eLearning Consultant’s Trusty Guide to Using HTML in Web-Based Training (Interview)

Craig Weiss is the owner of E-Learn Info, which provides advisory services to eLearning vendors and individuals who are interested in eLearning solutions and services. He manages and is the author of the blog E-Learning 24/7, which many consider the leading business intelligence blog on eLearning. Starting in February 2011, he will be writing a column on technology and eLearning for Learning Circuits, an online publication from ASTD.

Q. Craig, have you noticed any stellar eLearning resources lately?

Designing Web-Based Training: How to Teach Anyone Anything Anywhere Anytime by William Horton

This book provided a strong base and understanding on how to build effective WBT that is interactive, engaging and pro-active, enabling learners to achieve higher levels of comprehension, retention and thus synthesis.

Q. What can readers expect to learn about web-based training?

The book covers various types of WBT and is especially useful for people who wish to build courses in HTML. While the book may have information that seems a tad old by today’s standard, it still provides a strong foundation for people who are new to designing and developing WBT or seek a better understanding of what makes an online course more effective for their learners. More importantly, it offers insight and design approaches that can be identified and incorporated in any course authoring tools that exist today, including rapid eLearning solutions.

Q. How has the book influenced your eLearning work?

When I started out in creating WBT courses, I felt that while the course content and design was solid, it was a standard page turner with text and images. I knew it could be improved, but there was virtually nothing out there that could really break it down, explain the processes, provide real world examples and enable me to create courses that were interactive and easy to navigate.

After purchasing Horton’s book, I found many ways to build upon my scenario based learning approach, which provides learners with real life experiences that were incorporated into every WBT course. This in turn, enabled my courses to become what I was seeking—engaging, interactive and best of all, provide an enriching experience with adaptive learning mechanisms.

The book is an excellent reference with detailed explanations,helpful tips and visual examples. Even if you are not an instructional designer or eLearning developer (I was a training manager), there is enough information in this book to be useful at any level, regardless of your tech or eLearning experience.