ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
ONLINE LEARNING
By Gary James
Never before in the training world have so many delivery options been available with so
much information and knowledge to convey to our trainees. How do you select the right
delivery medium for your audience and your content?
As was addressed in last month’s column, the Internet and intranet hold tremendous
potential for the rapid dissemination of knowledge and information to a worldwide
workforce when utilized correctly. In fact, Elliott Masie, president of the Masie Center,
a New York-based training think tank, estimated that 92 percent of large organizations
will use some form of online learning this year.
There are several distinct advantages and disadvantages of designing, developing, and
delivering web-based training. By carefully weighing your audience and training content
against this list of advantages and disadvantages, you should be able to better judge if
what you have in mind is right for Web dissemination.
ADVANTAGES:
(1) Extendibility, Accessibility, and Suitability - Users can proceed through a training
program at their own pace and at their own place. They can also access the training
at any time, receiving only as much as they need. In other words, “just in time and
just enough."
(2) Quicker (and cheaper) turnaround of finished product.
(3) Collaborative and exploratory learning environments.
(4) Easy and affordable training delivery - Chances are (and you’ll want to access this
before embarking on WBT) your audience has access to a browser. Validate what
browser(s) your audience has and what version(s) and you can capitalize on the
delivery vehicle.
(5) Cross Platform - WBT can be accessed by web browsing software on any platform:
windows, MAC, Unix, etc. Basically, you can deliver your training course to any
machine over the Internet or company intranet without having to develop a different
course for each unique platform.
(6) Inexpensive worldwide distribution - No separate or distinct distribution
mechanism is needed (i.e., distributing CD-ROMs for CBT training). WBT can be
accessed from any computer anywhere in the world while at the same time keeping
delivery costs down.
(7) Reduced technical support - Web-based training courses decrease some of the
more “potent and deadly” technical support issues that often enshroud technology-
based training.
(8) Ease of content update - The changes you make to any of your content are
immediately available to your learning audience across the world.
(9) Installation options on private networks for security or greater bandwidth. If you
opt for intranet delivery, you have more control over plug-ins and bandwidth, giving
you more options for inclusion in your WBT.
(10) Travel cost and time savings - Learning is delivered directly to the learner instead
of the other way around.
(11) Web browsers and Internet connections are widely available - Most computer
users have access to a browser, such as IE4 or Netscape and are connected to a
company's intranet, and/or have access to the Internet.
(12) WBT-based development is easier to learn and pick up then CBT-based
development. You should be able to draw from a larger pool of WBT developers
than is available for creating traditional CBT.
(13) Vast, untapped market for training - The untapped WBT market is still large. If
you’re looking for commercial markets, the Internet also offers a huge audience
hungry for material via the Net.
(14) Access is controllable - You can direct and monitor who receives web training -
when, how many times, and in what sequence.
(15) Billing options - You can bill— and collect on that bill— through Net distribution,
billing by user ID, number of accesses, date/time of access, or any other means by
which you want to assess usage.
(16) Direct access to many other training resources - The Internet gives access to the
largest library in the world. Capitalize on the offerings that have already been
created, and use them to enhance the learning you are distributing.
DISADVANTAGES:
(1) Limited formatting of content in current browsers - The WBT you create will not
resemble the CBT you might be familiar with because of Net bandwidth constraints.
So if your content relies on a lot of media “bells and whistles,” or particular
formatting, the Net might not be the best delivery medium.
(2) Bandwidth/browser limitations may restrict instructional methodologies -
Again, you are constrained by the technology. If your content relies on a lot of video,
audio, or intense graphics, and your audience isn’t on a T1 line, Net delivery will
only frustrate your learners.
(3) Limited bandwidth means slower performance for sound, video, and large
graphics. Know the bandwidth available to your audience— and what’s reasonable
“wait” time for them— before you commit to the Net. On average, most mobile end-
users are still running on a 28.8 kpbs connection.
(4) Someone must provide web server access, control usage, and bill users (if
applicable) - The Net doesn’t magically solve all of your resource issues. Plan on
having someone oversee some of these issues.
(5) Time required for downloading applications - Again, be very, very aware of
download times— and we still recommend looking at delivery options considering a
28.8 kpbs modem if you are delivering training to an external audience or over the
Internet. Your training might be great, but if your audience isn’t patient enough to
wait for it to download, it doesn’t matter.
(6) Student assessment and feedback is limited - The Internet provides a wonderful
means to get all kinds of information back and forth to your audience, but it also
makes it harder to assess some types of student feedback and information.
(7) Many, if not most, of today's web-based training programs are too static, with
little if any interactivity - This is probably due to the bandwidth limitation, but if we
deliver poor, page-turning training, we can’t expect stellar results from our learners.
(8) Cannot design and develop robust multimedia courses - The bandwidth
limitations of the Net constrain what can be delivered effectively.
(9) Are computers replacing human contact? - The Net is not right for all training.
(10) Newness - It may take longer designing and developing WBT courses, the first time
around. Because of its recent emergence to the training arena, new technologies
always require time, experience, and money in order to take full advantage of its
capabilities. The great thing, however, is you’ll learn new skills and knowledge with
each new course.
(11) Web-based training has high-fixed costs - Some people assume that since you
don’t need a CD-ROM drive, you have no additional costs. Not so. It’s important
that you consider doing a pilot before proceeding further into the WBT game.
Validate what works well, when, and at what it cost.
Gary W. James is a corporate trainer and instructional design consultant at Allen Communication, and
holds a masters degree in adult education and learning with an emphasis in instructional technology and
design. This article represents a small portion of an in-depth, 2-day hands-on web-based training seminar
that he will be presenting across the United States in August and September. Visit
www.allencomm.com/events for more information on dates and locations of the seminar.
