Online Training for Employees in the Corporate Environment

Abstract

This paper explores the increased usage of online training by corporations for the use of employee development. The staple of training has always been face-to-face, but with the advent of the internet and an increase in budget consciousness, online training is increasing as an additional means of employee training and in some cases a complete replacement. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages to implementing online training within a company as any monetary savings from online training will be short-lived if the format shows to be ineffective (Anonymous, Listen to the learners; How to improve the effectiveness of online training, 2009). While there are advantages and disadvantages to both online and face-to-face instruction, most experts agree that a hybrid training program is the most effective means of training in today’s society. This paper discusses the advantages, disadvantages and suggestions for integrating online training into a corporate structure.

Keywords: online training, corporate training

Online Training for Employees in the Corporate Environment

Online training is a fast growing portion of the training expense of many companies in today’s money conscious society. Even six years ago, the Training Industry Report showed that 89 percent of companies surveyed reported the use of the internet for some extent of instructional delivery (Long, DuBois, & Faley, 2008). While online training saves on travel and other expenses associated with face-to-face instruction, the monetary gains are worthless if the training proves ineffective.

Discussion

As companies downsize, travel is normally one of the first budgets to be cut, and in turn training which normally requires travel for programs (Trimble & Haubold, 2000). Of a group of marketing companies surveyed that reduced their budget in 2010, 60% state that they have fewer resources to pay for training (Mortimer, 2010). Online or computer based training is one solution to combat the loss of funding. Online courses give trainees added control over the depth or extent of the content they choose to investigate, the sequencing and tempo of the training, and without checks and balances, the final decision to complete the training (Milheim & Martin, 1991). In 1997 the Department of Defense established the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) laboratories to develop standards in distance learning delivery systems (Barker & Brooks, 2005). Studies evaluating the effectiveness of distance learning in the military have shown no significant difference in scores between classroom and online groups, but decreased instructional time and reduced costs over an extended time. Online training gives the ability for learning on demand, as long as you have the required