Online & Hybrid Learning Conference

September 26 – 28, 2024

aerial photo of DU campus with downtown Denver in background


 

  • 2024 Conference Agenda and Videos

    2024 Online & Hybrid Learning Pedagogy

    Conference Agenda, Presentation Videos and Slides

    NOTE: Video sections can be watched individually after following the links below. Session details are available by clicking "Details" in the left column of the video page.

    2024 Conference Agenda

    Thursday, September 26

    TimeEventPresentingVideo Link
    1:30Introduction to the Online & Hybrid Learning Pedagogy ConferenceDavid Thomson (DU)Watch Video
    1:40Welcome to DU Sturm College of LawRoberto Corrada (DU)
    1:45Framing for the Conference & Opening KeynotesDavid Thomson (DU)
    2:00Evidence-Based Research to Guide and Shape Legal Education – Hybrid and OnlineTiffane Cochran (AccessLex)
    2:25

    Residential Components of Hybrid and Online Learning – Theory-Informed Design and Programmatic Assessment

    Download PowerPoint

    		Megan Carpenter (UNH)
    2:50

    Online & Hybrid Pedagogy and AI: Intersections, Connections, and Opportunities

    Download PowerPoint

    		Jon Garon (NSU)
    3:15Q & A 
    3:40Community Building: Reports from SEALS and Recent Distance Learning Working GroupsJon Garon (NSU) & William Byrnes (Texas A&M)
    4:20Listening to Learners: Panel Discussion and Q & A with Online and Hybrid Law StudentsModerator: David Thomson (Denver); Students: Emily Gordon (S. Texas), Averee Richardson (Dayton), and Nick McGraw (Denver).Watch Video

    Friday, September 27

    TimeEventPresentingVideo Link
    9:00

    In Defense of Asynch and A Comparative Analysis of Student Performance in Asynchronous Online and In-Person Legal Education

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    		Kenneth Swift (U. of Houston), Cassandra Robertson (Case Western)Watch Video
    9:40

    How to Make the Synchronous and Asynchronous Components of Hybrid Learning Most Valuable and Effective

    Download PowerPoint

    		Vicki VanZandt (Dayton)
    10:40How to Make the Residential Components of Hybrid Programs Most Valuable and EffectiveSophie Sparrow (UNH)Watch Video
    11:20

    An Approach to Monitoring and Assessing Online and Hybrid Programs

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    		Tiffany Cochran (AccessLex)
    Nicole Tate (RTI)

    Room 165:

    1:00Plenary: Regulations Affecting Distance LearningModerator: Greg BrandesWatch Video

    • Online and Hybrid Learning in Law School

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    		Jennifer Rosato Perea (ABA)
    • Higher Education Funding and AccessChris Chapman (AccessLex)
    • Q & A 
    2:00Pedagogic Resilience and Resistance in Times of Disruption: Reflections on the Benefits of Being VulnerableSvetlana Tyulkina (U. of New South Wales)
    2:40

    The Delicate Balance Between In-Person and Online Learning in a Hybrid JD Program

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    		Andrea Funk (Colleges of Law), Brandy Price (Colleges of Law)
    3:20Consecutive Presentations: 
     • From Start to Finish: Empowering Pedagogy with Student Feedback Throughout Online Course DeliveryGinger Hunt (U. of Arizona)
     

    • Balancing Act: Maximizing the Benefits of In-Person Components of Legal Education

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    		Gary Craig (LMU Loyola), Aimee Dudovitz (LMU Loyola)

    Room 170:

    2:00Best of Both WorldsJessica Williams Schnekler (UI McKinney), Sarah Parks (UI McKinney), Alex Penn (Harmonize), Kathy Sekiguchi (UI)Watch Video
    2:40

    Online Learning in Law Schools – the Pandemic Experiment

    Download PowerPoint

    Download Article

    		Victoria Sutton (Texas Tech)Watch Video
    3:20Stuck in the Past, or Stuck in Neutral: Instructional Design Process Points for Preparing First-time Online InstructorsIan Kollar (Drexel), Nicholas Brooks (Drexel), Mischa Wheat (Drexel)Watch Video

    Room 155:

    2:40Teaching Legal Technology Skills to Online LearnersGabe Teninbaum (Suffolk)Watch Video
    3:20Prepare & Prevent Don’t Repair & RepentVonda Laughlin (Lincoln), Bill Hall (CAP), Krystal Norton (CAP)Watch Video

    Saturday, September 28

    TimeEventPresentingVideo Link
    9:00

    Lessons from the Trailblazers: Bar Passage Data and Analysis from the Nation’s First Hybrid JD Program

    Download PowerPoint

    		Maggie Eilertson (Mitchell Hamline), Mehmet Konar-Steenberg (Mitchell Hamline)Watch Video
    9:30Program Assessment Design WorkshopAndrea Funk (Colleges of Law)
    10:30Finding Synchronicity Between Thoughtful Hybrid Pedagogy and a Hybrid Professional WorldModerated by Sara Berman (USC), with Patricia Roberts (St. Mary’s), Hon. LaQunya Baker (18th Dist.), Amanda Sholtis (Widener).
    11:50Concluding RemarksGreg Brandes, Tiffane Cochran, Sara Berman, and David Thomson (Conference Co-Chairs)
  • 2022 Conference Agenda and Videos

    2022 Online & Hybrid Learning Pedagogy Conference Agenda and Presentation Videos

    2022 Conference Agenda

    Thursday, September 22

    1:30 p.m.Welcome to the Online & Hybrid Learning Pedagogy Conference (David Thomson, Denver, Dean Bruce Smith, Denver) Watch Video
    2:00 p.m.Evidence-Based Research to Guide and Shape Legal Education - Hybrid and Online (Tiffane Cochran, AccessLex) Watch Video
    2:25 p.m.Empirical Designs in Efficacy Research on Hybrid and Online Education (Vicki VanZandt, Dayton) Watch Video
    2:50 p.m.International Perspectives on Regulators, Professionalism, and Legal Education (Paul Maharg, Newcastle) Watch Video
    3:40 p.m.Community Building: Reports from Recent Distance Learning Working Groups and Q&A (Jon Garon, NSU, Rebecca Purdom, UNH, William Byrnes, Texas A&M) Watch Video
    4:20 p.m.Listening to Learners: Panel Discussion and Q&A with Online and Hybrid Law Students (Moderator: David Thomson, Denver, Students: Kelsey Wilcox, Denver, Ali Stillman, Dayton, Ken Richard, UNH, Tammie Ton, St. Francis) Watch Video

    Friday, September 23

    9:00 a.m.Evidence-Based Design: Learning from the Past and Workshopping the Future (Concurrent & Consecutive Sessions)
     

    Lesson from the Data – Legal Education Responds to the Pandemic (Moderator: Vicki Van Zandt, Dayton) Watch Video
    Featuring:

    • Pandemic Empiricism: What the Data Says Worked and Didn’t During the COVID Crisis (James Levy, NSU)
    • Successful Synchronous Sessions: Using Synchronous Classes and Office Hours to Connect Material and Build Rapport (with student perspectives) (Anna Elbroch, UNH)
     

    Online and Hybrid Student-Centered Learning Workshop (Consecutive Sessions and Q&A) (Moderator: Sara Berman, Touro) Watch Video
    Featuring:

    • Building Community to Enhance Learning (Sophie Sparrow, UNH)
    • Improve Summative Assessment and Learning Outcomes by Using Online Tools to Create Purposeful Formative Assessments (Elena B. Langan, Touro, Patricia Baia, Touro)
    10:00 a.m.Plenary: Regs Affecting Distance Learning (Moderator: Greg Brandes) Watch Video
     

    Featuring:

    • The Impact of Changes in ABA Standards (William Adams, ABA)
    • Higher Education Funding and Access (Chris Chapman, AccessLex)
    • Q & A (Moderator: Greg Brandes)
    11:15 a.m.Plenary: Evidence-Based Learning Design for Online Programs (Nicole Noël, NESL, Chance Meyer, NESL) Watch Video
    1:00 p.m.Looking Ahead: Improving Pedagogy from Experience (2 Concurrent Sessions; No Moderators)
     Taking Stock: Applying Lessons Learned from Emergency Online Teaching to “Normal Times” Remote Education (Cindy Thomas Archer, UCI, Aimee Dudovitz, Loyola LA, Amy Levin, Loyola LA, Hillary Reed, U of Houston) Watch Video
     The Next Chapter: The Empirical Journey Through a School-Wide MBE Project… And How the Pandemic Changed Our Path Forever (Elizabeth Xyr, Monterey) Watch Video
    2:10 p.mOnline Pedagogy: Regulation and Design (Concurrent Sessions) Watch Video
     Teaching a Hybrid Administrative Law Simulation Class Using Jurassic Park (Roberto Corrada, Denver) Watch Video
     Proposals for Post-Pandemic Regulation and Curricular Reform Workshop (Moderator: Greg Brandes) Watch Video
     Distance Learning in Law Schools: Why It’s Time to Permanently Remove Restrictions (Kandace Kukas, Northeastern)
     Panel Discussion: Curriculum in the New Era of Legal Education (Jon Garon, NSU, Sophie Sparrow, UNH, Vicki VanZandt, Dayton, Elena Langan, Touro)
     The Student Experience
     The Importance of the Student Experience in Online Education (Catherine Schenker, AUWCL)
     Expanding Accessibility to Legal Education through Deliberate Online Design Choices (Susan Landrum, U of I Urbana-Champaign) Watch Video
    3:15 p.m.Plenary: LSAC Assessment Workshop – Assessments and Learning: Unlocking the Potential in all Law Students (Moderator: Zach DeMeola, LSAC) (Panelists: Lily Knezevich, LSAC, Jeremy Sakovich, LSAC, Michele Pistone, Villanova) Watch Video

    Friday, September 23

    9:00 a.mResearch & Assessment: Partners in Pedagogy (2 Concurrent Workshop Sessions)
     

    Featuring:

    • Empirical Research Workshop Watch Video
    • Teaching Online Advanced Legal Research – Optimize Student Learning Experience Watch Video

     

  • 2019 Conference Materials

    2019 Conference Agenda

 

Building on the success of the 2019 and 2022 conferences, the Online & Hybrid Learning Conference returns in 2024.

Distance education and other modern learning tools are hard at work in legal education and have now been applied across a broad sampling of schools. Outcomes-oriented design, integrated formative and summative assessment, online simulations, asynchronous learning, and other hallmarks of distance education have demonstrated efficacy in law teaching for decades. But… a robust empirical research agenda is just beginning to develop. The interesting questions continue to center around how and where these modern learning tools and disciplines can be used to best advantage.

Bringing together leaders of legal education and law school innovation, “Online & Hybrid Learning Pedagogy: Toward Defining Best Practices in Legal Education” will nurture the emerging consensus on best practices in a new era of change and challenge in legal education: 

  • For faculty looking to engage with tools now available to them to better their teaching and the students’ learning, there’s no better place to come and learn.  
  • For deans and administrators looking to encourage stronger academic performance and better outcomes for a new generation of law students -- and trying to predict what’s ahead for legal education -- the tools and approaches discussed at this conference will help.   
  • For the practice minded, experts on classroom and hybrid online applications will critically examine questions of balance, when live classrooms work best, and where teaching is better done in a hybrid or fully online learning environment. 

So much has changed, but so much is still the same…  This community seeks to identify emerging best practices, derived from more than 20 years of distance education in legal education, including the emergency remote teaching of mid-March to June 2020 and the more measured and planned practices employed before and since. Join us, to move this vital conversation forward.  

  • Lodging Information

    There are many hotels near the DU Campus, but none of them are within walking distance, unfortunately.  We have had good luck during prior conferences with these four hotels, but there are no specific package or conference rates that have been negotiated with them.  The Curtis is on the Denver Light rail system, while the others are a fairly short Lyft ride to campus.

    Courtyard Denver Cherry Creek

    Hilton Garden Inn Denver Cherry Creek

    Residence Inn Denver Cherry Creek

    The Curtis is a fun, hip, downtown boutique hotel where our conference attendees often enjoy staying.  It is located one block from the light rail, which (taken to the south) has a stop at the University of Denver.  It is a ten-minute walk to the Law School from the DU stop.  Learn more about the Curtis hotel here.

  • Map to HRTM

    The Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management building is just a short walk from the Ricketson Law Building.

    Map to the Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management building
  • Additional Resources

    Resources Contributed by Conference Attendees

    Articles

    Alternative Methods of Teaching and the Effectiveness of Distance Learning for Legal Education

    Assessing Online Learning in Law Schools: Students Say Online Classes Deliver

    Effective Teaching Online

    Books

    Distance Learning in Legal Education: Design, Delivery and Recommended Practices

    Higher Education in the Digital Age

    Make it Stick, The Science of Successful Learning

    Teaching Law Online

    An Urgency of Teachers: The Work of Critical Digital Pedagogy

    Organizations

    DU’s Office of Teaching & Learning experts

    International Society for Technology in Education

    Advice

    • Work with Online Course Developer at your institution
    • Use "Main campus" advice, training, support, resources (for law schools that are affiliated with a university), provided by a Center for Advancement of Teaching and Learning or similar office. They've been at this for much longer than we have, typically, and can offer a substantial head start. Also, there may be better continuity between college and law online courses if we are conforming to college models (where appropriate of course).
    • Talk to a faculty member who has developed and taught an online course before to determine if online teaching is a good fit for you and your course.
  • Local Restaurants

    Restaurants Near the Sturm College of Law

    Within Walking Distance

    Pete’s University Park Café
    2345 E. Evans Ave
    (303) 733-7376    		Einstein Bros Bagels
    1213 E Evans Ave
    (303) 722-9300
    Tatsu Sushi Ramen
    2022 S. University Blvd.
    (303) 777-8388    		Chipotle Mexican Grill
    1644 E. Evans. Ave
    (303) 722-4121
    Pho Saigon Star
    2045 S. University Blvd.
    (720) 633-8133    		Tokyo Bowl
    2337 E Evans Ave
    (720) 570-0720
    Mustard’s Last Stand
    2081 S. University Blvd.
    (303) 722-7936    		Serene Cuisine of India
    2070 S University Blvd
    (303) 284-6584
    Jerusalem Restaurant
    1890 E. Evans Ave.
    (303) 777-8828    		Pita Fresh
    2075 S University Blvd
    (303) 955-8711
    Noodles & Company
    1737 E. Evans Ave.
    (720) 535-7872    		Illegal Pete's
    1744 E Evans Ave
    (720) 974-2198
    Yum Yum Spice
    4318, 2039 S University Blvd
    (720) 542-9921    		Birdcall
    1535 E Evans Ave
    (720) 242-8106
    Jelly Café
    1700 E Evans Ave
    Phone number
    (720) 596-4108    		Snarf’s Sandwiches
    1729 E Evans Ave
    (303) 777-1664

     

    Short Drive

    La Belle Rosette
    2423 S University Blvd
    Denver, CO 80210
    (720) 508-4469    		Sexy Pizza
    1579 S Pearl St
    (303) 777-5878
    Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta
    1628 E. Evans Ave.
    (303) 744-3137    		Que Bueno Suerte
    1518 S Pearl St
    (720) 306-9328
    Lucile's Creole Cafe E. Evans
    2095 S Ogden St
    Denver, CO 80210
    303-284-5230    		Maddie's Restaurant
    2425 S Downing St
    (720) 389-8068
    The Pioneer Bar
    2401 S University Blvd
    (720) 536-4802    		Lincoln's Roadhouse
    1201 S Pearl St
    (303) 777-3700
    Which Wich
    3970 E Buchtel Blvd
    (303) 584-9424    		Spanky’s Roadhouse
    1800 E Evans Ave
    (303) 733-6886
    Washington Park Grille
    1096 S Gaylord St
    (303) 777-0707    		Vert Kitchen
    704 S Pearl St
    (303) 997-5941
    Sushi Den
    1487 S Pearl St
    (303) 777-0826    		Bird
    1529 S Pearl St
    (303) 777-0500
    Park Burger
    1890 S. Pearl St.
    (720) 242-9951    		Palizo Italiano
    1472 S Pearl St
    (720) 379-8595
    Tokyo Premium Bakery
    1540 S Pearl St
    (720) 531-3784    		Candlelight Tavern
    383 S Pearl St
    (303) 778-9530
    Tavern Platt Park
    1475 S Pearl St
    (303) 226-1766