SELF-PACED/COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING MEDIA AND METHODS
Computers and other advances in technology have had an enormous impact on the delivery of training in organizations.138 ASTD recently estimated that roughly 22 percent of all formal learning hours are spent in self-paced online learning that was networked, with roughly 3 percent of formal learning hours spent in self-paced, non-networked learning (such as via CD-ROMS), and an additional 3 percent in self-paced print approaches.139 The primary advantage CBT has over other meth- ods of training is its interactivity.140 The interaction between learner and computer in many CBT programs mirrors the one-on-one relationship between student and tutor: questions and responses go back and forth, resulting in immediate feedback. Advanced forms of CBT, like intelligent computer-aided instruction, can even ana- lyze the pattern of a student’s responses and errors, draw conclusions, and tailor the lesson the learner receives accordingly. An additional advantage of technology- based training is that it is well suited to on-demand learners, that is, trainees who need (and increasingly demand) greater control over when and how training is delivered.
