Chapter 11
This chapter discusses the issues globalizing web-based
training and ways of building an effective one. Before
going global with WBT, there are a lot of challenges
that needs to be addressed, such as designing courses
for just one country or culture (when used by other
cultures and people from different countries), language
differences, cultural differences (symbols, values,
educational expectations), geographic conditions,
and technical differences.
Following are some strategies for going global:
- You should say exactly what you expect
from learners. Be direct and straight
to the point.
- Accommodate different levels of technology.
Do not use high bandwidth technology when a lower
bandwidth works just as well. If you do decide
to use high-bandwidth, a good idea is to provide
users with multiple versions.
- Accommodate different learning styles
- Respect other cultures but do not hide
your own
- Mix different modes of media.
Do not clutter the whole page with just text.
Large areas of text should be broken down, provide
lists, integrate the text into a graphic, and
keep text short. Also, a good idea is to present
the same information in multiple formats.
- Constantly test your course
- Include a glossary
- Include a cross-cultural summary
- Give learners time to absorb information
An important thing to avoid is covert national chauvinism
(acting as if your culture and your country is the
only one that matter). Some ways to avoid this is
to use generic objects in examples, avoid local expressions,
thing from the viewpoint of your learner, and format
addresses flexibly (including country as one of the
input fields).
Another important factor is for making the media global
as well. For pictures, some suggestions include suppressing
unimportant details. pick universal visual symbols
(including gestures, mythological beings, puns, body
parts, religious symbols, national symbols, grading
marks, totems, political symbols, and people), and
use common images (such images as space exploration,
medicine, transportation, sports, and business). For
narration, some suggestions include carefully selecting
a narrator, be caution on enunciation, and use voice-over
rather than lip-sync. For music, some suggestions
include sticking with instrumental forms of music
(European classical music, western pop music, and
mainstream jazz), avoid melodies that have different
meaning in different contexts or countries, and avoid
music with strong regional or national associations.
For animations, you should keep it simple with just
the essentials. For video, it should only be used
when it is important to convey emotion, depict fact
or history, or show the natural movement of the subject.
For discussion groups, moderators should require civility,
edit messages, prompt non-participants, prompt non-participants,
and allow criticism of ideas but not of other people.
And for conferencing and chat sessions, some suggestions
include publishing a “code of conduct”,
make participation optional, prefer low-bandwidth
media, post an edited transcript, and moderate after
the fact.
The author notes on encouraging learners to form “nations”.
In other words, allows students from the same countries
to form discussion groups, study partners, or do group
activities together. Also, WBT courses should be written
in international English (simple, direct style that
minimizes reading problems for those who read English
as a second language). Word should be used in which
everyone will understand, and sentences should be
written in which everyone can understand.
Suggested Quick-Check Questions
- The author notes that simple hand-drawn
animations can be more effective than complex
rendered animations or full-motion video segments
(pg. 463). Is this true in every instance? What
about animations of the human anatomy for medical
students?
I think in many cases, using simple hand-drawn
animations is a good approach to explaining the
topic or point. But for certain audiences and
certain topics, complex animations are a much
more effective approach. For example, if the topic
is on the functions of the heart, I think having
detailed animations that is very realistic of
the actual heart is very important for medical
students.
Chapter 14
This chapter discusses the author’s predictions
of WBT. Most WBT are mainly designed for teaching
technical subjects within technical organizations.
The future of WBT will soon break out of the technical
training world and be spread to every field. Standards
will continue to be important (such as AICC). XML
will replace HTML and soon be the standard for all
web pages. There will soon be a large marketplace
on the web for WBT.
The author also notes that education and training
will merge into one. Many people define training and
education as two definitions, but soon it will become
one. Also, as education and training merges, so will
training and publications. Classroom will still be
popular even with the grown of WBT. Ten to twenty
years from now, WBT will transform from emerging technology
to submerging technology. People will not notice it
because it will be such a normal way of learning that
learners won’t even recognize it is there.
Suggested Quick-Check Questions
- Are there any other new standards and
guidelines to comply with in WBT courses?
Since this book was written in 1999, there are
quite a few more standards that designers must
comply with. SCORM (www.adlnet.org/),
Section 508 (www.section508.gov),
and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/)
are standards and guidelines that many companies
are integrating to their WBT. Most government
agencies require these standards for their WBT.
- The author used the term Gizmania for
describing designers’ fascination with technology
for its own sake and the need to use every technology
available. He also notes that outbreaks of gizmania
are temporary problems and people will soon get
tired of it. Will WBT be restrained from gizmania?
Gizmania will slowly die down but I think it will
never disappear. There will always be some new
technology that comes out, and people will try
to do everything with it. This will be the same
for WBT as well. People will develop new tools
for building WBT and designers/developers will
try and use all the features. Although it will
slowly die down, it will always exist. There will
always be a company out there that will want all
these features for their WBT, without thinking
about their learners.
