Online Training for XML (2/2) - exploring XML | WebReference

Online Training for XML (2/2) - exploring XML

Online Training for XML

e-LearningCenter.com

e-LearningCenter.com provides advanced skills development to corporations and individuals through online training courses. e-LearningCenter.com exclusively uses handtech.com's Learn@Hand online training - training developed by people involved in distance learning for more than 18 years. e-LearningCenter.com's affiliation with handtech.com's Learn@Hand integrated e-learning solutions are designed for companies and individuals who wish to maximize the advantages of emerging and enabling technologies to provide flexible, cost effective training to develop their employees or themselves. Among others they offer courses for the Microsoft MCSE Certification.

The courses present themselves similar to those of FirstClass, they are Internet-based, designed in HTML from the ground up. Self-paced interactivity is provided through simulations, exercises, and practice files. Glossaries, notes, tips and details offer background information to the topic at hand. Bookmarks help you find again where you left off. Skill Assessment Test for each course can be used before, mid-way, or after taking the course. First try, best try and course grade are tracked. If passed, green check mark will appear as "mastered." Also, on the scores page, there are direct links for the units, so if a student does not master a particular unit, they can click on that unit and go directly there to retake that unit. If the student completes a course with 70% or better, then a certificate of completion button appears on the scores page, so the student can print it out.

MSDN Online Training

The Microsoft Developer Network provides some training for Building XML-Based Web Applications. Not surprisingly the course delves pretty quickly into Microsoft specifics such as XML data bindings, and BizTalk, their XML processing framework. Trying to access the course brings you to a list of training partners that seem to offer Microsoft-certified education. I did not get much further than that by the time this article was due.

XML School

XML school is a free offering from W3Schools that lacks the interactivity of tests and practice of commercial training. In its favor (apart from the price of course ;-)) is a great structure that has you quickly up to speed on a specific topic, or walks you through a logical sequence of pages that are increasingly specific. Each page is organized into various factual statements that are then explained in the subsequent section, so it is really easy to scan the content and only stop at relevant points.

Conclusion

Web-Based Training has many advantages over classroom or textbook-oriented learning. It is cost effective, enables you to minimize, and often eliminate, off-site training costs. It provides convenient access to content through the Web browser at your desk. You can schedule training when it suits your organization, not when it suits the training venue or vendor.

On-the-spot feedback is provided to each student through the interactivity of online training. Increased levels of understanding result from the successful completion of the courses and tests, better retention of skills is achieved through interactivity. We examined a few select training providers, ranging from commercial offerings to free tutorial sites.

Further reading