Interactive television and PC multimedia distance learning applications in corporate training

Multi-national corporations are facing several challenges when deploying policies, methodologies and tools to their global workforce. Instructor travel is increasing the cost and time experts are away from their primary functions. Technology driven change to policies, methodologies and tools used by the global workforce is occurring at an increasingly rapid pace. An emerging solution to these problems is the utilization of existing telephone, video conferencing and computer networking equipment to implement training on policies, methodologies and tools. The authors present a literature survey of the current distance learning practices employed by major global corporations. Two cases are presented. One case highlights training delivered using multi-point video conferencing. The other case highlights training delivered using PC-based interactive conferencing. The cases demonstrate how a multi-national corporation used existing teleconferencing facilities to support interactive training delivery across the globe