There has recently been a significant increase in on-line training offerings. LexisNexis is offering the “On Line University,” the recently formed Affinity Consulting Group (a conglomeration of leading consulting firms for various programs) has launched the Affinity University. Many other consultants have sponsored videos and other training materials. Why is this and just how good is on-line training anyway?
The “why?” is pretty clear: It’s the Economy, Stupid. Virtually all software companies have eliminated printed manuals in favor of massive help files, so there is no “reference manual” people can consult. Law firms don’t want to spend money on training (however shortsightedly, but it’s a fact), and legal programs such as Time Matters, PCLaw, Amicus Attorney, Practice Master, etc. can’t really be rolled out without training, so on-line training appears to offer a way out. It offers the illusion of being cheaper (although, at $99 for an hour’s session, if you have ten users, it is hardly cheaper, even with discounts). In many cases it can be scheduled at a convenient time, you do not have to leave the office (or your desk). Some firms (such as LawBill) offer training CD’s for a fixed price. Other companies, such as PCDocs, offer “how to” manuals which can be purchased for a fixed price. Probably the best on-line training solutions are 3-5 minute video snippets such as Time Matters “help cam videos.” If you are in a relatively isolated area, it can make training available from people who really know what they are doing, as opposed to mediocre training or no training at all – this is really the main thing on-line training has going for it.
However there are three major drawbacks to on-line training.
• The first is that most often, in-house training uses the firm’s actual data. This makes the training and examples more real to users and consequently more effective. In addition, it encourages people to ask questions (an integral part of training) because they know what they are trying to do in various scenarios.
• Secondly, when sitting at your desk instead of in a classroom, it is all to easy to do something else while “watching” the training – make a phone call, answer an email, shuffle papers, etc. I know I’ve done it during webinars. This dramatically reduces the effectiveness of training.
• Lastly, from an instructor’s point of view, with on-line training there is no way to tell when people’s eyes glaze over and you lose one or more members of the “class.” Classroom training is considerably more interactive and hence effective. Although most web-based training solutions offer an option for questions, somehow it isn’t the same as a real classroom. The 3-5 minute video snippets on a single topic are one form of on-line training that avoids a number of these pitfalls.
All things considered, on-line training is a second-best, fallback solution. If you are isolated or a solo it can be a reasonable alternative. And it is certainly better than no training at all.
The “why?” is pretty clear: It’s the Economy, Stupid. Virtually all software companies have eliminated printed manuals in favor of massive help files, so there is no “reference manual” people can consult. Law firms don’t want to spend money on training (however shortsightedly, but it’s a fact), and legal programs such as Time Matters, PCLaw, Amicus Attorney, Practice Master, etc. can’t really be rolled out without training, so on-line training appears to offer a way out. It offers the illusion of being cheaper (although, at $99 for an hour’s session, if you have ten users, it is hardly cheaper, even with discounts). In many cases it can be scheduled at a convenient time, you do not have to leave the office (or your desk). Some firms (such as LawBill) offer training CD’s for a fixed price. Other companies, such as PCDocs, offer “how to” manuals which can be purchased for a fixed price. Probably the best on-line training solutions are 3-5 minute video snippets such as Time Matters “help cam videos.” If you are in a relatively isolated area, it can make training available from people who really know what they are doing, as opposed to mediocre training or no training at all – this is really the main thing on-line training has going for it.
However there are three major drawbacks to on-line training.
• The first is that most often, in-house training uses the firm’s actual data. This makes the training and examples more real to users and consequently more effective. In addition, it encourages people to ask questions (an integral part of training) because they know what they are trying to do in various scenarios.
• Secondly, when sitting at your desk instead of in a classroom, it is all to easy to do something else while “watching” the training – make a phone call, answer an email, shuffle papers, etc. I know I’ve done it during webinars. This dramatically reduces the effectiveness of training.
• Lastly, from an instructor’s point of view, with on-line training there is no way to tell when people’s eyes glaze over and you lose one or more members of the “class.” Classroom training is considerably more interactive and hence effective. Although most web-based training solutions offer an option for questions, somehow it isn’t the same as a real classroom. The 3-5 minute video snippets on a single topic are one form of on-line training that avoids a number of these pitfalls.
All things considered, on-line training is a second-best, fallback solution. If you are isolated or a solo it can be a reasonable alternative. And it is certainly better than no training at all.
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