By Nick Roy, MBA, MAHRM
Background
In the past, training has been a place where you send your troubled employees to be fixed. Once their problems have been corrected they would then return to work. The problem with this form of training was that it was dehumanizing, had little care for the concerns for the employee.
In the last five years, we have seen companies stating that their employees are assets, realizing that it is the employees that make the company run. The employees are seen as discretionary investors of their human capital. They can choose to exert the amount of energy or provide the insight that they want.
When we talk about training, we should learn some definitions about what exactly training is. First of all, training is an activity. Learning is a result. It is a behavior change that results from knowledge acquisition and experience. The problem with the way training programs are designed is that they are focused on the activity rather than on the results.
There are two types of training: classroom-based training and computer-based training. Classroom-based training consists of the traditional setting of where the instructor stands in front of a group of students and imparts his knowledge on them, with the hope that something sticks in the minds of the students. Students in this type of environment are considered passive in their learning efforts, as they sit back and absorb what the instructor is saying. Some authors call this type of training Instructor-based training. It is true in one sense; however you can have instructor-based training using Internet technologies. Computer-based training consists of technologies such as interactive videodisks and multimedia CD-ROMs (Kruse, 2000). A component of computer-based training that is seeing exponential growth is web-based training, which consists of traditional computer-based training using Internet technologies.
What is Web-based training?
Web-based training is an innovative approach to corporate training, in which computer-based training is transformed by the technologies of the Internet. It allows for fresh content that can be modified at will at little additional cost. Web-based training allows for self-directed, self-paced instruction on any topic. Web-based training presents live content, as fresh as the moment and modified at will, in a structure allowing self-directed, self-paced instruction in any topic. WBT is media-rich traning fully capable of evaluation, adaptation, and remediation, all independent of computer platform.
Barron (1998) defined web-based instruction into three types: web-enhanced, web-managed, and web-delivered. Web-enhanced instruction is primarily used as a supplement to on site instruction. Web-managed instruction uses software such as Lotus’ Learning Space to provide the framework and architecture for the course materials. Software packages provide a repository for the materials as well as allow for collaboration via e-mail and chat. Web-delivered instruction is commonly referred to as web-based training and involves all the course work.
Web-based training is ideal for delivering training to individuals anywhere at anytime. Gone are the days of sending the employees to the training department for their training. With traditional instruction there is a delay from the time the employee gains the knowledge from instruction to the time the employee returns to work to apply that knowledge. It is the applying of that knowledge that we determine whether learning has occurred. Advances in computer network technology and improvements in bandwidth will usher in capabilities for unlimited multimedia access. Web browsers that support 3-D virtual reality, animation, interactions, chat and conferencing, and real-time audio and video will offer unparalleled training opportunities. With the tools at hand today, we can craft highly effective WBT to meet the training needs of a diverse population. Web-based performance support systems (WBPSS) further help today’s busy workers perform their jobs by integrating WBT, information systems, and job aids into unified systems available on demand.
The current focus of WBT development is on learning how to use the available tools and organize content into well-crafted teaching systems. Unfortunately, there are few examples of good WBT design visible on the public Internet. As instructional designers and training analysts learn how to write and produce WBT, and as training vendors come to realize the overwhelming advantages of this delivery method, expect an explosion in training offerings available over the public Internet and private intranets.
Purpose of study
Employers are seeing some utility in web-based training, but from a cost perspective. These companies see web-based training as purely a cost saving tool in the end. Therefore, the main research question posed by this research is how can trainer’s construct learning experiences using Internet technologies to improve employee performance? What about the effect on employee performance? Companies always preach that employees are their greatest asset. Is that just a ploy to get applicants in the door? How can trainers resolve the issues of user interface design and programming for high levels of interaction? These questions will be answered in future articles.
About the Author
Nick Roy is the Owner and Editor of The HR Blog. He currently holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Hawaii Pacific University, and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Florida Metropolitan University, Fort Lauderdale. He can be reached at nick@nickroy.com.
