I tend to think visually and want to share with my students, especially my first-year civil procedure students, this way of analyzing cases and problems. Thus, I make extensive use of plaintiff-defendant diagrams , which map difficult fact patterns or concepts. Consider how the following image might make Pennoyer v. Neff easier to comprehend. Or, as used in my cyberlaw course, how an electronic cash system might work. Moreover, since the diagrams are linked to the weekly syllabus, they are available for review before or after class.
Some students print out the diagrams before class to facilitate note taking.
Other students do not panic about copying down the diagram precisely because they know that it is available on the Web, accessible at any time. This allows them more time in class to listen and to think. My students react with uniform enthusiasm. They find the extensive use of diagrams and their easy availability on the Web extraordinarily helpful in the learning process. We are familiar with how to use e-mail and listservs to communicate with our students.