PATHWAYS — Volume 9, Number 3 – August, 1997

Today, many training organizations are saying (or being told), "Let’s conduct our training on the Web!" (We are using the term "Web" here to encompass both the Internet and private intranets, although there are distinctions, of course.) As John Gantz, senior vice president at International Data Corporation, says in the July 21, 1997 issue of Computerworld, "If my kids can go on the Web regularly to do their homework, maybe your (people) can, too."

The Web is already used extensively for such non-training uses as:

Now it is becoming practical to consider offering training on the Web. This idea is even more attractive to those firms with intranets, because an intranet affords them higher levels of security than does the public Internet. Proprietary training can be developed, distributed, and administered on the Web with greater confidence. The Web thus represents another opportunity for organizations to improve the return on their investment in performance tools for their employees.

However, using the Web for training purposes is not without its challenges and constraints. In the At Issue section, Van Wright explores some of the training applications that make sense on the Web. We hope his insights will help you evaluate the Web’s training potential for your organization.

The Web (both via the Internet and intranets) offers many potential educational/training solutions. In the remainder of this issue, we will explore four areas:

• Web-based training delivery
• Distribution of training materials
• Development of training materials
• Training administration

Organizations should evaluate the potential of the Web in all of these areas.

Many organizations today are already using the Web. The following table lists a few publicly accessible Web sites that offer additional advice, samples, and information about Web-based solutions.

Most businesses using the Web today have focused on delivery of training. They are looking for ways to reduce such training delivery costs as travel, lodging, classroom facilities, instructors, and the like.

Almost by definition, Web-based delivery of training implies self-paced, self-study learning. A good "filter" when deciding whether to use the Web for training delivery is to ask yourself, "Is my objective to teach background knowledge and individual intellectual skills?" If so, the Web may be a good delivery choice. But, if your goal is to teach interpersonal skills, the Web may not be your best choice.

Even when Web-based delivery of training seems appropriate from an instructional viewpoint, it is important not to ignore certain technological constraints. Restricted bandwidth and frequent telephonic interruptions limit what can be done with Web-based training delivery.

• It can take a minute or two to download ten seconds of audio, and eight or ten minutes to download ten seconds of low-resolution motion video.
• Even without audio/video elements, response time can be slow if the Web itself is overloaded—a common event during typical business hours.

It is important to allow for these limitations when planning and designing for Web-based delivery, rather than to discover them later.

Distribution of training can offer an immediate return for most organizations. Because last quarter's Pathways addressed electronic document distribution, we won't dwell on the issue here. The same benefits cited for electronic storage and distribution of documents in general apply to training materials as well. Potential benefits include:

• Availability of training when and where needed
• Better version control (Students have access to the latest versions of training programs.)
• Faster delivery than by traditional shipment methods because of the ability to download and "print on demand" or to offer training "just in time."
• Avoidance of excess inventories, shortages, and shipping costs.

This is a rapidly emerging area. The activities that occur during the development of training typically entail many face-to-face meetings and interviews, design and document reviews, and other activities that tie up people resources. In such situations, the Web can offer an alternative to face-to-face meetings and teleconferencing. Given the Web’s communications capabilities, a number of ways to use the Web during training development seem obvious. Here are a few ideas:

The potential is there but, for the moment, only a few organizations are making use of the Web to support training development.

The Web can also be used to support such administrative requirements as:

• Selecting and prescribing courses so as to customize curricula to individual learner needs
• Classroom/facilities scheduling
• Course and lesson enrollments (for both classroom and Web delivery)
• Individual and group completion records (for both classroom and Web delivery)
• Identifying links to human resources databases and recommending publicly accessible training offerings.

Those with training administration responsibilities should consider using the Web to help them administer training programs in their organizations.

It is time to evaluate the appropriateness of the Web for developing, distributing, delivering, and administering training in your organization. Web technology promises significant benefits to the training function if used wisely.