COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING DIMENSIONS
Computer-based training can vary along three dimensions: timeliness, customizabilty, and instructional format.
While all computer-based training allows great flexibility in the timing of training delivery, some types are more flexible than others. Performance support systems are the most flexible, enabling employees to call up instruction on a particular task at the precise moment they need to perform that task on the job. Computer-based training instruction, on the other hand, occurs separate from job performance, and therefore sets some limits on the timing of training delivery.
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Performance support systems are used to provide employees with specific training, when questions arise, and without removing them from their day-to-day job tasks. Thus, a performance support system must be immediately available to employees at their job locations. Performance support systems are best for situations where short instructional sequences (20 minutes or less) are possible and the skills to be learned are simple. They are inappropriate for learning complex skills, unless these can be broken up into less-complex tasks.
An example of a performance support system is how bank loan officers might be prepared to fill out a new loan form. Instead of providing a sequential training program, the bank could load the loan form onto officers' computers, along with optional instruction modules (the performance support system). The officers could then call up instruction on specific aspects of the form as they were filling the form out and had questions.
Performance support systems are still in their infancy and may be out of the reach of small and mid-sized companies, unless a number of companies have the same skill needs and can share the cost of the systems' development.
Note: Some performance support systems are ideal for complex tasks because they allow the user to focus on a single segments of these tasks at a time.
The most timely computer-based training are performance support systems, though computer-based training instruction can be very timely also.
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Training instruction usually occurs separate from job performance. During instruction, trainees sit in front of computers and receive training, via the computer, for varying lengths of time ( hour or more). Most computer-based training falls into this category. Training instruction is best for learning complex skills.
In contrast to the performance support system example discussed above, officers receiving training instruction on filling out a new loan form would work through a sequential CBT package on their computers and at their convenience, or at a special training facility. While undertaking the training instruction the officers would not be performing the job task of completing the loan form; they would only be learning how to do so. Upon completion of the training instruction, the loan officers should have the skills needed to complete the loan form correctly.
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The degree to which computer-based training programs can be customized to company needs varies greatly. At one extreme are off-the-shelf packages where no modifications can be made. At the other extreme are customized programs, built from scratch, to company specifications, by professional computer-based training developers. In between are customizable programs that allow companies to insert their own technical vocabulary and practice reading materials in lessons, and create exercises from materials used on the job or in the employee handbook.
Off-the-shelf computer-based training offers companies few opportunities for adapting programs to their needs, while customizable and customized training can be adjusted to meet company specifications.
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Off-the-shelf training is computer-based training you buy and use "as is." The content of the computer-based training is fixed and can't be changed. This type of computer-based training is best when the skills to be taught are relatively generic. It is inappropriate for learning unique skills. Reading improvement and awareness of cultural diversity are generic skills that translate well into a variety of environments, and are offered on a number of off-the-shelf training programs. Operating a specific manufacturing machine is a unique skill unlikely to be taught by an off-the-shelf training program. Because off-the-shelf CBT tends to be inexpensive, it is one of the best options for small and mid-sized companies.
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Customizable training is computer-based training that you can alter to meet your specific training needs. Most customizable computer-based training comes with a set of specific content you can augment or replace. Usually you cannot alter the manner in which the content is delivered; you can only alter the content itself. This type of computer-based training is best when the skills to be taught are relatively unique, you cannot locate computer-based training that meets your specific needs, and you have a large number of people to be trained. It is usually inappropriate for training small numbers of people, due to the cost of customization. While customizable CBT usually costs more than off-the-shelf CBT, it may still be affordable for small and mid-sized companies.
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Customized training is computer-based training that is built from scratch according to your needs. You specify both the content and the sequence of instruction. This is the most expensive type of computer-based training to implement. It is best used when the skills to be taught are unique, no computer-based training exists to teach those skills, and you have a large number of people to be trained. It is usually inappropriate for training small numbers of people, due to the cost of customization. Customized CBT is likely to be beyond the reach of most small and mid-sized companies.
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Computer-based training can be offered as an independent study exercise, where trainees are expected to work through the instruction on their own, with little or no support. It can also be offered in an on-site class or off-site class where trainees have access to an instructor who can provide them with assistance.
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Trainees undertaking independent study are expected to use the computer-based training on their own. The training could take place at the trainee's home, work-site, a designated "resource room" with computers, a local library -- wherever the trainee has access to a computer. Because there is no instructional support or "formal" instruction beyond the computer-based training, it doesn't matter where the training takes place. Independent study works best when the skills taught are easily mastered. It is inappropriate for learning complex skills, because there are no instructors to guide the trainee through difficult training sequences. It would also be inappropriate when trainees have little or no facility with computers.
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When CBT is delivered through an on-site classroom -- usually located in the same environment where the trainee works -- an instructor is provided to facilitate learning. Different trainees might be working on different concepts during the same time period, while the instructor is available to provide assistance. On-site classroom CBT must take place at a specified time and location because of this instructional support. On-site classroom computer-based training is best when the skills to be taught are complex or must be completely mastered. It is inappropriate when the numbers of trainees are too small to justify hiring an instructor and operating a classroom.
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Off-site classroom CBT is provided by an outside organization, like a community college, that has a computer-based training lab employees can go to for instruction. The site provides the computer-based training package, computers to use for the training, and instructors who either run classes at specified times or are available as resources to help students when they are having trouble. This type of computer-based training is best when the skills to be taught are complex or must be completely mastered and when you have only a small number of employees that need to be trained. It is inappropriate when employees need to learn very specific skills, because such training must be relatively generic. Off-site CBT classes may be a very good option for small and mid-sized companies.
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Generic skills are skills that people in your organization need that are not company-specific. For example, understanding diversity issues is a generic skill most people need in today's workplace. Because generic skills don't vary much by workplace, an off-the-shelf computer-based training package is an appropriate, low-cost option. It would be a waste of money to purchase a customizable or customized training package for teaching generic skills.
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Unique skills are those specific to your company. Some of the skills needed to operate a piece of machinery only your company uses or complete a process only your company follows fall into this category. An off-the-shelf package would not capture your unique circumstances, so you would have to have an existing package customized to your specific needs, or an entirely new package developed to meet your specific needs. If you only had a few people in your company who needed to learn these skills, it would be very expensive to have a computer-based training package developed just to train them.
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Complex skills are those that involve higher-order concepts (such as problem solving and decision making), or multi-step processes. Skills that must be totally mastered (such as learning to pilot an airplane) fall into this category as well. The skills needed are complex so people need to be trained on them; independent study might not be sufficient. Employees can't just stop in the middle of their work to check one thing, so a performance support system would not be appropriate. Fully developed computer-based training is usually best to teach complex skills.
Note: Performance support systems may be used to support complex tasks, such as flying an airplane. However, you would not want pilots to be learning new skills for the first time while they are up in the air.
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Easily mastered skills are skills involving recognition and recall of information. Performance support systems and independent study work well when the skills to be taught are easily mastered. On-site or off-site classes would add an unnecessary expense to the computer-based training.
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he cost of computer-based training development is high. To be economically feasible, these development costs must be shared by a large number of trainees. If you have a large number of trainees, you can justify the purchase of customizable or fully customized computer-based training.
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If you only have a small number of trainees, the development costs must be shared with others outside your firm. This can occur if you purchase off-the-shelf computer-based training or send trainees to an off-site class. It can also be accomplished by combining small companies with similar training needs into a learning consortium. A secondary cost of CBT is delivery. With a small number of trainees, the costs associated with setting up an on-site classroom might not be justified, so employees would either need to engage in independent study or attend an off-site classroom.
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Large differences exist in trainees' initial skill levels.
When there are large differences in trainees' initial skill levels, training should take place where instructors or facilitators are readily available. The capability of some computer-based training packages to adjust completely to an individual's needs is still limited, though most packages are able to make some accommodations to trainees' skill levels provided a facilitator is available to assist. If you have trainees whose skills are near the bottom of the computer-based training program's recommended level, the trainees may need additional help that only an instructor or facilitator could provide, though these trainees might be able to work with the computer-based training package after some initial period of instruction.
Performance support systems may also be inappropriate when trainees' skills vary greatly because the systems are limited in the depth of instruction they provide. On-site classrooms with facilitators that know each individual trainee's needs are best in this situation.
Note: A high quality computer-based training program or performance support system might well be designed to meet the needs of trainees with different initial skill levels without any instructional support.
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Few differences exist in trainees' initial skill levels. When there are few differences in trainees' initial skill levels, training can take place as independent study. For example, professional electrical engineers could independently use a computer-based training program to learn about new electrical fields produced by a new machine, because they all have strong backgrounds in electrical engineering. This same group, however, might have difficulty learning how to identify and deal with sexual harassment problems through independent study; their prior knowledge on the subject could vary greatly, while the computer-based training package's approach could have assumed a common knowledge base.
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Trainee/computer ration is high.
Computer-based training is appropriate for most situations where you have many trainees in comparison to the number of computers you have available, except performance support systems, where each person must have a computer "on demand." It is only appropriate for on-site classes if trainees will be in class at different times, so that all trainees have a computer when they are in class.
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Trainee/computer ration is low.
Any type of computer-based training is possible when there are few trainees per computer -- or a one-to-one correspondence between trainees and computers. This low ratio is critical though for performance support systems and on-site classes where all of the trainees will be in the class at the same time.
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Hardware is sufficiently powerful.
Most computer-based training programs require at least a 486 PC, with 8 megabytes of RAM (random access memory), and enough hard drive space that there is at least 20 megabytes free when running the program for the computer to swap files between the hard drive and the RAM.
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Operating system software is sufficiently current.
These days much software is developed and upgraded pretty quickly, and new programs are designed with an eye toward the next generation of computer and operating systems. This means that most of the computer-based training programs on the shelves are made for DOS 6.1 and Windows 95, or the Macintosh OS System 7.
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Qualified instructional personnel are available.
Instructional personnel help trainees with training content when they are having difficulties. Qualified instructional personnel should be available in all cases. Qualified instructional personnel are critical for on-site classes. Instructional personnel do not have to be full-time company employees; they can be contractors engaged for a limited number of hours each week.
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Technical personnel are responsible for implementing, operating, and maintaining a CBT system -- the hardware and software. Technical support is needed in all cases. It is critical for both performance support systems and training instruction in on-site classes and independent study. Technical personnel do not have to be full-time company employees; they can be contractors engaged to respond to requests on an "as needed" basis.
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Qualified administrative support personnel are available.
Administrative personnel are responsible for planning, supervising, and managing CBT activities -- making things happen. Technical personnel by themselves cannot ensure CBT will be successful within your company. How the CBT is used and scheduled is equally important to its success. This is important in all cases and is critical for independent study and off-site classes. Administrative personnel do not have to devote full time to this effort; they can be regular employees who spend only a few hours a week on the program, or they can be contractors engaged for a limited number of hours each week.
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Group instructional equipment is available.
If group instruction will be part of the CBT delivery, it is important to have such instructional aids as white boards, and overhead projectors. This does not apply to performance support systems or independent study, as neither takes place in a classroom. The company may not need to own all of this equipment; some of it might be leased.
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Capacity Needs:
Space
(On-site classes only.)
Self-contained space for instruction exists.
If you will be operating on-site classes, it is important that a separate, self-contained space for instruction be used. It will be very difficult for trainees to pay attention to lessons if they are in a room with other activities going on. Finding self-contained space will be particularly difficult for small and mid-sized companies. These companies might want to join with others to jointly share the costs of a training facility.
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Space is sufficiently large for trainees.
In a lab or classroom situation, each trainee should have enough space to operate the computer, take notes, and use other nearby resources easily.
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Doors guarantee security & privacy.
Doors giving access to a lab should be sturdy and have strong locks to prevent theft. Doors with windows should have blinds to discourage prying eyes.
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Windows guarantee security & privacy.
Windows in a lab should be sturdy and have strong locks. They may need to be covered with bars or wire mesh to prevent theft. Windows should have blinds.
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Lighting is also a consideration when planning a computer lab. When you place your computers in the lab, it is important to avoid locations where direct sunlight can shine on them. This will help to reduce glare on the screens and avoid potential damage the sun can cause on the computer, floppy disks, etc. In addition to sunlight, you need adequate overhead lighting that can be easily controlled for presentations.
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Ventilation, heating, & air conditioning are sufficient.
Ventilation is very important for computers. Although great strides were made in this area during the last decade, some computers will malfunction in temperature extremes. Ideally, a computer lab should be kept at a comfortable -- 70 to 80 degree Fahrenheit -- temperature.
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Telephone outlets/networking is sufficient & well located.
The location of telephone outlets and network connections is important only if you are using telecommunications or certain networks. If this is the case, you want the outlets as close to the computers as possible, to avoid wire tangles and tripping.
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Electrical outlets are sufficient & safe.
Because most computer stations have several power cords, many grounded electrical outlets are needed in a lab. Surge protectors should be available to help protect your equipment from electrical surges. The electrical outlets must be able to handle the electrical load placed on them.
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Costs for CBT would be the sum of development and delivery costs. Development costs depend on the customizability of the training, while delivery costs depend on the instructional format. In most cases, calculating the expected cost of a computer-based training effort involves determining the customizability and the instructional format of the program, and adding the costs associated with those together. The one exception to this rule is off-site training classes. Off-site class costs incorporate the costs of development within them; therefore no additional costs should be added to these figures.
Note: The timeliness of computer-based training -- whether it is a performance support system or training instruction -- will not affect the cost of the training. What will affect the cost is the other dimensions -- customizability and instructional format. Costing out a performance support system or training instruction program follows the general rule: determine the customizability and the instructional format of the program, and add the costs associated with those together.
DEVELOPMENT COSTS | |||
Off-the-shelf |
Customizable |
Customized | |
| Computer program/software | $100 - $300 |
$100 - $5,000 |
$100 - $2,000 |
| Customization or development | -- |
$1,280 |
$30,720 - $46,080 |
| Selection & installation | $640 |
$640 |
$640 |
| TOTAL | $740 - $940 |
$2,020 - $6,920 |
$31,460 - $48,720 |
Off-the-shelf development costs
The development costs for CBT modules that are purchased off the shelf are very low. Computerized language instruction may cost between $30 and $60, while typing instruction may cost $20 to $50. The cost for purchasing five such modules would range from $100 to $300. However, staff time should be factored into the cost to cover choosing the software, installing it on the computer(s), and making sure it functions properly. This cost is estimated assuming 20 hours of work at a staff cost of $32 per hour, fully loaded, or $640. (The figure of $32 per hour is based on a wage of $21 per hour, a reasonable figure for a mid-level employee, pus 25 percent each for benefits and overhead.)
Customizable development costs
Customizable training packages range from $25 to $1,250 in price, with lab packs (enabling a site to train five individuals at a time) ranging from about $100 to $5,000, and site licenses (allowing a site to train an unlimited number of individuals) costing from $300 to $5,000. For example, "Spelling," a multi-grade level approach to helping users spell words correctly, allows teachers to enter their own spelling words, and costs $24.95 for an individual user and $99.95 for a lab pack. At the other end of the scale is "Skills Bank '96," a comprehensive resource for diagnosing and remediating students' basic skills, which allows student, teacher, or computer assigned lessons, and provides customizable worksheets. This package costs $1,245 for an individual, and $4,980 for a site license.
The estimated time for customizing these training packages by building in company-specific material and selecting relevant lessons is about 40 hours, though it could be considerably less for the more simple programs. The 1995 report "Compensation in the Human Resources Field," by Abbott, Langer, & Associates, shows the median hourly wage of training materials developers in business and industry to be nearly $21 per hour. Adjusting this figure to account for benefits and overhead yields a median cost per hour of $32 ($21+25%+25%). The cost for customizing the packages, then, would be $1,280.
Another 20 hours is added for selecting, installing, and trouble-shooting
the programs. At $32 per hour, fully loaded, this would be $640.
Customized development costs
Customized software is software built from scratch. Your specific content is taken and developed into a new and unique CBT package. Most customized CBT is developed by using an authoring system -- software designed to assist you in developing CBT.
Software packages for developing customized computer-based training programs range between $100 and $2,000 in price. For instance, the development package for ExpressTrainTM costs $1,950 while the retail prices for ToolBookTM and AuthorWareTM are $600 and $1,000, respectively. Low-end development tools may cost as little as $100, though.
Customized modules are the most expensive to develop. Training magazine's 1993 survey estimates the median number of hours to develop a one-hour, customized CBT module at 120 hours. The "1995 CBT Report," conducted by SB Communications, estimates the median to be 180 hours.
Using the estimates of 120 to 180 hours for developing a one-hour training module, and $32 per hour for a training developer, we arrive at an estimated cost of $3,840 to $5,760 for one hour of instruction. Eight hours of instruction would cost $30,720 to $46,080.
Twenty hours is again added to the cost estimate for selecting and working with the developer, an additional $640.
DELIVERY COSTS | |||
Independent Study |
On-site Classes |
Off-site Classes | |
| Instruction | -- |
$768 |
$600 - $20,000 |
| Instructional Support | $1,280 |
$768 |
$512 |
| Selection & Enrollment | -- |
-- |
$640 |
| TOTAL | $1,280 |
$1,536 |
$1,752 - $21,152 |
Independent Study
Independent study requires limited instructional support, but it would be a mistake to assume that it will not require any. Up to five hours per week may be necessary to support independent study: tracking student progress, providing limited instructional support, and addressing any problems that might arise with the training program. The estimate shown above assumes an eight week training program, and a salary of $32 per hour, fully loaded.
On-site Classes
Abbott, Langer and Associates reports that the median hourly wage for classroom instructors in business and industry is roughly $15/hour. After appropriate adjustments to account for overhead and benefits, this would yield a median hourly rate of $24. If we assume three hours of additional work for every hour of instruction, eight hours of instruction would yield instruction costs of $768. With on-site classes, companies would need to provide less instructional support, which is estimated here at only three hours per week.
Off-site Classes
Off-site instruction would most likely occur at a school campus, and costs would generally be charged per credit hour. Costs per credit hour vary, depending on the institution and the state, and may range from $30 to $50 in a community college, to $600 to $1,000 at private four-year universities. Assuming a four unit course, the cost to a company for enrolling five students would be $600 to $20,000.
The cost of off-site instruction needs to be augmented by the cost a company would bear in searching for and selecting the appropriate program for its employees, and enrolling them in a computer-based learning lab (estimated at 20 hours and $32 per hour, fully loaded), and of instructional support (estimated at two hours per week for monitoring employees' progress and communicating with the provider).
BUDGET MATRIX | ||||
Development Costs |
Delivery Costs | |||
Independent Study |
On-Site Classes |
Off-Site Classes | ||
$1,280 |
$1,536 |
$1,752 - $21,152 | ||
| Off-the Shelf | $740 - $940 |
$2,020 - $2,220 |
$2,276 - $2,476 |
-- |
| Customizable | $2,020 - $6,920 |
$3,300 - $8,200 |
$3,556 - $8.456 |
-- |
| Customized | $31,460 - $48,720 |
$32,740 - $50,000 |
$32,996 - $50,256 |
-- |
To accurately compare the prices of most of the computer-based training options, development and delivery costs need to be added together. With off-site classes, however, the cost figures do not need to be augmented; these costs already incorporate their development costs within them.
Development and delivery costs are shown together in the above matrix. An off-the-shelf computer-based training package delivered through independent study, for example, would cost a company between $2,020 and $2,220 for five employees. At the other extreme, a customized computer-based training program delivered in an on-site classroom would cost a company between $32,996 and $50,256.
The range of costs for off-the shelf, customizable, and customized computer-based training programs depends on whether the programs are delivered through independent study or on-site classes, and can be read from left to right on the table:
The range of costs for independent study and on-site classes depends on whether a company uses off-the-shelf, customizable, or customized programs, and can be read from top to bottom on the table:
Enrolling the five employees in an off-site class would cost a company
between $1,752 and $21,152. There are no additional development costs charged
for these programs, as these are incorporated into the delivery costs.
Additional Costs
It is important to note that the figures detailed above reflect only those costs relating directly to the actual development and delivery of the CBT module. Many CBT instructional designers estimate that as much as 80 percent of their time on a project is spent on such activities as planning meetings and gathering information, in addition to module development. Further, there may be additional costs for up-front services to make the CBT training most effective, such as evaluations of training needs (to identify what the CBT should address) and assessments of individuals' skill levels (to identify at what level each employee should start the CBT training).
Costs may also be incurred to purchase the necessary computer hardware
on which to customize the training modules and through which to provide
them. Video and audio capabilities, color scanners, and expanded memory
and hard drives may be required for customizing training modules. For instruction,
additional hardware may be needed to network computers. If computer networks
are to be used for the CBT, the higher prices for networked site-licenses
should be factored into the budget equations.
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Questions? Contact Brett Bixler.