Law School Pedagogy Post-Pandemic: Harnessing the Benefits of Online Teaching
Journal of Legal Education, Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 252-273, 2021
22 Pages Posted: 29 Oct 2020 Last revised: 30 Nov 2022
Date Written: October 23, 2020
Abstract
Since COVID-19 required a significant shift to increased online teaching and learning in institutions of higher learning in spring 2020, one narrative has been that students do not like online classes, and online classes are inferior to those delivered live and in person. This Article challenges this broad and overarching criticism of online course delivery. No doubt, some types of students may not learn as well online as they do in the classroom, and some online classes may not be designed to deliver a quality learning experience. Our experience teaching asynchronous online classes in law school, however, demonstrates that there are many benefits to a well-designed online course that can enhance student learning—benefits that can be incorporated into law school pedagogy even after the pandemic is no longer a threat to health and safety of students and faculty. Specifically, in a well-designed asynchronous class, students have opportunities for regular formative assessments; they receive regular teacher and student feedback on their work; and they are required to “speak up” in class through written and oral discussions.
Keywords: online teaching, online law classes, COVID-19, coronavirus, law teaching, law school
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