Web Based Training

Web-Based Training

Overview

In today's business environment, organizations strive to design software that is intuitive and easy to use. These same organizations also seek to maintain a staff that is up-to-date on the latest developments and techniques in relation to their work environment. To help do this, they develop products that provide both tools and guides within software that help shorten the learning curve, publish directives, and even send their people to workshops and advanced training classes around the country, at considerable expense to the organization. The downside is that the tools and guides do not always address the specific needs of users, and in-residence training is sometimes overlooked due to the high costs associated with travel expenses and cost for the course.

In many cases users and staff have the desire to utilize software with maximum proficiency, at all levels of expertise. In other cases, users and staff need to be current on the latest developments in processes, procedures, regulation changes, and other factors that can have a major impact within their working environment. In order to satisfy these needs, companies are providing training courses in a number of venues that are designed to help users maximize their investment in software and human resources. One such type of training is Web-Based Training (WBT).

WBT is a type of training that is delivered over the Internet using a web browser. WBT frequently includes interactive methods, such as bulletin boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, videoconferencing, and discussion threads. WBT is usually a self-paced learning medium, however, some systems allow for online testing and evaluation at specific times depending on the needs of users, (Web-Based Training, 2007).

In order to better understand how WBT can impact an organization, an analysis of some common WBT environments and uses are helpful:

* Military - For years members of the military have been asked to step-up in many different situations. Whether it is to conduct operations in a jungle, desert, or urban environment, soldiers, seamen, and airmen are tasked to meet challenges that they might not face under what many would call a normal workday. In order to meet these challenges, service men and women need to have a thorough understanding of their jobs as well as other skills relevant to the success of their mission. To ensure members acquire this understanding and skills, the military utilizes WBT. The process allows members that are deployed and those at home stations to logon to a computer, enter a Web-training portal, enroll in a course, and accomplish the training. The results of this training can be tracked and reported at various levels for statistical reporting as well as individual member readiness status. In the military, the WBT environment facilitates the planners and decision maker's ability to develop missions staffed by members with the most current and highest levels of training. The end result is a military force, which has the most up-to-date training, and that can be effectively utilized in a work environment with diverse and sometimes critical needs.

Software Industry - In the software industry, change is an accepted daily occurrence. As new software is released, new functions, different interfaces, and unfamiliar features can often confront users unexpectedly. In some instances, these changes can be learned from user manuals, help menus, or through trial and error. In other cases, the efficient use of the software necessitates a formal training course in order to use it effectively. To accomplish this training with the least amount of cost to the organization, WBT is utilized. This training can consist of online tutorials or even instructor-lead interactive classes that allow students and instructors to address complex subjects and discuss best practices for the setup and implementation of the software. These WBT courses allow software companies to keep prices lower because the cost to conduct these training classes is much less than holding an in-residence class. The training is less for customers as well due to the fact that there are no hidden costs for travel, lodging, rental car, or staff being removed from the work-center for an extended period of time. WBT courses allow users to learn shortcuts that improve efficiency and help them discover features in the software that can enhance the profitability of their business processes without the added costs associated with attending instructor led classes, in person, and at remote sites that could be a great distance from their location.

Global Impact of Web-Based Training

The convenience, reliability and availability of the Internet have revolutionized training around the world. Certifications, corporate compliance and personal educational development have been altered in such a way that humans have more opportunities to grow and learn through the resource of web-based training.

In an article from the October 2006 issue of Business Wire, Expertus, a training outsourcing company, conducted a survey where 268 companies replied with an 82% current utilization of global training resources. The article defined global training as "training provided to employees, customers and partners outside of an organization's home country." It was reported that all employees had access to e-learning in 57.7% of the companies. English is the most commonly used language. While the trend of global training continues to increase, it has proven to be a challenge to many companies on the best way to meet the goal with respect to availability, effective delivery and budget constraints. (Galloway, 2006)

The popularity of web-based training has improved business ethics among many major global corporations such as Dow Chemical, DuPont, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer. PR Newswire reported that eleven million course have been completed worldwide by the employees of those corporations on corporate governance, risk, ethics and compliance management. (LRN, 2006)

Web-based training for educational development has opened the door for millions of students around the world. In the fall of 2005, nearly 3.2 million people were enrolled in at least one online class, an 800,000 increase from the previous year. Over 96% of the largest institutions offer online classes with increasing student enrollment as Figure 1 shows below:

Figure 1.

Additionally, most students are enrolled for an undergraduate degree as shown in Figure 2 below: