Compliance and online assessments

Compliance e-learning may fall short on the biscuits front, but it can make up for it with rigorous online assessments.

At the end of 2009, a trainee at Hoare Govett, the broker, was found guilty on 12 counts of insider trading. The Times reported that, in his defence, Matthew Uberoi had told the jury that he had never heard the term 'insider trading' and that the only training he had received at Hoare Govett was "the general compliance talk, the same one as the security guards and secretaries". He added, "It all went over my head, but the biscuits were very good".

Uberoi also claimed the training was so limited that he had "learnt more from films like Wall Street". The issue of training was key to the case, because for the jury to convict a defendant of insider trading the jury must be satisfied that the defendant was aware that their actions were forbidden.

Here at Brightwave Towers, we're big fans of biscuits and Michael Douglas - and we're always looking for opportunities to fit more of both into our courses. But for any other banks or brokers, it would be remiss of us not to mention the usefulness of a compliance e-learning course that tidily tracks exactly who has completed the learning and sets a scored assessment that records exactly who has a good understanding of the subject. Just to make sure…

But what does constitute a 'good understanding'? It's obviously not enough to flick through a powerpoint while your trainee crams custard creams in his face, but some online assessments are not much more than a token gesture. Online learning is well suited to rigorous assessments and examinations that can challenge the learner and provide a truer test of understanding and knowledge, and these strengths should be exploited more often.

For anyone who's not convinced and prefers the sound of the blockbuster and biscuits approach, don't say we're not even-handed with our advice. Here Alison Mitchell-Innes, our Production Director and resident gourmet, offers up the next of her Recipes for Success and kindly gives her favourite biscuit recipe: fork biscuits. She recommends you enjoy this with a nice cuppa and the awesome Wonder Boys, Michael Douglas's finest moment.

Fork Biscuits

A family favourite to go with your afternoon tea.  Quick, easy, tasty.  What more do you want in a biscuit?

• 100g softened butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 150g self-raising flour

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and prepare two baking trays by lightly greasing them.

Beat the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon or electric hand-held whisk.  Add the flour and, using your hands, bring the mixture together so you have a firm dough.  Pull off small pieces of dough and roll into balls about the size of a walnut.  Place the balls, well-spaced,  on the baking trays.  Take a fork, dipped in warm water, and press down each ball to form a slightly flattened disk marked with your fork tines.  Hence the name of the biscuit!

Bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden-brown.  Cool on a wire rack and then enjoy.

Ring the changes by adding the grated rind of a lemon or orange or make chocolate fork biscuits by replacing 25g of the flour with cocoa.

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