You may have thought that this instant, internet sensation was saying, “Listen, Linda!” but I would like to think that he was trying to share his love for Lynda.com – I know I am.
Lynda.com is a free tool available for all students, staff, and faculty members at GSU (with a campusID and password) that offers thousands of video courses on software and business skills. Courses range from How to Format Long Word Documents to Storytelling through Unconventional Portraiture. You can even earn certificates of completion from Lynda.com for full courses that can be shared on your LinkedIn account.
I think the Lynda.com is a great way to supplement student learning on skills that are not necessarily taught explicitly in class. Students can either watch full courses, like How to Format Long Word Documents, or they can watch targeted segments, like How to Insert a Table of Content because Lynda courses are broken into topics and subtopics. Videos typically range from 5-8 minutes so learning can be completed on the go. In addition to the videos, students have access to practice documents that coincide with each topic. So if they are are learning about using Styles in Word, they can actually follow along with the same document as the video – allowing them time to practice.
With the instructors I’ve worked with who incorporate Lynda.com videos in their classes, they primarily like to use them to help students learn and practice prerequisite skills like Word, Excel, and the like.
