People problems can be equally thorny. Non-technical people within an organization may be uncomfortable using the Web, and even veteran online warriors may have trouble using the Internet in a serious, programmed way. If you're used to surfing the Web, it's mainly a serendipitous information retrieval tool. We have to work on media literacy skills and show people there are other ways to use the Web. While the flexibility of being able to do coursework at home is a big advantage, workers shouldn't be expected to fill their off hours with online courses, Hall says.
Training needs to be treated as a serious part of the job.
Training professionals also may have trouble adapting to a new model that requires a complex new repertoire of skills. Instead of reserving a conference room and booking a speaker, corporate training officers now have to juggle HTML, video production, database management and a host of other skills. Hall says there's already a big and fairly mature market for authoring software to develop Web courses, led by firms such as Macromedia and Asymetrix. The shift to Web-based training can also be a tough emotional adjustment for trainers. We get into the Web, and you're freed from those barriers.