DEFINITION OF WEB-BASED TRAINING (WBT) WBT is a new, creative method for delivering computer-based training to widespread, limitless audiences. WBT represents a shift from the current paradigm of CBT, where the information presented is usually stored on the local machine, a local server, or a local CD-ROM, to a system where information is distributed via the world wide web (WWW) and most likely is stored at a distant location. The WWW uses the Internet - a vast, worldwide collection of computer networks which share information - to delivery information to the local computer. Via a computer program called a browser, the information is displayed to the user. This information consists of text, graphics, audio, video,animation, and so on. The vast majority of information presented in this guide applies to WBT. The information presented in this section is designed to point out the unique information you need in order to make intelligent decisions about the use of WBT within your organization. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF WEB-BASED TRAINING (WBT) Strengths * Connection to other students. E-mail, bulletin boards, and synchronous and asynchronous chats all add a dimension to WBT that is difficult if not impossible to obtain in other delivery media. * Connection to external resources. Other WWW sites, on-line databases, on-line documents, etc. * Use of hyperlinks. Because the WWW was built to link different chunks of information together, it is easy to accomplish this in WBT. This makes it easier to show how different concepts relate to one another, and to present the same content in different ways. * Asynchronous and distance learning - WBT allows learners and instructors to interact in ways which do not require them to be in the same physical place at the same time. * Easy to update content. While it may be difficult to update a CD-ROM-based or even a paper-based instructional product, the WWW makes it fairly easy to change information when necessary. This can save you a great deal of money if you are in an environment where information changes rapidly. * No cross-platform barriers - in theory, there is no significant problem in using either Macintosh or IBM (PC) platform computers for viewing the same material. Many CBT providers today who use CD-ROM to deliver training provide the CD-ROMS for PC computers only, ignoring the smaller Macintosh market. WBT eliminates this problem. Weaknesses * In well-designed CBT courses, the level of interaction is high, and users are asked thought provoking questions at appropriate intervals. The material should teach "how to do something" not teach "about" something, or simply present information. It is difficult to achieve complex interactions in a web-based environment. This can be done via the use of Javascript, Java, CGI scripts, and/or CBT products designed to work in conjunction with the WWW. Unfortunately, many existing WBT sites today do not take advantage of these capabilities, offering limited interactivity, and can be classified better as web-based delivery of information sites. * Adding additional capabilities to the web browser to foster better interactivity can be complicated. For example, to utilize a CBT authoring package within the browser, you usually have to download and install in your browser additional pieces of software. This may be difficult for some users to accomplish. * Users with limited connection capabilities to the WWW will probably be frustrated by the entire experience. For example, a person using a 14.4K modem to access the WWW will receive information at a fraction of the speed a person connected the WWW via a T1 or ISDN connection will. This means that a picture that appears almost instantly for a user with a T1 connection might take several minutes to appear for a user with a 14.4K modem. Recent advances in modem technology have upped the maximum speed of modems to 56K, but most users cannot realize this speed because of inadequate telephone lines. If you are designing WBT for remote users who have limited access to the WWW, you must maximize the use of text, and minimize the use of graphics, audio, and video. * Alienation. Some WBT users complain about the lack of contact with other people. This is an on-going issue that must be addressed in any WBT course. Some substitutes for direct contact include but some substitutes video/audio conferencing, use of e-mail, chat rooms, and list serves. * Development and maintenance costs are quite high compared to traditional forms of instruction. * Student tracking mechanisms are more difficult to establish, for the Internet is an "open" system, where private data may be stolen or "borrowed." Security systems must be installed and maintained to ensure confidentiality of data. UNIQUE USES OF WEB-BASED TRAINING (WBT) Information ad hoc Infrastructures Perhaps these are the best components WBT has to offer the learner. These provide access to experts, interlinked archival resources, distributed investigations, and virtual communities. They may be build and discarded as needed. Thus, a learning team consisting of individuals from across the globe may come together for a brief period of time, share in a learning experience, then depart. Smart Objects These tools relies on artificial intelligence to guide and enhance learning experiences. They will enable participants to self-direct their investigations or be directed in areas of current interest. Smart objects explain their own functioning and help us create "articulate" educational environments. Shared Synthetic Environments These virtual realities aid us in better understanding and appreciating reality. INTRANETS AND THE INTERNET What is an Intranet? An intranet is a small-scale, local network that acts like the Internet. An Intranet works within a company to help people share information across a network. Data, documents, files, memos, and other types of information can be shared between different departments or business units, or even between members of the same group. WBT can also be delivered using an intranet. In this case, the WBT actually resides on a local server and is accessed via a local computer. Generally, the same software and hardware used to access the Internet is used to maintain and access an intranet. Unlike the Internet, which is an open system anyone can access, an Intranet can have limited access. Thus, companies can deliver specialized and/or sensitive materials over their intranet, knowing only the proper people have access to the information. WBI DELIVERY MECHANISM Server <--> World Wide Web <-- Connection via modem or straight connection --> Local Computer Nearly all WBI is delivered in this manner. A remote server (it can be anywhere in the world) is connected to the Internet and thus the World Wide Web. You local computer is connected to the World Wide Web by either a direct connection or via a modem. Your local computer is running a piece of software called a browser that translates the electronic signals from the web into text, graphics, sounds, movies, and so on. Please note that a modem connection to the WWW is much slower than a direct connection. This is reflected in the diagram with a smaller pipe. Just as more water can travel through a larger pipe in a set amount of time, so can more information pass through a direct connection then through a modem in a set amount of time.