Gdbear’s Weblog

WBT vs CBT…
I believe that the difference between CBT and WBT is not tied to media distribution method. For example, CBT (Computer-Based Training) may be distributed via CD/DVD media and installed on a computer such that Internet connectivity is not required. WBT (Web-Based Training) requires constant or intermittent communication with Internet-Based services or resources.

So media files such as training videos that can be downloaded from Internet resources but can be stored and interacted with locally without Internet connectivity would be considered CBT, not WBT. I have not found a clearer differentiation between the two other than your lesson notes. I want to make sure that I am understanding the statement “find two different courses delivered via the Internet: one CBT and one WBT.” However, maybe the purpose of the discussion is to ferret out this differentiation.

Specifically, a Web site such as Marrutt (http://www.softwaretrainingtutorials.com/) that provides software training videos, some of which can be downloaded over the Internet and then viewed without Internet connection would be considered CBT. Learning resources such as those provided by the IEEE Computer Society (http://www.computer.org/portal/cms_docs_cs/ieeecs/jsp/elearning/campus_home.jsp?content=yes) where constant connection with the Web site must be maintained would be classified as WBT.

What if one of the Web sites provided by the IEEE service above could be captured locally and used off-line; would it still be considered WBT? Maybe my distinction above is not clear enough. I could sit down and create a training application using HTML or similar language, but have no intention of publishing it to an ISP. Would this be considered WBT? By my definitions above, it would. Should WBT be defined only by the communication protocols used? Let me know what you think.