Law Student Technology Advisory Committee Met This Week

Here’s a brief summary of what was discussed:

Printing has improved greatly for students so far this year. Students occasionally have difficulty printing PDFs but using the DRIVER PRINT option almost always remedies this. Our use statistics show that more students are using DRIVER PRINT. (That means installing a driver for the printer directly on your machine…go to print.wlu.edu–>Driver Print Tab)

No problems noted with public PCs…that is a huge improvement from all prior years!

Wireless: Despite the fact that several students have been reporting “dropouts” in areas that should have high coverage…records of these problems suggest that most users who report this are using Mac Mountain Lion or later. If you hear of someone mentioning wireless connectivity problems…please send them our way!

Classroom Technology: No problems noted with PCs. Several committee members mentioned that while they are aware that Sakai use is on the increase, they have yet to experience it in a class and therefore were unable to comment on it.

Other: We spent a good bit of time discussing CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction) and its affordances for students who wish to supplement their learning with custom designed web-based learning modules. Andy Briggs relayed from the Law Library that in the past, the usage of CALI by students and faculty was scant and that there had been a perception that the quality of the content was inconsistent.

However, when I returned to the Law Librarian to report the discussion by the committee, I was pleased to learn that Stephanie Miller, the electronic services librarian, is accepting suggestions for topics that may be developed into e-learning modules. In fact, there may be some topics already under development! So if you have suggestions, please send them her way!

Top “Hidden” Technology Tools for W&L Law School

Technology changes very rapidly and you are not alone if you feel like keeping abreast is a challenge. The Law Technology Staff does our best to help you keep up by bringing selected tools into Lewis Hall. If you try any of these out, please let us know your experience and opinion at lawtech@wlu.edu. Questions and suggestions are also welcome!

The TOP TEN “Hidden Technology Tools” follow…

Big Changes for Law Technology & Law Media Services

By J. Andrew Briggs, Ed.S.

Over the summer, while you were working away with your research, internships, and clerkships,  Law Technology Services joined into a larger change process in the Law School and within the University as a whole.

Not only did we install all new PCs in most every classroom and instructional space, we began planning for projector upgrades in five of our primary classrooms and started a dialogue with the Law Library about how to better align our joint resources of equipment and personnel.

For those of us working in Law Technology & Law Media Services, the implications of these changes are broader still.  Although perhaps invisible to the naked eye, all of us left the direct reporting line within the Law School and moved to join the University-Wide Information Technology Services organization.

New This Fall! 1] With Instructor permission, Law Media can record and render lecture audio content from enabled classrooms into the portable and convenient MP3 format! 2] More student help during expanded hours, including mid-day shifts on many Saturdays & Sundays! 3] Starting Oct. 7, more accessible technology help; technology support will be available most mornings at the Library Circulation Desk. 4] Many instructors are exploring the use of Sakai as a course or content management system that, in several key aspects, is more accessible than the Stable or the use of mapped network drives.

We look forward to teaming up with ITS, who share our long-standing goal of bringing you the best technology experience possible with a minimum of “noise” during necessary and periodic changes of software, systems, and upgrades.  If you have any questions, suggestions or other input, please stop by and talk with us…or email us at lawtech@wlu.edu.  Thanks!

MP3 Technology Helps Students Review Lectures

With permission from the professor, W&L Law students may now obtain podcasts of the lecture content from class through Law Media Services. “We had a student ask us about this,” says Tommy Williams, Director of Law Media Services. “She wanted to hear the lecture a second time while on the treadmill at the gym.”
So with permission from Prof. Susan Franck, every lecture in Conflict of Laws is automatically placed in the course folder on the L Drive in the “Handouts” section.
“I love it!” Professor Franck stated. “I remember learning this subject as a student. It was complex, but my professor recorded the audio content of every class with this goofy looking microphone thing. He made mp3’s for us. He was ahead of his time.”
Learning theory supports the notion that most learners require some repetition as they strive to gain mastery over new subject matter. “[The students] are building new schemas,” Franck added. “I’m happy that each student can determine and manage how much exposure to the content they need.”
For more information about getting mp3 podcast of your class, send an inquiry to mailto:lawmedia@wlu.edu or speak with your instructor.

Top Ten Tech Tips for Starting the Year

10] If you EVER change your W&L Network Password, remember to update it RIGHT AWAY in your laptop and any other devices
9] Use double-sided printing to stretch your student print budget
8] Bring dead batteries from over the summer to Lewis Hall Techno-Trash bins to help save the environment
7] Set a security pass code for your handheld device
6] Check for Operating System updates weekly for your laptop
5] Log onto the Stable thestable.wlu.edu before you need to use it so you get the plugin done
4] Use an app like Lookout to secure your mobile phone
3] Remember that your print budget is for the academic YEAR…not the semester
2] Borrow laptop chargers from the library but try to remember to bring your own
1] Since the class recording system is in the middle of an upgrade please understand that MAC devices will not currently allow you to review class recordings. Since windows and IE are needed, you can use public PCs (with headphones) or borrow a laptop from the library

New Classroom PCs Are Blazing Fast

John Watkins from Campus IT sent over the 13 new classroom PCs we requested and our in-building technology team has customized the software and installed them in all of our “standard” classroom spaces. They are fast! So far they have run in every space with no problems.

Among the other tasks we are working on:
–replacing public computers
–replacing some faculty computers
–updating the software on the Law Library loaner laptops

It may have been a cool summer out of doors in Lexington, but the technology folks have been busy preparing for summer’s end! Seeya soon!

Legal Research Transition for WestLaw

While W&L Law Library staff and programs will be a top source for learning legal research, our technology team supports the mission through network capabilities, device care, troubleshooting, and by facilitating utilization. This summer, Westlaw made a change that you should know about…
Q: What’s the change?!
A. For the first time in recent memory, there will be no Westlaw printers in Lewis Hall.
Q: Why the change?
A. I can’t speak for them, but I have observed that West has been developing and increasingly promoting WestLawNext over its traditional WestLaw interface. If you can use folders and digital data effectively, you might save time, money and resources.
Q: What if I have to have a printed copy!?
A. If you print through your student print account, your account will be billed now. Lexis is keeping their printers here for now, so that will aid in the transition for those who need a hard copy at no cost.
Q: I just learned Westlaw! Do I have to learn a new Westlaw now!?
A. No. According to Westlaw, “When you move from Westlaw to Westlaw Next, you won’t have to relearn research skills. You will find similar features and services on Westlaw Next.”
For more information:
–Check out this link showing comparison between Westlaw and WestLawNext
–See a W&L Law Librarian!
–Contact a W&L Legal Research representative.

Log In Woes? Try These Tidy Troubleshooting Tips:

1] Do my username and password work?!

Test your username and password on our network. NOTE: You don’t have to change your password to test your login at our Everyone Print Page.

2] My username and password work, but I cannot login to web resources!

First of all, use Internet Explorer. We’re not saying this to make it anyone’s favorite browser, but it does work best for our enterprise software and related applications.

3] Off campus?

When logging in to web resources at W&L you sometimes find that typing the letters “AD” followed immediately by a “backslash,” allows you access when the username and password alone do not.  I can explain why, but not here.

4] Why not try as if you are ON campus?

Use The Stable to try and access that web resource. It is an on-campus, virtual Windows 7 computer that you access through your web browser! You will have to install a citrix plug-in, but practice using The Stable now could save you many headaches and much time down the road…

5] Last, but not least, email lawtech@wlu.edu.

Send as much detail as you comfortably can…what browser are you using?  When was the last time your password worked? What error messages did you see?  Do you want us to contact you? How?

Planning for Stress-Free Technology at Law School

Plan now to make your first year at W&L low stress from the technology perspective.

Easy to do…BIG payoff:

1] Route your W&L email to your smart phone.
2] Prepare a data backup regimen (and USE it!)
3] Experiment with W&L’s Stable

1] You know your W&L email address…get it on your smartphone.  The directions at the link above will provide guidance for iPhones or Droids.  Do yourself a favor and set this up before Orientation/Matriculation…you will have lots of other compelling things to do at that busy time!

2] The “data disaster” rate among students at W&L Law is incredibly low!  Don’t be next year’s first victim…spend for a new external hard drive…they are only $60-100.  You should replace an external drive after three years and sooner if you expose it to extremes of heat or cold, have dropped it more than once, or have filled your current drive to more than 85% capacity.

3] Start using The Stable NOW! You need to install a little plugin from Citrix, so don’t wait for a time crunch to take care of this.

The Stable is a virtual Windows 7 computer that is “on campus” at W&L.  The Lippizan image is custom designed by our Director of Technology Services and includes Law School specific software for your later work in clinic(s).  But the greatest things about The Stable are that it is a secure connection to On Campus Computing Resources from anyplace in the world that has a decent internet connection.

Email me at briggsja@wlu.edu if you have questions or suggestions about what you read about or would like to share on this blog.

 

Basic Information about W&L Law Technology

First of all, you should know that the clearinghouse for Law Technology information at W&L Law is the Law Technology Home Page.

Students most frequently ask about printing and wireless connectivity, with laptop troubleshooting as a close third.

You will receive an email from Law Technology Director Ben Hartless over the summer with the most current information. Our email is lawtech@wlu.edu. We don’t email often, but when we do, it is both practical and important to all students. Have a great summer!