Mind's Eye Interactive

Since the emergence of the world-wide Internet, managers have been interested in the possibilities of this new medium for effectively teaching new skills to their employees without having to rely on human trainers. William Horton’s Designing Web-Based Training, published in 2000 at the very beginning of the trend, helped define the practice and a system of guidelines and standards to go along with it. Today, the internet’s capability for training and testing is used not only by employers, but also by educational facilities.Web-based training (WBT) is most effective when it can lead a user through a complex, non-physical procedure. For example, while most people probably wouldn’t want brain surgeons practicing on a virtual patient (or at least not for very long), it’s very easy for WBT to walk a user through a new type of software, or a complex mathematical process. While it may seem like WBT simply mimics reading through a handbook or guide, the electronic component allows trainers to include animations and other visual examples that would fall flat in 2Dpun intended. The fact that the material can be accessed online rather than via CD-ROM can also help save money on production, although it can still be expensive to create a very complex WBT platform.Many companies contract out the development of their WBT initiatives to qualified developers. Metrick Training is one such developer. According to their website, they “provide e-learning based on Learning Management principles,” including “full tracking and reporting.” Their front page illustrates an example of another type of web-based traininga video of an actual trainer, which allows that trainer to reach many people at the same time. This saves on both time and money. WBT also standardizes training for your employees, allowing you to set the level of results you want to achieve.