Reduced training costs, worldwide accessibility, and improved technological capabilities have made Web-based training (WBT) a viable alternative to classroom instruction. WBT enables businesses to cut their training costs. Efficiency of operation is another major advantage of WBT. The flexibility of time, place, and programs offered via WBT appeals to learners who must balance school with work and home responsibilities. Task- and detail-oriented people who are focused in their study habits and engaged in learning tasks requiring creative thinking and analysis are most successful in using computer-based, online programs. Virtual classrooms can be asynchronous and synchronous. Asynchronous classrooms allow students and instructors to engage in collaborative learning activities without being online at the same time. Synchronous classrooms are more reflective of traditional classrooms because they allow instructors and students to be online simultaneously. WBT programs must be designed to accommodate learners' needs, allow learners the freedom to follow unique paths to learning in their own cognitive styles, and require students to construct meaning. Studies of the advantages and disadvantages of WBT training have identified tips to help instructors use the Web's technological capabilities to advance their teaching and learning goals with the same quality achievable through the best classroom instruction. (Contains 14 references.) (MN)