WBT: doing it for yourself
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When CBT met the web THE WEB IS FAST BECOMING the medium of choice for computer-based training (CBT). At least, thats what people are saying. In fact there isnt much of what is now being called web-based training (WBT) about yet and theres a great deal of doubt and uncertainty about how that situation can be remedied. When CBT met the web, there was an inevitable clash of cultures. The world of CBT is a world of authoring systems, multimedia and CD-ROM. The web brings with it an array of radically different and fast moving development technologies from humble HTML, through scripting languages, Java and ActiveX and on to database-driven server-end programs. Because of the promise of online learning for both education and training, there is a rush to provide the tools that will help to generate the millions of hours of learning content that will be needed. From one end, the makers of CBT authoring systems have been busy adapting their software so the resulting courseware can be delivered through a browser. At the other end, makers of web tools are keen to incorporate features that facilitate learning. This article examines the differences between CBT and its web-based equivalent. It compares the tools provided by CBT authoring system vendors with those available for web designers. It concludes by explaining just what you can do for yourself, at negligible expense, using straightforward and commonly-available web development tools.
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© Fastrak Consulting Ltd, 1998. All rights reserved. Last revised 18/4/99
