College of Law faculty present as finalists at international technology innovation challenge

A team of Jacksonville University faculty reached the finals of an international technology innovation competition during the Rhodes Annual Forum on Technology and Society, hosted at Rhodes House in Oxford, England. The team presented on lexperience™, an artificial intelligence-driven, immersive learning experience based on a video game platform that promises to revolutionize the teaching and application of legal skills.

The Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge asked innovators from around the world to propose ways that AI can foster empowerment and meaningful human development. Members of the Rhodes and Equitech networks were encouraged to submit ideas that support a future in which AI promotes inclusivity, equity and lifelong learning.

"Lexperience™ advances these purposes by using AI to fill a gap in legal education," said Scott DeVito, a professor in Jacksonville University's College of Law and a lead developer of the project. "The kind of reiterative practice and instant feedback that you can achieve with AI hasn't been possible in traditional educational settings. This will increase the access to legal training and decrease the costs associated with that training."

The JU team's AI-powered immersive learning platform incorporates reiterative game modules that simulate trial scenarios and adapt to the user's experience. Using this advanced technology, students and practitioners can prepare for law practice through adaptive and variable repetition.

The lexperience™ project is led by Nicholas Allard, dean of Jacksonville University's College of Law, a Rhodes Scholar alumnus, and current Rhodes Scholar Aimee Clesi, who is studying criminology and criminal justice. The team includes College of Law faculty members Courtney Barclay, Scott DeVito, Latisha Nixon-Jones and Matthew Reiber, as well as Daria Sinyagovskaya, a visiting faculty member specializing in game design and development.

"JU's success in the Kevin Xu Innovation Challenge, vying with other outstanding rivals from all over the world, unquestionably is a proud, pivotal moment for our law school, university, and the Jacksonville community and marks the world-class cross-disciplinary caliber of the our College of Law and university faculty," said Allard. "It also underscores the significance of JU President Tim Cost's visionary charge to our faculty to embrace the possibilities of improving how we teach, study and use AI and other new technology."

Finalists in the Innovation Challenge were selected through a competitive process that included workshops focused on business development strategies for technology innovations. Final presentations were judged by experts in technology, venture capital and entrepreneurship. As a finalist, these experts will continue to hone lexperience™, providing essential support as the JU team continues its work to transform education and training in the legal industry through advanced AI applications.