Full Circle Associates

Via Beth comes a pointer to a unique and very interesting offering: CyberOne: Law in the Court of Public Opinion:

"Welcome to the course website for Law in the Court of Public Opinion. This course is being offered jointly in the Harvard Law School and the Harvard Extension School in the fall semester, 2006.

If we do say so ourselves, the course will be unlike any that has ever been taught. It is a course in persuasive, empathic argument in the Internet space. Throughout the course we will be studying many different media technologies to understand how their inherent characteristics and modes of distribution affect the arguments that are made using them. Students will be immersed in this study through project-based assignments in which they will be using these technologies to make their own arguments."

They welcome not only Harvard Law students, Harvard Extension students, but also us "learners at large." Gee, if I could find more time in the day, I'd take part. Hmm... maybe I can find a little time... The distributed participation is being supported through a Second Life experience. Another thing on my to do list.

The introductory video was quite useful to me. It framed both the offering from a content and process dimension, gave me a sense of what empathic might mean through the demeanor of the professors, Charlie and Rebecca Nesson. It is interesting to peek into their course development wiki.

As I browsed the course information I was reminded about a bunch of thoughts that have been percolating in my head about the sea-change we are in. It was the use of the word "empathic" in the course description that grabbed me. How we "are" with each other online is of great interest.

I have been seriously thinking about totally redesigning my online facilitation workshop because we have entered a new phase of online interaction and many of the old assumptions are insufficient, the modalities are far more diverse (as exemplified by this course offering at Harvard) and the challenges of multi-membership and what that means to our time and attention is significant.

I need a sabbatical. Anyone have a small house overlooking the sea where I can go sit and think and write for a couple of months? Of course, with internet connection! ;-)