Online Training Books

I purchased this entertaining and well-written book a couple of years ago. It has served as a step-by-step guide as I have made the transition from the traditional classroom to online learning.

From basic learning principals and definitions to specific "how to" examples and checklists, this book has it all and delivers it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling aloud and keep you engaged, interested, and wanting to learn more. I continue to use this book as a resource, returning to it again and again, whether in need of a reminder or looking for inspiration to help me move forward.

If you are considering making the journey to online learning, this book will provide the light to help you along your way.

In 150 pages, the authors lay out the key information both HR/training practitioners and web-geeks need to work together successfully.

Written for the non-technical HR practitioner who needs to understand both the training concepts and the technology choices she will be faced with, this book also provides a technical reader (me) with the language and central concepts used by training professionals to develop their courses.

I could see this text being used as the starting point for an project team comprised of HR professionals, trainers, and web designers to build on -- each member of the team required to read it to establish a common framework and language. A few hours spent reading this up front would save countless hours of 'churn' later on in the project.

Very few of us have the time or the patience to read a non-fiction book front to back. We want current information, solutions to the problems we are experiencing today, and answers to questions we can not answer ourselves. We want to find these golden nuggets of information quickly and easily and, we do not want a lot of theoretical or academic fluff.

"Making Sense of Online Learning" meets those requirements. The Shank and Sitze book and companion website are perfect "just-in-time" resources for anyone involved in online learning. Whatever your level of experience and expertise with online learning, I am sure you will find lots of useful and insightful information in the book and the website. While I have designed, developed, and taught various online courses, I still found the book and the website valuable. I know it will help me, my clients, and my students. Thanks, Patti and Amy!

Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D.
Instructional technology consultant & IT faculty at University of Colorado at Denver.

The audience for this book is the person who wants to take their first step into traditional online learning. And by traditional, I mean self-contained courses and the management systems that support them (as opposed to deeper simulations or integration with knowledge management or ERP or CRM systems, etc., etc.,) For these people, the tone, the content, and the sympathy are dead on. Before going to a conference, or reading any deeper books, or subscribing to any of the current magazines, or meeting with your boss or advisor, this should be required reading.

Like many instructional design professionals, I struggle to stay abreast of the lighting-fast developments in online learning. Replacing the comfortable and relatively stable vocabularies and design considerations of yesteryear are rapidly evolving media, terms, technologies, and standards.

Both veterans and novices alike may now know a great deal about some things and very little about others. We need resources that can help us fill the gaps in our understanding and enable us to speak intelligently to our clients, colleagues, and employers. We also need simplified ways of explaining these topics to our audiences.

Patti and Amy have provided just such a resource. By peeling away the jargon and complexity in an even-handed and measured way, they have clarified many mind-numbing subjects. Along the way, they have taken care to point out universal considerations, such as the importance of designing for usability and building training around real-world challenges. They have also provided excellent checklists to use when considering the acquisition of expensive technologies, such as learning management and content management systems. These tools alone can help organizations avoid costly and frustrating blunders.

Patti and Amy have successfully blended sensible guidance; classic learning theories; online learning terms, definitions, and applications; and many excellent resources into a "must read" book and companion Web site. Readers will hardly realize the plane has left the ground by the time they touch down gently but firmly at the end of a smooth and delightful journey.

Well laid out manual for learning some of the finer secrets of using Word 2003.

This book tells you exactly what you need to know for the exam. I was able to concentrate on the proper information without worry. I passed the exam first time :D

This book is for everyone, novice, intermediate and experts (who need a refreshers course). Its plain and to the point. There was one section of it that was not quite right, however, this is no fault of the seller but the writers of the book. Once you over look that it works just as stated in the book. The book got to my freight forwarder quicker than I expected.

Fast shipping. Book received in same great condition as described on website. All in all, an A+ transaction.

I've been using Word 2000 for years. I was finally able to get most of thr functions I needed to work, but it was a "try & try again" approach. The on line manual is helpful, IF you know what questions to ask. And most software has features you might not be aware of, and therefore can't use.

The Word 2003 Step by Step manual is wonderful. You can find what you want to do easily in the index, then get step by step instructions on how to do the project. You can just read the index and/or manual, and learn of the many features available that you never knew existed, and so hadn't tried to use.

It's like having an instructor on hand, any time you want one. I expanded my use of Word greatly, just by learning about new features, on learning how to do things I knew existed, but couldn't figure out how to access.

I highly recommend this book.

This book was very helpful in my introduction to Access, as well as in my review of other Microsoft programs. The tutorials are easy to follow, unlike those in other books I had tried. I recommend this book to anyone trying to learn or brush up on Microsoft programs.

This book is a great reference for the entire MS Office 2000 applications. I needed to learn Access in a hurry and found the section to be precise and informative and to be just what I needed. The tutorial was very good and after completing the exercise, one comes away with a confidence of knowing that they do, indeed, "know" how to set up and run a database.

The book covers Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, FrontPage, PowerPoint, and Outlook. I also needed some clarification in Excel and Word and also found those sections to be just as helpful and informative.

This is a great "quick" book and it does not cover everything. If someone is seeking more detailed information, then they really need to consult another book, which would provide more detailed information. But for the true basics, this book is great!

I am very happy that I invested my money in this book because my students have been using Microsoft Office 2000 and have learned so much because it helps you through the whole learning process step...by...step. It is ideal for classroom instructor led training and for at home self-pace study. Plus the new low price is great.

For those who need to learn Microsoft Office 2000 now, this is the best book to get. The lessons are very easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions in plain English and charts to illustrate examples. You won't be dissapointed at all with this study book!

I have read to the half of this book. But I plan to read the rest. One day, my cowoker came to me with a book in his hand, "Hey! buddy, you should read this book if you want to work with .HLP." In the afternoon I went to a bookstore and took the book(It's not inexpensive). As a beginner, I have learned a lot of information about .HLP. I'm now looking for the upgrade edition of the book.

Thank you everybody. Be happy all of you.

It is hilarious and telling that this book has been put back into print recently. That indicates how successful HTML Help has been as a standard (it's not cross-browser, not cross-platform, and not good for single-sourcing in a .chm and website, due to unresolved ActiveX objects). This book is the standard on WinHelp, which is officially back from the dead, and it's a fine book, covering principles of hypertext design, authoring tools, and the bells and whistles supported by the WinHelp viewer. The one patch needed for WinHelp, though, is Synchronize Table of Contents (and a persistent navigation window).

Very simple and helpful for beginners and those with more PC knowledge. Covers many, many subjects in easy-to-use, easy-to-read format.

This book is another success for Cox and Dudley. If you have Word 6 then you won't need this, but if you are learning Word 7 then this is the way to go. Simple and easy exercises to follow. Useful tips and shortcuts to performing tasks. Easy reading and it does not take a month to digest. As a I am a computer instructor this is one of the best sellers

A friend at work gave me this book. It's a great little intro to excel basics and gives you a taste of the more advanced functions as well. This is a great overview for anyone interested in exploring the basic functions of excel. I used what I learned to build some nifty spreadsheets for my department. Before I started with this book I had very limited experience with Excel and this got me proficient with the basic range of excel functions and more. Even used my knowledge in a job interview test and I got the job!

I had tried reading through the entire list of Excel tutorials at the local library. All of them were disappointing to me, as they spent so much time extolling the glories of Excel that they never stopped to tell you what Excel was actually good for! And then they jumped right into complicated snippets of examples that were unrelated to anything in the real world, or even each other. These snippets were again designed to show off the glories of Excel, not to do anything practical, like build an actual real-life spreadsheet.

As a programmer by profession, I always liked to "roll my own" solutions, using Visual Basic, MS Access, C++, whatever was at hand. And I've done some pretty fancy applications, including using MS Chart for graphing purposes. But those were mostly custom applications that Excel couldn't handle.

I must say, however, now that I've read this book and have actually discovered what Excel is good for, it can certainly handle much more than I had supposed! I will be using Excel from now on for various financial applications instead of relying on my programming skills with VB and Access.

The book begins with a basic spread sheet, which carries you all the way through to the final chapter, much like an accounting project in junior college might. And that was a welcome relief from those other tutorials. No dis-jointed jumping around from one unrelated example to the next exists here (as a reference guide might use). You follow the basic spreadsheet from chapter one all the way through to the final chapter, which builds in complexity, complete with pivot tables, and your understanding of Excel is added to as you go.

If you want to learn the basics of Excel, or just understand what this program is good for (as I wanted to know) this is the book for you. You can easily master the material in two weeks, or less, especially if you already have a basic understanding of computer programming.

All in all, an excellent primer.

HERE IS AN EXCELLENT MARVELLOUS BOOK,THANKS TO MICROSOFT.THE BOOK THAT BRINGS EVERYTHING WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THE BASICS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF POWER TO CRACK THE MCSE EXAM,AND BRING VERY HAPPY FOR MY MIND AND I THIS IS THE BOOK FOR EVERYONE.THIS INCLUDES THE SERECTS OF THE BOOTING,AND GOOD MORE LOTS OF INFORMATION NEEDY FOR AND HANDY. THANK YOU

Thinking about taking the Windows 98 exam, 070-098, but you're unsure if you've met Microsoft's objectives. You want to make sure that you have studied the right material and that what you have studied cover each objective - where do you turn? To Microsoft Press and the On-Line Training kit.

The On-Line Training Kit gives you everything you are going to need in order to pass the exam and become a MCP. The detailed explanation, coupled with the easy breakdown of the topics makes the learning process easier and more fun.

There is a cd-rom with practice questions included with the book and once you have finished that there is the Readiness Review on another cd that you can use for even more help. Microsoft Press and Microsoft bring together another winner in the certification world.

While the price tag may seem a little steep, many online and standard book stores are offering discounts. Don't be scared away by the price, the money you spend will be well worth the money you'll make after passing the exam.

Jennirfer Hoffman offers practical, easy-to-implement advice for anyone using a synchronous online tool. Her writing is matter-of-fact and convincingly authentic.

I have been managing a synchronous language learning program for the past two years. When we first started, I wasted a lot of money (and time) on e-learning books which had nothing at all to say about synchronous virtual classrooms. Two years ago, the most anyone had to say about synchronous was that it would be "the wave of the future." I needed practical, tested suggestions for best practice in setting up, preparing for and conducting live classes over the Internet, and these books gave me exactly zero input.

Hofmann's Synchronous Trainer's Survival Guide" is exactly what I needed two years ago. It's sufficiently general to accomodate differences in platform design and functionality, which a focus on best practice in optimizing the enjoyment and learning value of online classes. It's a slim book - you can easily read it in an afternoon, but filled with concise and informative bulletted lists with titles like "Using your voice", "Language tips", "Gauging participation", "Reading participant cues", etc.

Some of our teachers have had trouble making the transition from the traditional classroom to the virtual classroom, and I've been looking for a resource like this to give them pointers, and to let them realize that the frustrations they're experiencing are not unique to them. I'm ordering copies of this book for all of our teachers and I expect that they'll be going back to it again and again.

This author is AMAZING!! I have learned so much from his books. I would reccomend this book to anyone in this field!

While other books on Online Counseling are:

1) Too many years dated (check the publication dates!)
2) Bogged down with computer science theory that has little to do with counseling practice
3) Provide more questions than answers, and leave the reader more confused than he/she stared

This Clinical Training Guide actually prepares the reader to begin his or her own Telephone Counseling and Online Counseling practice.

The work is content rich (content loaded actually!), but at the same time readable; and even a bit entertaining.

When you purchase this work the author will send you an electronic copy (PDF) usually within a few hours of purchase. And if you're not happy with the content provided, the author backs his materials up with a 60 day money back guarantee! So you have nothing to lose--and you won't be disappointed with this resource!

The future of online counseling is here!! This author knows what he it talking about. His book/cd speaks directly to me and my practice and it applicable to anyone in the field of coulseling! A must read!!

While other books on Online Counseling are:

1) Too many years dated (check the publication dates!)
2) Bogged down with computer science theory that has little to do with counseling practice
3) Provide more questions than answers, and leave the reader more confused than he/she stared

This Clinical Training Guide actually prepares the reader to begin his or her own Telephone Counseling and Online Counseling practice.

The work is content rich (content loaded actually!), but at the same time readable; and even a bit entertaining.

When you purchase this work the author will send you an electronic copy (PDF) usually within a few hours of purchase. And if you're not happy with the content provided, the author backs his materials up with a 60 day money back guarantee! So you have nothing to lose--and you won't be disappointed with this resource!

Also available Spiral-Bound here: