Learning with Lynda

The proliferation of online, video based learning offers a variety of ways that instructors can supplement in-class learning. With its vast database of online "courses" - or video tutorials - Lynda.com offers a way for instructors to both outsource the instruction of peripheral material and develop skills to aid their own teaching. Lynda.com is a paid service with a growing course library of over two thousand videos, often created by leading experts in their fields. At Lynda.com's core is a course catalog focused on how to use software. However, there are also classes covering presentation creation, e-learning, collaboration, and other topics relating to educational technology. 

The appeal of Lynda videos is their ability to present complex technical material, which can be daunting to learn from a book, in an intuitive and engaging way. The courses range in skill level from beginner to intermediate and advanced and can be viewed on Macs, PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

Lynda.com is one tool instructors can use to create a "flipped classroom" environment. Faculty can direct students to Lynda.com to learn about related topics on their own time and at their own pace, freeing up classroom time for in-person instruction and concentration on core topics which, unlike technology, are less subject to change. Additionally, if a syllabus requires that students complete a project focused on the use of a specific technology or program, instructors can require their class to review Lynda.com videos for help. For example, a Communications class that is tasked with running a news blog could use Lynda.com to learn the technical steps involved in creating and editing a blog. You can organize students' assigned videos into course outlines, monitor their enrollments, and track their progress.

Aside from supplementing class material, Lynda can also be a valuable resource for instructors who want to broaden their computer skills or develop new teaching techniques. If you want to learn about new features in PowerPoint or learn how to use Photoshop, Lynda has videos available to help. Lynda can be especially useful in staying on top of the rapid development of software.

Take a tour of Lynda's vast catalog at Lynda.com. Faculty, staff, and students can access Lynda for free via the OIT Lynda page.