Programs in E-Training And E-Learning Available.

E-training is now more popular, diverse and results-oriented than ever, with more and more schools today offering electronic Inernet-based training courses. An example of this is the University College and Extension Services (UCES) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), which now offers more than 60 professional development (noncredit) courses completely on the World Wide Web. These web-based courses cover business-related and soft-skill topics that can be applied to virtually any industry, and are designed to enhance knowledge and job performance.

The diverse array of course titles includes everything from "Practical Budgeting for Managers," "High-Impact Business Writing," "Time Management," and "Sexual Harassment Awareness" to "Inventory Management," "Ebusiness Opportunities," and "Achieving Balance in Your Professional and Personal Life."

"For people who are working full time and want a flexible learning schedule, the Web is the perfect medium," says Anna Behar-Russell, Business and Management Program Administrator at UCES.

The online courses, called "eTraining," benefit working adults by allowing them to take classes from home or work, at their convenience, without having to come to campus, find parking, etc. For those with transportation and time constraints, these self-paced web-based courses are a viable supplement to their traditional education and training. UCES also offers instructor-led courses that carry university credit, called "eLearning." Both eTraining and eLearning are a part of the IDEAS division of UCES. IDEAS stands for "Integrated Distance Education for Adult Students."

Although some of the courses are new, IDEAS is not new to the world of on-line education. IDEAS' parent organization, University College and Extension Services (UCES) has been offering technology-based learning opportunities for more than ten years. UCES was also a pioneer in the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. "Above all else, this experience has taught us that service to you, our students and customers, must be at the center of everything we do," states Mat Kaplan, Director of Technology and Distance Learning at UCES.

Many clients from business and government look to UCES to meet their distance learning and technology needs, including McGraw-Hill Publishing, Ingram Micro, Symantec, and the Federal Department of Justice.

Kaplan explains, "The 'I' in IDEAS stands for 'Integrated.' What it means is that we recognize the importance of the big picture. A great on-line course is worthless without many other components.

We've worked to build a reliable, high speed infrastructure for delivering courses to our students, wherever they are. And, powerful as it is, we're not limited to the Web. IDEAS offers all sorts of delivery technologies, ranging from simple email to multipoint, two-way digital video."

This article was provided by University College and Extension Services (UCES) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).