NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma College of Law prides itself on technological innovation. It is North America’s only Apple Distinguished Law School and has received accolades for its Digital Initiative program and Center for Technology & Innovation in Practice. Now, using artificial intelligence, it has launched a ChatGPT-integrated QuizBot to help students learn legal concepts in a modern, interactive way.
Developed by Sean Harrington, OU Law director of technology and innovation, this AI interface helps students learn through interactive conversations about important legal topics. He likens it to sitting across from your law professor and having an in-depth, meaningful conversation.
“In our first discussions about using ChatGPT, there wasn’t a template for artificial intelligence in the practice of law class. Even if AI was mentioned, it was focused on old technology,” he said. “Now, the old model of reading a textbook, discussing it in class and writing a paper on that topic is obsolete. This chatbot has completely changed the game for us.”
Leveraging his coding skills, Harrington used Python to make a Socratic chatbot that is polite and positively encourages students to demonstrate their knowledge of the readings. Each day, students digitally interact with a QuizBot that is trained to ask insightful questions about the material. They then submit their chat transcripts to Harrington for assessment.
“Since the chatbot is fully interactive and customizable, students can ask it to respond in ways that benefit them. If they have dyslexia or if they prefer to be asked questions in their native language, it can do it,” he said. “Most importantly, it allows students to interact with and get comfortable with AI. They get rep after rep and learn its capabilities and its drawbacks.”
After a successful trial run, Harrington published a paper in late 2024 in which he argues that the QuizBot increases student engagement, personalizes learning, improves learning outcomes and gives students practical AI experience that will benefit their legal careers.
A representative from the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction soon approached Harrington about offering QuizBot nationally. Harrington agreed, and CALI will soon launch the model. Since he shared the code for free on GitHub, any law school in the country could also develop its own QuizBot.
“Any school or professor can do this for very little money,” he said. “I’m not making any money from it, and CALI is a non-profit, so they aren’t either. The way I see it, a rising tide lifts all boats.”
Learn more about OU Law’s Digital Initiative and read Harrington’s 2024 paper titled, “Introducing QuizBot an Innovative AI-Assisted Assessment in Legal Education.”
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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