This paper will analyze the use of Horizon Wimba’s Live Classroom (http://www.horizonwimba.com/)  in a “Virtual Law Office” online course in the Legal Studies program at University of Maryland University College (“UMUC”).  Since UMUC utilizes WebTycho for distance education course delivery, Horizon Wimba would supplement the primary course management system.  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/

DISCUSSION

The Context of the “Virtual Law Office” Course

            The Legal Studies (“LGST”) major educates and trains students for the paralegal profession.

http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/catalog05_06/catalog05_06.pdf  The curriculum follows American Bar Association (“ABA”) guidelines which recommend offering experiential learning opportunities.

http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/paralegals/downloads/2003guidelines.pdf

As Academic Director, this writer is committed to placing experiential learning within reach of all LGST students.  Many LGST students report to this writer that they cannot leave full-time jobs to pursue temporary internships.  Therefore, simply offering internships does little to place experiential learning within reach.  This offer falls short of UMUC’s mission:  “The University in its entirety has but one focus—the educational needs of the nontraditional student.”  http://www.umuc.edu/gen/mission.html

An alternative to internships is the online “Virtual Law Office” (“VLO”) that will simulate the law office experience.  Offering the course online makes it available to a broader base of students. 

Faculty members will team teach as “attorneys” and students will serve as “paralegals” in a “law firm” handling a case for a “client.”  To best simulate the law office experience, this writer recommends that students interact with faculty, classmates, clients, and “witnesses” using synchronous audio conferencing and an interactive whiteboard.  Asynchronous interaction does not simulate the law office.

WebTycho uses text only and does not have audio conferencing or whiteboard capabilities.  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/  Therefore, supplemental technology is needed to make the VLO true experiential learning.

Horizon Wimba:  The Solution?

            This writer proposes using Horizon Wimba in the VLO to facilitate synchronous interaction so vital for this simulation.  The following is an analysis of Horizon Wimba using the “SECTIONS” model.

Analysis of Horizon Wimba Using the “SECTIONS” Model

Bates and Poole (2003) recommend the model to evaluate the use of technology in distance education.  The criteria that comprise this model are students, ease of use and reliability, costs, teaching and learning, interactivity, organizational issues, novelty, and speed.

Students

            Under this criterion, we must consider the demographics of the students, the accessibility of the technology, and the different ways that students learn.  (Bates & Poole 2003)  Horizon Wimba satisfies this criterion.

            With regard to demographics, Bates and Poole (2003) advise us to use students’ needs as our guide.  The VLO is the only opportunity for experiential learning for students who cannot take temporary internships.  Horizon Wimba addresses this need by enhancing the VLO simulation.  The real-time audio conferencing allows students to, among other things, conduct real-time interviews of clients and witnesses.  The interactive whiteboard allows collaboration on problem solving strategies for the client’s case.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/

            Horizon Wimba will benefit students only if they can “access it in a convenient and affordable manner” (Bates & Poole, 2003, p. 81).  One of Horizon Wimba’s strengths is its ease of access.  We can assume that students will have computer access since UMUC requires this of distance education students.  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/   However, even if a computer is unavailable for an audio conference, students can participate by telephone.  Furthermore, the technology can operate with low bandwith, is compatible with various platforms and dial-up internet service, and software needed to run Horizon is free and easily downloadable.   Therefore, students need not purchase expensive equipment or software to use Horizon Wimba.  Finally, Horizon Wimba has several features that make it accessible to students with hearing and visual disabilities.   http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/

Horizon Wimba also accommodates both visual and auditory learners.  Bates and Poole (2003)   In addition to participating in audio conference interviews, auditory learners in the VLO can use Horizon Wimba to discuss complex problems with faculty and classmates.  Visual learners can collaborate on problem solving using visual aids via the whiteboard.

            Most important, Horizon Wimba facilitates the “major function of a university education…[which is] develop[ing] skills in abstract thinking and help[ing] students deal with complexity and uncertainty”  (Bates & Poole, 2003, p. 85).  These skills are the core of the VLO.  Its purpose is to prepare students for a profession in which they will face complexity and uncertainty.  As Bates and Poole so aptly put it, Horizon Wimba can help train students to “think outside the box.”  (p. 85)

Ease of Use and Reliability

            Horizon Wimba fulfills this criterion since it is easy to use.  It requires only a quick download and Java. http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/  WebTycho students should already have Java.  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/

If users cannot access the necessary downloads, Horizon Wimba’s audio conference is accessible via telephone.   Furthermore, Horizon is accessible with slower Internet service.

            Horizon boasts a short learning curve because of its intuitive design.   http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/  (Live Classroom Demo) In addition, it offers ongoing training for faculty.

            Bates and Poole (2003) instruct us that we should require students to learn new technology only when it serves an educational purpose.  Clearly Horizon Wimba facilitates learning and skills training in the VLO.  In addition, students’ mastering Horizon Wimba furthers UMUC’s goal of having graduates who are fluent in information technology.  http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/tech_resource/cci_fit.shtml       

            Horizon Wimba technology appears to be reliable.  Users report that they encounter few problems and technical support personnel are very accessible.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/community/testimonials.php   Furthermore, the company provides technical support; therefore, UMUC would not be responsible for this function. 

            Finally, Horizon Wimba appears to be a stable company.  (Bates & Poole 2003)  Horizon has partnered with WebCT/Blackboard and businesses including IBM and Apple.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/about/partners.php

Costs

            Horizon Wimba’s cost is reasonable when considering its benefit to the VLO and the LGST program.  Horizon Wimba will ensure the high quality of interaction that is emphasized by Bates and Poole.  (2003)

Furthermore, there is no cost to develop any materials.  Horizon will supplement material that will already be developed for WebTycho. 

Finally, the technology’s cost per student will likely decrease over time.  At first, the VLO will enroll approximately 30 students per year.  However, once a license is purchased UMUC can deploy Horizon Wimba in other LGST courses.  Deployment in other courses is likely since all LGST course objectives include the skills emphasized in the VLO.   For one price, Horizon permits use in unlimited classes within the LGST department.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/ 

Teaching and Learning

            Bates and Poole (2003) instruct us to examine three aspects.  They are “epistemology, the content and the skills to be developed by the learner, and methods of student assessment” (p. 96).

            Based upon their discussion of epistemology and content and skills, Bates and Poole (2003) would likely endorse Horizon Wimba for the VLO.  Students’ use of audio conferencing and the whiteboard enables them to apply knowledge to collaborative problem solving.  The audio conferencing feature can teach interviewing skills.  Requiring students to conduct interviews, rather than just write interview questions, is a more accurate simulation of the real world.  Paralegals must know how to ask questions as well as what to ask.  Since these skills are directly transferable to the real world, Horizon Wimba can be quite effective in the VLO.

            Horizon Wimba is also effective in modeling and assessing students’ performance.   (Bates & Poole 2003)  Faculty can use the audio conferencing feature to record a model interview.  Students can review the model, and then conduct their own interviews.  The student interviews can also be recorded and archived for faculty grading and student critiquing.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/ 

Interactivity

Horizon Wimba enhances the quality of five of the six modes of interaction explored by Anderson.  (2003)  These are student-teacher, student-student, student-content, teacher-content, and teacher-teacher.  Horizon Wimba’s features do not enhance content-content interaction already available in WebTycho’s “Webliography” (links to content-related Web resources).  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/ (WEBT 101).

            Bates and Poole (2003) instruct us that distance education students can learn better when there is quality interaction with others as opposed to interaction only with the computer.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/  Without Horizon in the VLO classroom, students are limited to computer-type interaction via asynchronous text.  This machine interaction is contrary to the human interaction that students will encounter in the real world.  Therefore, interaction afforded by Horizon Wimba is vital to the VLO simulation.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/

            Horizon also improves students’ and teachers’ interaction with content.  Together they can use visual aids to solve client’s problems via the interactive whiteboard. 

            Likewise, Horizon Wimba enhances teacher-teacher interaction.  Like students, faculty team members can collaborate using the conferencing and interactive whiteboard.

Organization

            Bates and Poole (2003) emphasize that organizational support for technology is important.  Using Horizon Wimba comports with UMUC’s pronouncement that “[d]istance education students use state-of-the-art technology to connect to faculty members, coursemates…  http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/mod1_frm.html”  Accordingly, UMUC should provide Horizon’s state-of-the-art features unavailable via WebTycho. 

            Horizon Wimba provides technical support and faculty training.  http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/  Therefore, UMUC would not incur significant costs for training and support.

Novelty

            Bates and Poole (2003) caution that technology should be chosen based upon students’ needs instead of the novelty of the technology.  They further advise us to consider innovative ways to use existing technology before venturing into new frontiers.  The VLO cannot offer students an effective law office simulation using only WebTycho technology.  Therefore, Horizon Wimba is essential for the simulation. 

Speed

            Yet another advantage of Horizon Wimba is that there is little to no content to develop before deployment.  Therefore, Bates and Poole’s (2003) concern regarding speed of development and change is not relevant.  Furthermore, any significant technology changes would be handled by Horizon Wimba, not by the faculty or UMUC.

CONCLUSION

            Clearly, audio conferencing and whiteboard features greatly enhance the experiential learning experience in the VLO.  While other similar technologies are available, Horizon Wimba is a good example of an accessible, cost effective means for providing necessary enhancements to the VLO.  WebTycho alone does not support VLO’s core objective of providing a real-world simulation of the law office.  Adding audio conferencing and the whiteboard furthers the missions of the LGST department and the university.  The challenge is convincing the university.

References

American Bar Association.  Available from American Bar Association Web site, http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/paralegals/downloads/2003guidelines.pdf

Anderson, T. (2003). Modes of interaction in distance education: Recent developments and research questions. In M.G. Moore & W.G. Anderson (Eds.), Handbook of distance education, (pp. 129-144). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.

Bates, A.W., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Horizon Wimba.  Available from Horizon Wimba Web site,

http://www.horizonwimba.com/

Horizon Wimba.  Available from Horizon Wimba Web site, http://www.horizonwimba.com/about/partners.php

Horizon Wimba.  Available from Horizon Wimba Web site,  http://www.horizonwimba.com/community/testimonials.php

Horizon Wimba.  Available from Horizon Wimba Web site, http://www.horizonwimba.com/products/liveclassroom/

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site, http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site, http://www.umuc.edu/distance/de_orien/mod1_frm.html

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site, http://www.umuc.edu/gen/about_programs.html

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site,  http://www.umuc.edu/gen/mission.html

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site, http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/catalog05_06/catalog05_06.pdf

University of Maryland University College.  Available from University of Maryland University College Web site, http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/tech_resource/cci_fit.shtml