Law School in a Pandemic | Student Perspectives on Distance Learning and Lessons for the Future SECTION 5
Fundamentals of a Positive Distance Learning Experience In the context of the pandemic, most did not feel the emergency transition to distance learning compared favorably to their in-person courses. When asked how likely they were on a scale of zero to 10 to recommend online J.D. courses, just 9% respond with a “9” or “10” — the standard commonly used to characterize product or service users as “promoters.” Eighteen percent give ratings of “7” or “8,” suggesting a “passive” attitude toward online courses, while 72% give ratings of “6” or less, classifying them as “detractors.” However, part-time students, 1L students and students at lower-ranked institutions are more likely to promote an online experience: • 32% of part-time students rate their likelihood to recommend online J.D. courses at a “9” or “10,” compared with 8% of full-time students. • 1L (11%) and 2L (11%) students are twice as likely as 3Ls (5%) to give ratings of “9” or “10.”
• Students at law schools ranked in tier four (No. 147 or below in the 2021 U.S. News rankings) are more than twice as likely to be promoters as students in the top tier (No. 1-50) — 15% vs. 6%, respectively. They are also considerably less likely to be detractors, 59% vs. 81%. TA B L E 7
On a scale of zero to 10 where “0” means you are not at all likely and “10” means you are extremely likely, how likely is it that you would recommend online J.D. courses to family, friends or colleagues? All J.D. students
Students at tier-one schools
Students at tier-two schools
Students at tier-three schools
Students at tier-four schools
9%
6%
9%
10%
15%
“7” or “8” (passives)
18%
13%
20%
18%
26%
“6” or less (detractors)
72%
81%
71%
72%
59%
“9” or “10” (promoters)
24
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