Introduction
This
proposal suggests that the law library create and maintain a virtual reality
courtroom for law students to get more realistic experience in a courtroom in a
relatively low-stakes environment before participating in mock trial
competitions or participating in a real court trial. The literature shows that
law school libraries are adopting or considering virtual reality technology to
assist their students in getting courtroom experience before actually entering
a courtroom. And because law firms are starting to use virtual reality
technology to help prepare their witnesses for court and depositions, as well
as using virtual reality technology to provide evidence in court, law students
will be at an advantage if they are already familiar with and know how to use
virtual technology. It is also another great way for law libraries to remain
relevant as students use law libraries less for physical resources and more as
study spaces and places to access electronic and other resources.
Virtual
reality is a
realistic three-dimensional image or artificial environment created with a
mixture of interactive hardware and software. Virtual reality makes it possible to experience
anything, anywhere, anytime. It is the most immersive type of reality
technology and can convince the human brain that it is somewhere it really is
not. Head-mounted displays are used with headphones and hand controllers to
provide a fully immersive experience.
With the largest technology companies in the world (Facebook, Google, and
Microsoft) currently investing billions of dollars into virtual reality companies and startups, the future of virtual reality is set to be a part of
our everyday lives (Reality
Technologies, 2016). Preparing law students to successfully try a
case in court in such an environment would be extremely beneficial.
Literature Review
Fernandez
(2017) discussed virtual and augmented reality technologies in education. He writes that the main focus should always be
on improving students’ learning outcomes. He defines virtual reality as “an
environment created by a computer system that simulates a real situation” (p.
2). It provides the user with the opportunity to be immersed in a programmed
environment that simulates a reality. Fernandez (2017) goes on to say that the
learning methodologies with the greatest impact are those that confront
students with a real situation they have to solve using acquired theoretical
knowledge. Moreover, access to knowledge is more democratic since students who
may struggle to achieve some learning goals may now be able to achieve those
goals with this new learning opportunity. Virtual reality technology can help
clarify abstract concepts.
Ulicki
(2012) believes that a critical need exists in law schools for a pedagogical transformation to
provide students not only with a substantive education of the law, but also to
provide them with opportunities to gain skills in a medium that will allow them
to encounter real-life situational problems. She points out that other fields,
such as the medical community and the military, have embraced virtual reality
technology for education, training, and virtual experience.
It is well known that moot (or mock)
court is beneficial for law students in getting practical experience to round
out their theoretical knowledge. Yule, McNamara, and Thomas (2010) wrote that
through moot court academic learning is improved, students learn to think like
a lawyer, it assists students in developing written and oral communication,
legal research and advocacy, and helps them to gain self-confidence and build
character. Moreover, moot court helps students understand courtroom processes
and how to run a case (p. 138). Yule et al. (2010) determined in their
investigation of the use of technology in moot court scenarios that starting
out with technology-based moot trials are less threatening to inexperienced
students. Their study used Second Life, a virtual reality environment developed
by Linden Labs and launched in 2003. The moot trial in Second Life created a
sense of occasion and, for inexperienced students, introduced them to the basic
mechanics and dynamics of the court environment (p. 143). There were drawbacks, such as technical
difficulties, the need for IT support, and the limited ability of the platform
to allow students to practice advocacy skills (p. 144).
Öngöz, Karal, Tüysüz, Yıldız, and Kılıç, (2017) studied the
development a three-dimensional virtual court for legal education. Their
research found that “the feeling of existing in and belonging to a virtual
environment is higher than that of the traditional classroom environment.
Simultaneous communication in the virtual environment has a motivating effect
on students” (p. 71). They write that virtual court can be used as part of the
teaching methods and techniques for transforming theoretical knowledge into
practice in law faculties and as a lifelong learning environment where
experienced lawyers and judges can share their knowledge with younger
colleagues and law students. They also say that virtual court experience “will
allow the use of different teaching methods and techniques, can provide a
flexible and independent learning environment, and can help correct procedural
mistakes made in the legal system” (p. 78).
Law
schools traditionally are slow in embracing change, but some are already
utilizing the virtual world technology. The University of Oklahoma and
UNT Dallas College of Law are currently working on creating entire virtual
reality universes to give their students opportunities to practice in a
realistic environment before engaging in an actual high-stakes situation. The
University of Oklahoma Virtual Academic Laboratory provides all its students
with educational virtual reality experiences. (Alvarez, 2018).
Application in Today’s Law Library
As Library of the Future (2017) points out, libraries
have long served as the public’s first exposure to new technologies, and they
probably will again with virtual reality. Perfecting virtual reality technology
in a learning setting is still an ongoing endeavor, but one worth seriously
considering being on the front lines of. If the law library recognizes and
adapts to the limitations of virtual reality presently, it can be very
successful and be a leader in bringing this technology to the law library.
Focusing
on providing a realistic courtroom setting for law students to practice mock
trials in is a great way to introduce this technology into the law library.
This could open up doors to other virtual reality situations to provide
supplemental educational experiences to our students before they practice in a
high-stakes, real-world situation.
Challenges/Issues
Cost has always been a major challenge for virtual
reality technology. Another challenge is having someone knowledgeable enough to
set up the scenarios and maintain the system. One of the biggest challenges,
according to Alvarez (2018), is hardware limitations. However, according to Library
of the Future (2017), in March 2014, Facebook
announced the acquisition of Oculus, a startup that
had launched a crowdfunding campaign for their Rift headset resulting in over
$2.5 million raised. Facebook isn’t the only player in the space, as Google
(Cardboard, Daydream), Samsung (Gear VR), HTC (Vive), and Sony (Playstation VR) have
introduced platforms and hardware for virtual reality. Moreover, recent
developments have been promising advances in computing power, more accurate
motion sensors, and displays with better resolution.
There is also a limited availability of technical
expertise. This is where the law library can come into play. They have a full staff
of IT professionals, and offering this technology in the library means that all
professors and students don’t need to have the technical expertise – they can
rely on the library staff for that.
Fernandez (2017) discusses the risk of isolation from
peers while using virtual reality technology. However, if a virtual reality
courtroom is used as a supplement to law classes and study groups, that should
not be an issue. He also warns against seeing virtual reality technology as the
end, rather than a means to the end, which is improving students’ learning
outcomes.
Fernandez (2017) also discusses the issues with the limited
technology capabilities of faculty. Teachers would need to be trained how to
use this technology and, more importantly, how to use this technology within a
teaching itinerary. He did not mention this, but the obvious answer is having
the library, with its technologically savvy IT staff and librarians, provide this
kind of service. Yule, et al (2010) brought up the issues of needing IT support
for technical difficulties and limited ability to practice advocacy skills;
however, with newer technology available eight years later and having the law
library host the virtual reality courtroom would take care of those drawbacks.
Conclusion
There are some obstacles
and challenges, but available literature and resources suggest that the
benefits far outweigh the challenges. A law library that offers its
students virtual reality experience in a courtroom will not only attract
potential students to the law school, it will get students into the law
library. Having the library provide this service makes sense since they already
have a dedicated IT staff, IT librarian, and technologically savvy librarians
and staff right there on site to run the program and assist with technical
difficulties.
References
Alvarez, G. (2018).
Law schools dive into virtual reality experiences for their students. ABA
Journal. Retrieved on April 9, 2018 from http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_schools_dive_into_virtual_reality_experiences_for_their_students
Fernandez, M. (2017).
Augmented virtual reality: How to improve education systems. Higher
Learning Research Communications, 7(1), 1-15. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.library.valdosta.edu:2048/10.18870/hlrc.v7i1.373
Öngöz,
S., Karal, H., Tüysüz, M., Yıldız, A., & Kılıç, A. (2017). Development of three
dimensional virtual court for legal education. Turkish Online Journal of
Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 69-90. doi:10.17569/tojqi.288854
Reality Technologies - Virtual Reality
(2016). Retrieved April 17, 2018 from http://www.realitytechnologies.com/virtual-reality
Library of the Future - Virtual Reality
(2017). American Library Association. Retrieved April 17, 2018 from http://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/virtualreality
Ulicki, J. (2012). Transforming Legal
Education: Teaching Law in a Virtual World Environment. Institute for Law
Teaching and Learning – 2012 Conference – Technology in and Beyond the
Classroom Presentations. Retrieved from file:///Users/jenzie/Downloads/Transforming%20Legal%20Education-Teaching%20Law%20in%20a%20Virtual%20World%20Environment_stamped%20(2).pdf
Yule,
J., McNamara, J., & Thomas, M. (2010). Mooting and Technology: To what
extent does using technology improve the mooting experience for students? Legal
Education Review, 20(1/2), 137-155. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.library.valdosta.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lgh&AN=59898031&site=eds-live&scope=site
