Forward-thinking firms are now realising that digital technology is making training more cost and time-effective: training can be captured on film or audio to be accessed at any time, more than once. The most effective training professionals realise that their lawyers thrive on training that is delivered in an accessible and engaging way, not simply to have recordings of lectures available on the intranet.
As a trainee and qualified solicitor at a top 10 UK firm I was lucky enough to receive the fullest panoply of training sessions available, put together by a professional training team. Nevertheless, it is inevitable that not all training sessions hit the spot. What is most effective, as my recent research confirms, is training that sets the context of the subject in a way that is understandable to the audience. It is notoriously difficult for experts in a particular subject to remember what it was like before they became experts. If one can ensure the basic building blocks are in place, any kind of intellectual edifice can be built on top.
After practising for more than eight years, I joined a legal training film production company as a writer and presenter. For two years I was part of teams creating training films, again providing invaluable experience. However, that experience led me to recognise two possible improvements to the structure and format that was employed. Firstly, participants in training have a concentration span on any particular medium of about 10 minutes. So watching a training film for much longer than that would be counterproductive. Secondly, and concomitant with the first point, training is most effective if it is reinforced immediately by discussion and clarification of the issues raised. Additionally, the quality of any training material is only as good as its contributors. What is most important to firms that value training is the credibility underlying the training materials.
I was then asked to take on a professional support lawyer role at another City firm. There my responsibilities included scheduling and occasionally running training sessions. It was here that the concerns mentioned above were confirmed; it also carried other frustrations. The experts we wanted to deliver specific bits of training were invariably not available on the day scheduled, despite schedules having been drawn up far in advance.
These experiences led to my belief that lawyers want training that informs in an entertaining way, that employs different media and stimulates thought and discussion. They want integrated professional development that is sophisticated enough to: 1) be accessible, in that it sets the context, particularly the commercial context, so that one learns what the client is looking for; 2) be split into different media, so that one is not required to concentrate for too long on one medium; 3) have built into it discussion points and space; 4) be supported by the credibility of those involved in its creation i.e. learning from genuine experts; 5) be available any time; and 6) be flexible enough to be undertaken either in a group session or individually (e-learning) and to be retained as an ongoing public knowledge resource.
To meet this need, I set about creating my own training materials and the result is the JurisProductions training films on DVD, accredited by the SRA for CPD. The films set each subject in context and explore the legal framework and commercial practice in interviews with experts from top law firms, chambers, commerce and industry. Each DVD comprises an entire training package, with the film divided into short, self-contained chapters. The DVD includes interactive multiple-choice questions with answers and explanations to reinforce the key material, for group discussion or individual self-testing between the chapters, providing breaks from concentration on the film. All interviewees are highly-regarded practitioners in the field, with one of them acting as principal expert and content editor to supervise and sign off on all material, ensuring the highest quality. The DVD also includes a set of supporting materials as PDF files including subject notes, drawn up in conjunction with the principal expert, and the multiple-choice questions and answers.
The DVDs are intended for three types of audience: to provide a comprehensive introduction for those new to an area, such as trainees and those from overseas; to give an accessible overview for those from other disciplines; and to offer valuable insights from industry experts for more experienced practitioners.
Our DVDs have maximum flexibility built in to allow incorporation into firms’ training in a variety of ways: 1) in face-to-face group sessions; 2) incorporated into existing group training sessions; 3) led by a firm’s expert, who can comment on the experts on screen; 4) led by a non-expert, who needs to become familiar with the materials beforehand; and 5) placed on an intranet for interactive e-learning and for revisiting as a library resource.
Flexibility is key but quality cannot be compromised. Digital technology allows for both, allowing law firms to obtain the benefits of expertise as often as they want and, ultimately, in a more cost-effective way.
Darren Heath is the managing director of JurisProductions.
