Introduction
Are you looking for ways to train and educate your employees about any new product or new equipment? Employee training can be a little difficult to organize and manage. But if they continuously train them in small pieces, there will be no difficulty to face. And due to this reason, Web-based training is increasing drastically in every workplace.
However, even a small change can be disturbing and difficult to adjust. Changes are often met with lots of resistance. But if you are really serious about a sharp shift from in-person to Web-based training for your company, you must know how intimidating all the uncertainties might be. Be prepared to tackle the challenges. To eliminate any confusion about WBT, we are here with a detailed guide to Web-based training.
What is Web-based training?
Web-based training ( WBT) is majorly internet training, known as e-learning or online learning. It is a form of training that enables the employees to learn and experience new things anytime from anywhere. It provides learning by keeping the suitability parallel, which ensures the flexibility of the training program. Web-based training is generally delivered by the instructor virtually and promotes self-paced learning. There is no restriction on time or place; people can conveniently learn at their own pace in a cost-effective manner.
Why is web-based training important?
Today, almost every company is preferring web-based training for their employees, as this mode of training reaps the best out of both personal and professional worlds. There are various other reasons why WBT is so important for companies as well as employees.
Provides flexibility
The best part of WBT is its flexible nature. Irrespective of the place your employees are stationed, they will have the luxury to learn from there and at their own pace. If the session is 5 hours, they can either have it all at once or can use a 1-hour session every five times a week. They can learn however they see fit in their schedule. In their comfortable environment, they can learn better with fresh minds.
Offers a cost effective process
WBT saves a lot of time and money in organizing and managing offline sessions. The operational costs are reduced, and the WBT process can again easily be set for the new onboarding employees. Annually, the e-learning process saves approximately $200 million.
Improves learning potential
With the reduced training time, the retention rate increases by 30 to 60%. WBT is the learner-centered approach that helps employees to focus on self-paced learning. It is proved by various studies that by investing every dollar, companies earn a $30 rate of productivity per employee.
Has easy feedback collection
Getting employee feedback becomes easy in Web-based training. By collecting feedback, you can easily determine the success and return on investment after WBT. In online quizzes, tests, or anything, it is usually easy to know the performance of each employee.
What different training can I use web-based training for?
The benefits of Web-based training can be optimized by using them in the different best training practices. If you have any existing business problems, you can try to solve those with this improved training process. Here are some common cases or practices where you can implement your WBT training.
Onboarding
WBT is more important for the new members who have recently joined the company and are starting to learn about your products and new professional things. WBT can quickly help them to learn and speed up their work, which eventually gives your business profit and efficiency. The cost associated with turnovers and retraining also gets reduced and increases the overall productivity of every company.
Sales training
Sales representatives have the most hectic and busy schedules in their professional life. They are often seen convincing everyone and remain busy traveling for business purposes. Sales objectives are an essential aspect that must be fulfilled. Therefore, if the sales representatives are working effectively, the productivity of the company increases drastically. WBT is a flexible and cost-effective process.
Product knowledge training
You can easily update your employees with new upgrades and products. With the WBT sessions, employees will be able to get more time for their personal things and will focus more on learning when they are relaxed. This increases the closing capacity of your business and will also help you gain profits.
Channeled partner training
The WBT can be practiced and must be used to give channel partners valuable lessons about corporate standards and goals. Irrespective of the geographical location they are, it helps them to understand the objectives of the business process.
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What types of web-based training are there?
There are different categories of WBT that every company must try at once. Here are the types of Web-based training:-
1. Synchronous web-based training
This type of WBT is the in-person type of training. Synchronous WBT is instructor based and includes a real-time interaction system for the learners. Real-time interaction here indicates that Both learner and instructor must be online at the same time but from different places. The Synchronous WBT involves online tutoring, webinars, meetings, teleconferencing, peer meetings, lectures, etc.
2. Asynchronous web-based training
This type of WBT training is a special type of training where you find the benefit of flexibility. The content in this training is provided in digital mode, and the learners can easily watch the files and learn at their own pace without any restriction. To demonstrate and solve any practical training questions, it is often preferred to use Scribe and Scribe pages.
Scribe is the software that automatically generates the visual guide for the user and makes a proper solution by adding all the screenshots, images, links, etc. Scribe pages let you combine all the Scribes and process documents by adding texts, descriptions, hyperlinks, etc. Like this one.
Asynchronous WBT is very convenient training, which also includes lots of video tutorials, screencasts, pre-recorded webinars, readings, etc.
1. Knowledge base training
Knowledge base training is the WBT program, where you can learn through different modules, tests, and data. You will be tested at different intervals of learning, which will ensure your growth. You will be trained to work with existing data and create new data for the business model.
2. Learning management system
A Learning management system ( MS) is a training program that helps you to learn more about the administration, tracking, documentation, automation, reporting, and delivery of educational programs, training programs, and development programs. This LMS has emerged from the e-learning system and is mainly preferred to plan, implement and assess various learning business processes.
3. Blended web-based training
Blended WBT comprises both Synchronous and Asynchronous learning. For example, the first half of the training is all about learning the theoretical elements, while the other half is about the practical references and demonstrations. Learners typically get trained independently but at different places.
Recommended software to try
Some of the software that you can use for Web-based training are follows -
Scribe
Scribe is a step-by-step guide generator that helps you create step-by-step guides in seconds. Build training materials and structure your SOP program with a fast, easy-to-use solution.
All you need to do is turn on the extension and run through your process. Once you're done, Scribe will automatically create your visual guide, complete with text and screenshots. Easily, edit, share or embed your Scribe in any knowledge base. And with Scribe Pages, you can combine multiple guides with video, images and more in dynamic process docs.
EdApp
EdApp is a user-friendly web-based training platform that has a wide range of training platforms for working professionals. The platform specializes in microlearning and has several self-paced training programs. These programs are from a wide variety of industries such as healthcare, food safety, and various other corporate training courses.
Steps to develop web-based training
Developing the entire Web-based Training program can be exhausting and seem daunting. But when things are planned well and every step is managed correctly, everything will go smoothly. Here are the steps that will allow you to create effective and engaging Web-based Training.
Step 1. Know the audience's learning needs
Before you jump into the WBT, you need to know in what zone your audience is interested. Also, check if they are willing to learn or not. If not, make them aware of the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning. Moreover, you should identify what the learner wants from WBT.
Are they looking to develop their leadership skills, technical skills, interpersonal skills, or any job-specific skill? By knowing these things, you will easily develop the relevant WBT that will meet their needs and will motivate them to learn and improve their skills.
Step 2. Set proper WBT goals
To provide the best WBT, you need to find better learning goals. See which goals can be obtained by setting these goals. While setting goals for your employees, you must ensure that the goals are specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound, and relevant. This is the SMART method of visualizing the learning goals in WBT.
Step 3. Build a cross-functional & effective team
Once you are set with your learning goals and audience profiles, you should now start building a team for WBT. The learning and development team must include the following key players:
- Stakeholders - Stakeholders visualize and manage the projects. They remain and contribute a lot in critical decision-making processes, where every step of the training is completed smoothly.
- Project Managers - Project managers focus mainly on the logistics part of web-based training. It is the responsibility of the project manager to break down the big projects and assign them to relevant members for better delivery of information.
- Subject matter experts (SMEs) - SMEs are the knowledge specialists who draft and provide raw content to the course developers.
- LMS administrators - LMS admins help to manage the new users and track the result of trainees. When the training session completes, LMS admins assign the relevant courses to the employees.
Step 4. Choose an appropriate web-based training tool
WBT authoring tools allow you to develop the best multimedia-rich online learning courses. But not all the WBT tools are equal, some of them have low functionality and thus give less productivity. Therefore, while choosing the WBT tool, you should see whether it supports Synchronous or blended learning, if it supports a different platform and live 24/7 live interaction program or not.
Step 5. Create the right training material
To create the best training content, you must gather and structure the content for the e-course program. Include images, charts, videos, graphics, etc in your material. Moreover, you should create a storyboard with rough ideas of visuals, texts, graphics, etc. After building proper content, add the assessment program to improve learning.
Step 6. Test the learning
To ensure that the WBT has made learning easier and more effective, you must evaluate and test the knowledge and skills of the employees. You must check the quality of the e-learning by fixing the errors and issues. To ensure proper quality assurance, follow the evaluation process before and after the course.
Web-based training best practices
Some best practices of web-based training are as follows -
Leverage Micro-learning
Bit-to-bit learning is valuable for employees. Learning in small pieces can make learning easier and the employees can retain the information for a long time. If any situation arises, it enables the employees to recognize this microlearning, and they can easily derive solutions from them, and implement them to solve the problem.
Add hyperlinks
Adding all resources to the training cannot be possible. So, it's better to add a hyperlink to resources and add extra relevant information to the training program.
Provide offline materials
Offline access or material can allow the employees to repeatedly watch the content and revise the learning at their own pace.
Create interactive training
Retain the learning of employees; visual forms are the best way to keep them engaged and effective. Make the content interesting, practical, and engaging to achieve maximum learner retention.
Getting started with web-based training
Though most people prefer in-person classroom training programs, WBT delivers unparalleled convenience and flexibility to employees. Employees can learn at their own pace from anywhere anytime. WBT offers employee-centric training that prepares employees to work in a personalized way and can easily tackle every problem happening in the company.
