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Listing of online courses for study of web-based training (WBT) techniques. Also refer to web design, training, distance education, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Online WBT Courses
by Ron Kurtus (revised 8 April 2000)
As a developer of web-based training (WBT), you should examine various example courses or lessons to see the techniques used. You can see what sort of interface is used and how graphics, text and special effect tie together. You may also be able to learn something about your favorite topic in the process.
Questions you may have include:
- What types of courses are available online?
- What is a listing of such courses?
- What can I learn from studying these courses?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.
Many type of courses offered
More and more educational courses are being offered online over the Internet through colleges, universities, companies and organizations. You can now even get a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) over the Internet.
Some costly
The problem with many of these online courses and web-based training (WBT) is the cost involved. Most college courses and education provided by commercial training companies can be quite expensive. Although there are some course available for as little as $20, the value received causes many users to hesitate in making a commitment to taking the class.
Free courses
An interesting solution—and more appealing to many people—is the idea of free online courses. Surprisingly, there are a large number of such free courses available. In some cases, the presentation quality of these courses is better than that in for-fee courses. But in general, the sophistication level of many for-fee courses from commercial training companies is much higher. You often get what you pay for.
Resource list
The following resources are listed in alphabetical order. There are comments on the quality and quantity of the course, as well as how they are sponsored.
Free courses
The following sites have free courses available.
Beyond Z provides free online courses. Presently, they don't have many offerings, and they are looking for authors. The site is sponsored by Paradigm Research, Inc., which offers courses on computer subjects for a fee.
Education exchange is provides "free" online courses with CEUs (college education units) in the area of Health and English as a Second Language. The site is sponsored by LearnWell Resources, Inc. and apparently also has received government grants. The courses require the purchase of materials, which really don't make them free.
Free-ed.net provides free online courses, tutorials and educational activities. They have a good listing of online courses. Sponsorship of free-ed.net seems to come from banner advertising seen on the pages. This is a familiar method of financing for many sites.
My own School for Champions offers free online courses on science, business, training and success topics. Lessons include the positive message of excelling through helping others. By choice, there are no banner ads in this site, although Amazon.com is used for recommended resource books.
Test Tutor provides free tutorials on GMAT, GRE and TOEFL exams, as well as a bi-weekly newsletter. The site is sponsored by banner advertising.
WebMonkey.com provides a number of good, free online tutorials for web developers. The site is part of HotWired and is sponsored by web ads.
Courses for a fee
A fee is required for the following courses. Some have free demos available.
4courses.com provides an extensive listing of online courses in various subjects. Many of these course are fee-based, some have free demos, and there are others that are free online courses. You'll have to sample what you are interested in yourself. 4courses.com is part of 4anything.com, a web directory business with a unique approach to classifying material.
College for Financial Planning offers over 100 courses from $65 to $100 per course. A free sample course is available, provided you register with them.
Digital Think, Inc. offers over 85 courses from $100 to $325 per course. A free sample course is available, provided you register with them. You may have to spend an extra $25 to $50 to purchase a text for the course.
Get Smart Online at offers over 150 courses for $30 per course. A free sample course is available, but you must first download a browser add-on. Resells 7th Street.com courses.
7th Street.com offers over 150 courses from $30 to $40 per course.
UOL Publishing at offers over 1000 courses from $60 to $100 per course.
ZDU at offers over 200 courses from $8 to $70 per course. You may have to spend an extra $30 to purchase a text for the course. 100 instructor-led courses and 150 self-study courses. Computer and programming subjects. Free course available. Web site is set up like a campus. Can purchase books and software through them. Part of Ziff-Davis Publishing.
Summary
By trying out various free online courses, as well as for-fee course, you can get a good idea of the type of material that is being distributed on the Internet. You can also learn about how the material is presented, what works and what doesn't.
If you run across any good sites you would like to recommend, let me know and I will add them to this list.
See side menu for more e-Learning topics
Study success to become successful
Resources
The following are resources on this subject.
Websites
Books
Mini-quiz to check your understanding
If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a champion in eLearning development. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.
What do you think?
Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Also see Answers to Readers' Questions.
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www.school-for-champions.com/elearning/onlinecourses.htm.
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Online WBT Courses