The Future of…Post Graduate Education
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I received this from one of my law professors today about redesigning law school education. I say: YAY! Here’s what I love to see for ANY higher post grad education program, including law:
First year: classroom learning. Hard core. Face to face in order to learn the concrete principles in a field of study.
Second year: Online classrooms so we can learn anytime, anywhere, at our own pace–with a heavy portion of our final grades as applying the concepts to our real world work (as part time students and full time employees. While some can go back to post grad ed full time, I just don’t think the majority of us have that luxury anymore.) So - anytime Tivo-like learning with real world personal application would be the cornerstone of year 2.
Third year: Online and rotations. ”Real world classroom” learning. For law, maybe a student their third year could work at a free clinic for one rotation, work at not for profit leadership during another, to corporate law at yet another, and even other crazy places–like think tanks or the Mayor’s office, or the state or federal government (and even though I’m thinking in the construct of law school - why not have ALL types of grad students working in these places, or better yet, in teams at these places?) To see law in many applications would be fantastic. The only trick to this is for the part time students - they’d have to work out a schedule they could live with and bank their hours. Not hard to do - there are other professions (like pharmacy) which require a certain # of practical hours in the real world before students can graduate. Last but certainly not least, the student could work in a graduate capacity as a 3rd year for their DAYJOB employer! That way there’s a win-win-win. Student gets hours in on the job, student brings something extra to the employer, and school gets students with practical applicable knowledge. Also, the schools could create huge positive alum networks who could work as preceptors to the grad students.
Fourth year: Idea time. Paper/dissertation/presentation time. But, more about what did you learn, how does it apply to your current life, and what could you do with your learning moving forward? What could you do with this learning for your current employer? What could you do with this learning for your community? Self directed learning…kinda like self-actualization, but educationally. Go Maslow.
Now sign me up for that grad school! That would be AWESOME!!!
Posted on: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 4:03 pm 
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I received this from one of my law professors today about redesigning law school education…..
Извините, что я Вас прерываю, мне тоже хотелось бы высказать своё мнение….
March 19th, 2010 at 1:10 am