5 Ways To Make John Cleese More Interesting

How To Use DVDs Successfully On Training Courses

Do you have a shelf somewhere with old training videos gathering dust?

I've seen lots of training departments where this is the case ( most of the videos seem to have John Cleese in, which shows how old they are ). It's quite surprising since they cost so much. But I think that's the fate of many of these things, someone buys them, they get used a few times then they're forgotten about.

Of course, now we have DVDs instead of videos. And some of those cost even more. So what's the best way to use these things?

First of all, let's admit that there are some problems with using DVDs ( or even videos ) in training.

For one thing, they're " off the shelf " ( quite literally in many cases ). They're not focused on a specific target group but they tend to deal with quite general issues. For that reason, the situations in them might not be entirely relevant to your learners.

Secondly, many trainers just put the DVD on and let it run, then have a bit of a discussion at the end. But watching a DVD isn't very interactive in itself, it's quite a passive activiity. It's just like sitting there watching the TV for a while. You hope that people are picking up some good ideas but their minds might be wandering off, they may see it as a chance to switch off for a bit.

So, bearing those points in mind, here are 5 tips to make the most of using DVDs and videos.

Tip 1.

Make sure the content is relevant. Check that the situations in the DVD are similar to the ones your learners will encounter. If not, you'll have to do some work to adapt the material to suit their needs.

You may need to say something like, " Of course, there are some differences between the way we work and what's happening here, but how could you apply these ideas to your own experiences? "

If the DVD ( or, particularly, the video ) is a few years old, watch it again before you use it to make sure things haven't moved on since you last saw it and it's now out of date.

Tip 2.

Instead of just switching it on and letting it run, show it in small clips. Break it up by asking questions ( see the next point ) or getting people to comment on what's happening so it's more interactive. That way, people don't get too settled and comfortable ( and drowsy ). They'll be more awake and focused. 

Tip 3.

Think of some good questions to ask to help people to focus on the content and to draw out the key points.

You can pose questions before showing a section to prepare them or ask them to watch for certain things so they're primed to pick out key incidents.

Or you can give them worksheets to fill in as they go along, picking out specific tips or pieces of information from what they're watching.

Then ask more questions after a scene, such as, " What do you think might happen next? " or, "  What would you do if that was you? " or, " What do you think this person is doing well/badly? "

Tip 4.

Build activities around the DVD, use it as the basis for role plays or case studies so that it becomes a starting point and not an end in itself.

Get people to re-enact some scenes from it in their own way. If some of the situations aren't exactly relevant, make that part of the learning. Ask them to recreate scenes in the context of their own work.

Tip 5.

Instead of using commercial DVDs, why not make your own?

Go round your workplace with a camcorder and record people at work ( with their permission ) or interview them.

Home - made DVDs don't need to be as professional - looking as the commercial ones, it's the content that matters and using people your learners know will have a huge impact ( even if they're not John Cleese ).

Another idea would be to get your learners to make their own DVDs as part of a project connected to the training. 

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