Understanding common interviewing pitfalls: An evaluation of Legal Interviewing Skills

Abstract

This paper reports on the evaluation of a computer facilitated learning (CFL) resource which allows law students to identify common pitfalls in clientlawyer interviews. Using an evaluation framework developed by Alexander and Hedberg (1994) and Bain (1999), the CFL resource, Legal Interviewing Skills, was evaluated in three areas: interface design, learning processes and interview skills. Twenty-three postgraduate law students participated in the evaluation which involved the observation of students as they interacted with the resource, together with think aloud protocols, questionnaires and focus groups. Students were generally positive about the program and showed greater confidence in interviewing after using it. However, there are a number of areas where the program could be improved; namely, ease of navigation, the structure of learning tasks and the use of feedback to promote meaningful engagement with the learning.