University Daily Kansan / Monday, November 28, 1988
Campus/Area
3
Law school enters computer age
Dario Robertson, law professor, has developed legal software for Apple Computers, Inc.
KU professor a pioneer in software to teach law
By Katy Monk
Kansan staff writer
A KU professor is helping to bring law into the educational mainstream of using computers as teaching tools.
"The legal profession doesn't know computers, and law schools aren't much better," said Dario Robertson, associate professor of law. "You don't realize the potential of educational software."
Robertson is one of 75 Apple Computer Inc. legal fellows who develop educational software for legal study. Working with $20,000 in Apple equipment granted to the law school for his project, he is beginning this semester to develop computer tutorials in various areas of law.
Al Johnson, associate dean of law, said Robertson was the only KU law professor who was dead.
"Dario is certainly the pioneer in the area," Johnson said.
Daryl Weiner, manager for strategic projects higher education marketing for Apple, said the company had started supporting educational software development three or four years ago. Law has become an area of focus only in the last year.
Robertson is planning a library of tutorials for every aspect of some courses he teaches. This semester he gave students the option of earning online tutorials within the course's subject matter.
He plans to use "CourseBuilder" and "VideoBuilder" authoring systems to develop interactive tutorials in areas such as corporations, manufacturing, moot court and international trade law
An authoring system is a software tool that allows the user to create a customized program without knowing a programming language. The computer generates the program.
Robertson now is using Oyster and CourseBuilder to develop the tutorials. An Oyster tutorial consists of a hypothetical situation allowed by a set of multiple-choice questions.
"i say 'agree', it gives me an explanation and then another question: 'Do you agree or disagree with the explanation, and why? It tells us through the reason for your judgment,' he said.
Of the two authoring systems, CourseBuilder is the revolutionary one, Robertson said.
"The things you can do with this, you would normally have to know a programming language that is used."
CourseBuilder allows a user — even one with only basic word-processing skills — to manipulate the content of a tutorial while using it. The system can analyze the changes instantaneously and respond to them, making it an interactive system.
For example, using CourseBuilder and VideoBuilder, a related system, a user could act as an attorney involved in a legal case on the user's actions influence how the case proceeds.
Although Robertson is working with Apple-donated equipment, he said he intended to copyright the software and distribute it free to people in related fields. Eventually he would like to market it at a competitive price, with proceeds going to the school for more research and development and possibly for a legal technology center.
Ted Briscoe, higher education account executive for Apple, said, "Robertson) is one of a handful of people working on legal software for
us. It's extremely significant in the legal field for Apple."
Teaching with tutorials, which allow students to learn law "hands on," could make KU a leader in computer usage in law. Robertson said. Students would benefit in several ways.
First; he said, complex areas of law would become easier to understand and more interesting to learn. Tutorials make education more fun and more accessible.
Third, students would have a more significant competitive advantage in the marketplace, even as a solo practitioner.
Second, law firms now place a premium on hiring students who understand information
Racial suit filed against Haskell
Former teacher alleges infractions
By James Farquhar Kansan staff writer
A former instructor at Haskell Indian Junior College has sued the school, alleging that his March 4 firing was racially motivated.
John is suing U.S. Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel; Assistant Secretary Ross O. Swimmer, who heads the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs; and Haskell's president; and Charles Haskell, Haskell's dean of instruction
Kenneth Robert John, Lawrence resident, filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., on Nov. 15 because he said Haskell administers a plan to work more than with American Indian employees in similar circumstances.
He is seeking damages in excess of $10,000.
The District Court, however, as of last week, did not yet have records of the case. Goboe said that he had not been charged with assault and would not comment further.
John said Haskell administrators fired him last spring because he returned to Haskell about a half-hour late two times a week from teaching a sociology course at the University of Kansas.
He was an instructor in life sciences and sociology at Haskell. During the fall 1887 semester, he was a temporary sociology lecturer at KU but is no longer employed by the University.
John said his dismissal was inappropriate for, what he termed, a "minor infraction" because Indian employees had broken more serious regulations and received lesser penalties.
John, who is white, said it was common for Haskell faculty and administrators to take long lunches and make up meals either before or after classes. He spent 10 hours.
However, the extra time almost never was made up, he said, because administrators rarely monitored the computers locked before and after business hours.
"Coming in late twice a week is an infraction of the rules," he said. "But I can point to a dozen more serious Indian teachers have broken, and they have gotten off scot-free or with just a repr*mand."
C
Coming in late twice a week is an infraction of the rules. But I can point to a dozen more serious rules Indian teachers have broken, and they have gotten off scot-free or with just a reprim-
— Kenneth Robert John Former instructor at Haskell Indian
Junior College
John said he could document more serious infractions by Indian faculty members that were treated lightly.
"I won't have any trouble finding enough evidence for the court case," he said.
John also contends that Haskell officials did not follow proper channels for disciplining federal employees.
"They completely violated all bureau guidelines for disciplining them, but I gave me absolutely no warning that they were considering any action.
"They basically gave me the death penalty for the first offense."
On April 1, John appealed his dismissal through the federal employee appeals process. The process requires that a complainant wait six months for the government to investigate before filing a law suit.
"I've waited a half a year, and they haven't done a damn thing," he said. "I decided I wasn't getting any out of them and so I live like it."
Gipp, who has been temporarily assigned to the Washington, D.C. office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, was not available for comment.
In a separate case, Gipp is under investigation for a complaint that he ordered his daughter's failing grade in records management class last spring be changed so she could graduate. His daughter, Denise, then was hired by the school and given a $600 bonus along with her co-workers.
Hodel and Swimmer both were unavailable for comment.
3,200 return for completion enrollment
Kansan staff writer
By Grace Hobson
For 3,200 students, enrollment headaches did not end when main enrollment did on Nov. 21.
Instead, those students had to return to the enrolment center Tuesday to try to fill their
During main enrollment, 3,200 pink forms were issued to students who had less than 15 hours. On Tuesday, the forms were their tickets to the second round of enrollment.
Some students were successful in their bids for more classes.
"I got exactly what I wanted," said Kristin Leavard. Leavard said the first thing they put in computer, "got."
Deerer said Tuesday wasn't her first experience with completion enrollment, but it was by far the easiest. Last year, she said, the line wound through a group of students to complete circle back to the enrollment center.
James Carothers, associate dean of liberal arts and sciences, said that at its longest on Tuesday, the line was half as long as it was the year before and was gone by 11:30 a.m.
Edith Guffey, assistant director of the office of student records and in charge of the enrollment center, said the average wait to enter the enrollment center was about 45 minutes.
F.
For freshmen and sophomores who say 'I can't find anything — everything's closed,' you know it can't be right. Then you learn that 9:30 is too early in the morning, and 1:30 is too late in the afternoon. They aren't interested in anything but what they've known all their lives.'
Assistant to the dean of liberal arts and sciences
Not all students shared Deeter's positive experience with completion enrollment. Justin Phar, Scott City senior, said he didn't get any of the requirements and needed to complete his maor requirements by August.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences set up a "trouble" room to advise ill-fated students, who Ke Phar, didn't get the classes they needed the school had. He attended schools in the University, the college office, the
"I've got two choices," Phar said. "I can drop out or transfer schools."
college honors program and the Advising Support Center volunteered to help students find classes to fill their schedules.
Pam Houston, assistant to the dean of liberal arts and sciences, worked throughout Tuesday in the "trouble" room, which was located across the street from the hospital. The students who were flexible, the advisers were helpful.
"For freshmen and sophomores who say 'I can't find anything — everything's closed', you know it can't be right," she said. "Then you learn that 9:30 is too early in the morning, and 1:30 is too late in the afternoon. They aren't interested in anything but what they've known all their lives."
Houston and many other college officials emphasized that students shouldn't expect to take only popular classes. Students should look at classes like anthropology and geology.
But not all students' enrollment problems are solved by finding alternate courses. Many seniors found that their upper-level major classes were closed. For those students, the advisers suggested add/drop or going straight to the departments to get the classes they needed.
Another troubled group on Tuesday consisted of students needing to enroll in sequence courses, such as Spanish 108. Although enrollment officials could not issue closed class openers, Carothers said the college would do everything possible to insure those students would get their classes.
Transient is competent for trial, judge decides
By a Kansan reporter
John William, the 27-year-old transi-
tion者 who faces first degree murder
charges for the death of a 9-yea-
r-old Lawrence boy this summer,
on Wednesday was found
mentally competent to stand trial
by Judge James Paddock, Douglas
County District Court.
A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 28, said Jim Flory, Douglas County District Attorney.
The ruling came after staff members at Larned State Hospital reported that William had attained competency, and despite the opinion of an expert witness for the defendant that William was not competent.
According to Kansas statute, a person is incompetent to stand trial if, because of mental illness
or defect, he is unable to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings against him or is forced to assist in making his defense.
William was arrested July 14 after the mutilated body of Richard D Settlemy was found in a river near River near the turnpike bridge.
A competency examination carried out by the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, 336 Missouri St., found that William was unable to assist in making his defense. On Aug. 12, he was found incompetent by Paddock and committed to Larned.
Flory also filed An alternative first degree murder charge, felony murder, and a one count of felony kidnapping on Wednesday.
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