INTRODUCTION
This application links you to two web sites that provide useful information to educators and human resource development practitioners. The first site links you to the home page of a corporation committed to meeting the needs of educators, students and parents by delivering the highest quality instructional software and comprehensive services. The next site links you to the world's premier professional association in the field of workplace learning and performance -- the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). The HRM training and development function, including information on computer-assisted instruction, are discussed in Chapter 11 of French's Human Resource Management, 5th ed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Having successfully completed this application, you will be able to:

• Describe the student outcomes associated with computer-mediated instructions (CMI) materials vis-à-vis more conventional instruction.
• Identify the most cost-effective way to increase student academic achievement.
• Describe the mission of the world's premier professional association in the field of workplace learning and performance.
• Identify the generic categories that can be used to classify the competencies which enable people to select, manage, and use learning technologies for HRD work.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
Instruction 1: Access the following web site: http://www.academic.com/ and locate the products of higher education, and answer Questions 1 and 2.
Question 1: What is academic.com?
Question 2: What services do students receive from Smarthinking?

Instruction 3: Access the following web site: http://www.astd.org/ and answer Question 3, 4 and 5.
Question 3: What is ASTD's mission?
Question 4: What is the Training Basics Community?
Question 5: What does ASTD profess that it will be able to do for its members?