Boston College prepares students for the real world
The Challenge
Boston College Law School’s professors wanted to give all of their students an opportunity to practice the skills and theories that they were learning in class. They also wanted students to interact with and learn from each other and a network of experts in order to create a greater sense of community within the classrooms. Online discussion boards and course builders helped students communicate with each other, but did not fix the disconnect between the classroom and real-world application.
BOSTON COLLEGE LAW SCHOOL CASE STUDY
Duration: 2:45
Play videoThe Need
Boston College Law School’s professors wanted to give all of their students an opportunity to practice the skills that they were learning, instead of the few that happened to be called on in class. They also wanted students to interact with and learn from each other in order to create a greater sense of community within the classrooms. The time spent lecturing and doing demos in class limited the amount students were able to collaborate and discuss topics with each other. Not only did Boston College Law School want to encourage student practice and interaction, they also hoped to increase communication with outside law professionals. Online discussion boards and course builders could easily help students communicate with each other, but those solutions still did not fix the disconnect between the classroom and real world application, as practice and information from industry experts would.
The Solution
By adopting Practice, Boston College Law School was able to help students gain real-world practice and knowledge before entering the workforce. Practice exercises were used to help students gain a greater sense of the practical applications of their theoretical knowledge and refine their communication and critical thinking skills when applied to actual cases. Practice’s video-based simulations not only primed students for engaging, meaningful in-class discussions, but also allowed instructors to better leverage their networks of practicing lawyers to provide real-world feedback to real-world problems.