Computer-Based Training

Computer-Based Training

What is CBT?

CBT or Computer Based Training is a difficult term to adequately define because it encompasses various modes of instruction and has evolved from the simplest definition, "The use of computers and multimedia technology for training"(http://www.unn.ac.uk/~buu504/comp_bt.htm). The best definition for CBT is from a 1995 text called Making CBT Happen by Gloria Gery.

An interactive learning experience between the learner and computer in which the computer provides the majority of the stimulus, the learner must respond, and the computer analyzes the response and provides feedback to the learner (1995).

Although this definition is quite dated, and CBT has evolved considerably since 1995, it adequately describes the key roles the computer and the learner have in the process. CBT (Computer Based Training) can encompass any type of training that involves a learner interacting with a computer. This means that Web Based Training, Interactive Distance Learning, and Intranet can also fall under the CBT definition. For brevity of this paper, we will only look at the CBT modules used on CD-ROM and LAN (Local Area Network). To expound on this definition, one must accurately define Interactive Learning Experience as it relates to training. There are many forms of interactive learning experiences in training. These would include:

Interactive practice exercises to incorporate a skill

Interactive case studies simulating situations in which the learner applies previously acquired knowledge

Interactive role plays in which people can practice new behaviors, approaches, techniques

Interactive drills in which learners can prove mastery levels and move along the learning continuum from familiarization to automatic operation and fluency

Interactive tests in which the learner can interactively assess their own progress to demonstrate competence or achieve confidence in their own knowledge and skill (Gery, 1995).

I would also add that along with the interactive learning experience CBT modules also have administrative qualities. Most CBT programs can register learners based on their status through particular career learning paths, as well as, store the learner's progress of the modules within a database. "There is a record keeping feature that can save time, maintain accurate training records, and diagnose training deficiencies" (Congram, 1995).

CBT Advantages and Disadvantages

Computer-Based Training modules have many advantages. First, there is the cost issue. For companies who have facilities on a national or even international scale, CBT is the most cost- effective way to train.