imminent, the programs weigh technology’s long-term role.
Excerpts:
Incarcerated people who participate in postsecondary-education programs are 48 percent less likely to return to prison, according to a 2018 study from the RAND Corporation.
…
Three colleges that The Chronicle spoke with are in varying stages of adding technology to their prison-ed programs.
Addendum on 5/11/22:
- Prisoners receive college degrees at graduation ceremony inside a Michigan prison — from mlive.com by Bradley Massman
It was a proud, and somewhat routine commencement ceremony for Calvin University on Monday, May 9, though held in the confines of a state prison.
Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary joined the Michigan Department of Corrections Monday to host the graduation ceremony for Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) students at the state’s Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia.
Addendums on 5/16/22:
- More than new 70 colleges and universities chosen to help the incarcerated get credentials — from universitybusiness.com by Chris Burt
The Department of Education is expanding Second Chance Pell Experiment for prospective students in prison. - “Facing Life” by Brandon Tauszik & Pendarvis Harshaw — from booooooom.com
On 03/31/2022,
in Access to Justice (A2J), lifelong learning, Michigan, reinvent, society, surviving, United States,
by Daniel Christian
Beyond the Ban — from edtrust.org; with thanks to Goldie Blumenstyk, a senior writer at The Chronicle, for this resource
Excerpt:
Each toolkit analyzes state policy to answer eight equity questions:
- Does the state offer state financial aid to currently and formerly incarcerated students?
- Does the state provide sentence reduction credit for incarcerated students enrolled in higher education courses?
- Does the state provide incentives and resources to colleges that enroll and support currently and formerly incarcerated students?
- Does the state have a streamlined process for currently incarcerated students to access documents to retrieve their state identification?
- Does the state allow formerly incarcerated students to access federal support for basic needs like food, housing, and health care?
- Does the state ban higher education institutions from asking about criminal history on admissions applications?
- Does the state ban employers from asking about criminal history on job applications?
- Do currently and formerly incarcerated individuals have the right to vote in the state?
On 03/17/2022,
in Daniel S. Christian, experimentation, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, learning, learning theories, lifelong learning, memory, Michigan, morals/values, passions, psychology, reinvent, relationships, religion, society, sociology, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, vision/possibilities, youth,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
What are the cognitive “highways” within our minds?
I’ve been thinking a lot about highways recently. Not because it’s construction season (quite yet) here in Michigan (USA), but because I’ve been reflecting upon how many of us build cognitive highways within our minds. The highways that I’m referring to are our well-trodden routes of thinking that we quickly default/resort to. Such well-trodden pathways in our minds get built over time…as we build our habits and/or our ways of thinking about things. Sometimes these routes get built without our even recognizing that new construction zones are already in place.
Those involved with cognitive psychology will connect instantly with what I’m saying here. Those who have studied memory, retrieval practice, how people learn, etc. will know what I’m referring to.
But instead of a teaching and learning related origin, I got to thinking about this topic due to some recent faith-based conversations instead. These conversations revolved around such questions as:
- What makes our old selves different from our new selves? (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- What does it mean to be transformed by the “renewing of our minds?” (Romans 12:2)
- When a Christian says, “Keep your eyes on Christ” — what does that really mean and look like (practically speaking)?
For me, at least a part of the answers to those questions has to do with what’s occupying my thought life. I don’t know what it means to keep my eyes on Christ, as I can’t see Him. But I do understand what it means to keep my thoughts on what Christ said and/or did…or on the kinds of things that Philippians 4:8 suggests that we think about. No wonder that we often hear the encouragement to be in the Word…as I think that new cognitive highways get created in our minds as we read the Bible. That is, we begin to look at things differently. We take on different perspectives.
The ramifications of this idea are huge:
- We can’t replace an old highway by ourselves. It takes others to help us out…to teach us new ways of thinking.
- We sometimes have to unlearn some things. It took time to learn our original perspective on those things, and it will likely be a process for new learning to occur and replace the former way of thinking about those topics.
- This idea relates to addictions as well. It takes time for addicts to build up their habits/cravings…and it takes time to replace those habits/cravings with more positive ones. One — or one’s family, partner/significant other, and friends — should not expect instant change. Change takes time, and therefore patience and grace are required. This goes for the teachers/faculty members, coaches, principals, pastors, policemen/women, judges, etc. that a person may interact with as well over time. (Hmmm…come to think of it, it sounds like some other relationships may be involved here at times also. Certainly, God knows that He needs to be patient with us — often, He has no choice. Our spouses know this as well and we know that about them too.)
- Christians, who also struggle with addictions and go to
the hospitaler…the church rather, take time to change their thoughts, habits, and perspectives. Just as the rebuilding of a physical highway takes time, so it takes time to build new highways (patterns of thinking and responses) in our minds. So the former/old highways may still be around for a while yet, but the new ones are being built and getting stronger every day. - Sometimes we need to re-route certain thoughts. Or I suppose another way to think about this is to use the metaphor of “changing the tapes” being played in our minds. Like old cassette tapes, we need to reject some tapes/messages and insert some new ones.
What are the cognitive highways within your own mind? How can you be patient with others (that you want to see change occur within) inside of your own life?
Anyway, thanks for reading this posting. May you and yours be blessed on this day. Have a great week and weekend!
Addendum on 3/31/22…also relevant, see:
I Analyzed 13 TED Talks on Improving Your Memory— Here’s the Quintessence — from learntrepreneurs.com by Eva Keiffenheim
How you can make the most out of your brain.
Excerpt:
In her talk, brain researcher and professor Lara Boyds explains what science currently knows about neuroplasticity. In essence, your brain can change in three ways.
Change 1 — Increase chemical signalling
Your brain works by sending chemicals signals from cell to cell, so-called neurons. This transfer triggers actions and reactions. To support learning your brain can increase the concentration of these signals between your neurons. Chemical signalling is related to your short-term memory.
Change 2 — Alter the physical structure
During learning, the connections between neurons change. In the first change, your brain’s structure stays the same. Here, your brain’s physical structure changes?—?which takes more time. That’s why altering the physical structure influences your long-term memory.
For example, research shows that London taxi cab drivers who actually have to memorize a map of London to get their taxicab license have larger brain regions devoted to spatial or mapping memories.
Change 3 — Alter brain function
This one is crucial (and will also be mentioned in the following talks). When you use a brain region, it becomes more and more accessible. Whenever you access a specific memory, it becomes easier and easier to use again.
But Boyd’s talk doesn’t stop here. She further explores what limits or facilitates neuroplasticity. She researches how people can recover from brain damages such as a stroke and developed therapies that prime or prepare the brain to learn?—?including simulation, exercise and robotics.
Her research is also helpful for healthy brains?—?here are the two most important lessons:
The primary driver of change in your brain is your behaviour.
…
There is no one size fits all approach to learning.