Web-Based Training Cookbook (Paperback)

by Brandon Hall (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A multimedia training expert shows how to use the Web to design and build effective training courses

This book shows corporate trainers and business managers how to use the Web to train employees and improve their performance. It shows how the Web can supplement or replace traditional training methods for employees and customers, focusing on the best methods for designing and creating Web training content. CD-ROM includes full code for the best examples of each type of training Web pages shown in the book. The author will also maintain a Web Site providing up-to-date information on Web-based training and development topics.

From the Publisher
This book shows corporate trainers and business managers how to use the Web to train employees and improve their performance. It shows how the Web can supplement or replace traditional training methods for employees and customers, focusing on the best methods for designing and creating Web training content. CD-ROM includes full code for the best examples of each type of training Web pages shown in the book. The author will also maintain a Web Site providing up-to-date information on Web-based training and development topics.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (September 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471180211
• ISBN-13: 978-0471180210
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,401,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #46 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > E-Commerce
  #87 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Networking > Network Programming

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a cookbook, December 22, 1999

By	Paul A. Reeves "bohappa" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have much experience developing CBTs or multimedia projects, this isn't the resource for you. It's better for aspiring managers or managers of training depts. It's a good book to read if you want to know a whole lot ABOUT the field of WBT. The CD-ROM is not a model of good design. It provides a list of URLs but does not categorize the list. Unless you're very familiar with the training world, you don't know which are links to resources (most aren't) and which aren't. The NASA link takes you to a login page for NASA employees and contractors (I assume most of us are not either of these). All in all, I regret buying the book. It does have useful information and interesting asides, but I did not use it in developing my department or WBT strategy.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too much common sense, not enough innovation., June 13, 2000

By A Customer

I don't really know why this is called a cookbook, it isn't set up like that at all. While it does have some interesting features, I think it's a little outdated and really should be revised to discuss some of the newer technologies available to trainers. This, and because it covers a lot of the very basics, might be why it seems to be filled with too much common sense and not enough truly innovative ideas. I've seen Brandon Hall speak at training shows, and he's obviously a leader in the industry. I just didn't think this book was worth (the money). I'd say only about a quarter of the book is useful. To top it off, the CD-ROM is a waste. I wouldn't recommend this book to trainers or instructional designers with any amount of real-world experience.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy read and well-organized., November 19, 1999

By	Brett Merkey (Palm Harbor, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent book. It was an easy read because it was well-organized. Apparently the author knows a thing or two about good instruction.

I got a good overview and some new insights into WBT development. The book is probably most valuable to training executives and managers than to courseware designers and developers.

There were lots of valuable project walkthroughs, which conveyed a good feel for all aspects of the process of creating web-based training programs. It includes good discussions of project management and how to create proposals to motivate the projects in the first place. I can see where Hall's focus on return on investment and how each affected worker in the project may react positively or negatively to aspects of WBT.

The book has the best and most concrete explanation of storyboarding that I have seen.

The technical stuff was pretty good, despite the fact that the book is old (mid-1997) and tools, plug-ins, and development environments have changed a lot since those ancient times. For instance, by "browser" he really means Netscape, which in the spring of 1997 had an 87% market share and represented hot technology. Now, we have the advantage of not only of a more advanced browser, but also more advanced international standards in browser authoring, such as Dynamic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets.