---

Topics in a Nutshell
Chapter three focuses on choosing the right approach for your web-based training courses. There are many choices to make in order determine the kind of course that is best suitable for your learners. For example, one choice would be deciding if the course is more instructor-led or more learner-led. If the course is more instructor-led, then there will be a lot of lectures and perhaps a live-broadcast presentation. If the course is more learner-led, then the learner has more control and usually sets their own pace in the course and the instructor is there to monitor their progress. Another choice is deciding if the course should be more synchronous or asynchronous. If the course is more synchronous, then students must be involved in an activity at the same time such as chat sessions, screen-sharing, videoconferences, etc. This approach is more geared towards the academia environment. But if the course is more asynchronous, then students can experience whenever they want. This approach is more geared towards industries/corporations because the learner usually are from different states and even countries, have different work schedules, and have unique individual needs. Other choices include the size of the class (large, medium, small), location of the learners taking the course (office, home, learning center, etc.), deciding if the course if pure WBT or a hybrid of WBT and classroom training, the technology standards for the course (browser version, file formats, web players, etc.), and deciding if a metaphor is appropriate or not. Knowing your audience is crucial in deciding the best approach for your course.

Chapter four focuses on building a framework, sometimes called a shell, for your course. The course framework does not teach learners anything but instead consists of numerous components which are vital to the course. These components include course introduction page, about the course section, registration page, help pages, feedback section, technical support pages, accessibility issues, and other resources section. The course introduction page usually will include the course overview, course description, specifications, price, etc. The page should also provide ways to motivate the learners to take the course (incentives, testimonial, credited awards, etc.). The ‘About the course’ section will usually contain the course announcements, detailed course descriptions, objectives, terms and conditions, and biography of the staff. The registration page should be simple and easy to sign-up for the user. If the registration is too long, then a good idea is to divide it up into different pages instead of one long page. Also, after the learner has registered the course, a confirmation by e-mail should be sent to them in which will include information to login and a personalized message to welcome and motivate them. The help and technical support pages should provide information which will help the learners if they are stuck. The feedback section will allow learners to evaluate the training and input their thought about the course. The author also notes about having a god menu for organizing content, a site map, index, and a search engine (depending on the size of the course and number of pages).

Suggested Quick-check Questions

1. Who is involved in building the WBT course (teachers, instructional designers, web developers)?
   For the reading, it seems as though the author developed the whole course by himself. He didn’t really specify the skills necessary in building a WBT course. For example, many teachers and instructional designer are not familiar with building a registration page, a search engine, or a chat room. It involves a lot of programming and server-sided/database skills. It is very difficult for them to afford to dedicate that much time in learning to build a WBT, and also they might not have enough money to pay someone (web developer/designer) to build it as well. Perhaps the author could address these issues and provide necessary resources.



2. Can we design a WBT without understanding interface design, basic color theory, information architecture, and graphic/illustration design?
   Before an individual starts to build a course, shouldn’t they first understand how to actually design a site? The author shows a couple of possible ideas for a menu page. What if the instructor wants a different layout for the menu? How will the instructor know what kind of menu structure layout schema will be usable and accessible for his/her learners. Also, for the introduction page, what other techniques can the instructor use to motivate the learners? What kind of visuals is appropriate?



3. Are there any more examples of WBT courses? Where can I find more examples on WBT courses?
   As I was looking at the example that the author presented, I was really interested in seeing more similar WBT courses that are built. It would have been nice to have a couple more examples or perhaps provide resources in which this information can be found.