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Into practice
Timely teaching advice and research findings
Applying Pedagogical Insights to Large Online Courses
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 When William Fisher, WilmerHale Professor of Intellectual Property Law, was approached to create an online course version of his Harvard Law School Copyright course, he agreed with the stipulation that CopyrightX be paired with the residential version, that enrollment be limited to 500, and that students meet in discussion sections of 25. Both online and residential students watch the same 90-minute lecture video prior to class time. When the class meets, Fisher facilitates case study discussions with residential students and 15-20 teaching fellows do so for sections of online students. Sometimes, residential and online students meet virtually to hear from a guest speaker.
The challenges: Due to the nature of the course content and because the law changes every year, Fisher finds that he must update at least one lecture video every year. Though time-consuming, this task is vital to ensure that the foundations and cases to which the students have access remain relevant.
Takeaways and best practices:
- Ensure lectures are comprehensive and incisive. Prior to flipping his residential course, Fisher hadn’t prepared formal lectures but used the Socratic method for courses. To create the necessary 90-minute lecture videos, Fisher first used dictation software to produce a draft transcript. After heavy editing, he then recorded his lecture a second time and refined as necessary.
- Develop a network of teachers. The teaching fellows who lead case discussions in the online course earn course credit and gain experience teaching law. Additionally, Fisher holds a summit every May for anyone who has ever taught a section of CopyrightX, which is now offered at affiliate universities. Participants discuss new developments in the course, pedagogical strategies, and areas for improvement.
- Allow for flexibility in case selection. Fisher presents cases cold to the residential students to build skills for analyzing on the spot. Students develop arguments for the plaintiff or defendant at the start of the semester for each case; halfway through the semester, their assignment is swapped. For the online students, teaching fellows assign cases chosen from a repository to be read prior to the live discussion, allowing them to tailor to different interests.
Bottom line: Using the flipped and blended classroom approach, Fisher’s students have consistently shown a stronger understanding of copyright law than in the course’s previous iteration. The student evaluations, increased student knowledge, and high completion rate (80%) of this “networked course” speak to the effectiveness of his approach. He encourages faculty creating an online version of their course to “aim high—assume your audience can handle the hard stuff, and they will.”
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What the research shows
This review of the flipped classrooms in nursing education found its positive effects on student outcomes and satisfaction, while this more generic review of literature for the flipped classroom methods presented inconclusive evidence that the flipped classroom methods would improve student learning outcomes.
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Related resources and opportunities
The Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning provides guidance for faculty to Teach Remotely, including tips for remote lectures.
For more information about CopyrightX, check out the Berkman Klein Center article about the course.
Instructional Moves features a video of the Homeostasis I course, in which instructors discuss how they design simulation sessions so that students prepare at home and use class time to apply what they have learned. In another featured case teaching classroom, the instructor works to build structure and flexibility into lesson plans to ensure students meet learning objectives for cases, yet leaves room for the less predictable insights and connections students raise.
Harvard Library’s Copyright First Responders are natural partners in courses that are focused on copyright law. They are also a great resource for any instructor with a copyright inquiry related to teaching and learning.
When it comes to flipping a classroom, faculty can check with local academic support staff to learn about Panopto and other recordings tools available to them.
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