WBT (Web-Based Training)

Web-Based Training (WBT) is self-paced training delivered over the internet through a web browser, without requiring any locally installed software. The term arose in the late 1990s to distinguish online training from earlier Computer-Based Training (CBT), which was distributed on physical media and installed on individual machines. WBT is delivered from a central server — today almost always a cloud-based LMS — which means content can be updated once for all learners, access works from any connected device, and completion data flows back automatically for tracking and reporting. Functionally, WBT is what most people now simply call e-learning or an online course: interactive modules combining text, video, quizzes, and simulations, packaged in standards like SCORM or xAPI so any compliant LMS can deliver and track them. The term remains in active use in German-speaking markets and in formal procurement language, where 'WBT' often specifically means a structured, self-contained e-learning module as opposed to live virtual training (VILT) or blended programs. For practical purposes, when a client or RFP asks for WBTs, they typically expect professionally produced, self-paced interactive modules with tracked completion.