Lynda.com Online Training Library: A Review

If your job or life demand that you learn software applications quickly, then you’ll probably be interested in lynda.com. I’ve been a subscriber to the lynda.com training library for years and often find this site to be a life saver when working under tight deadlines with little time to learn something new.

There’s nothing like sitting in a coffee shop with your laptop, sipping java and eating pastries (only the healthy ones) and learning how to use Captivate or Final Cut Pro with lynda’s excellent online software tutorials.

For a reasonable monthly fee and no long-term commitment required, lynda.com gives you access to a long list of well-designed courses that teach how to use both leading and somewhat obscure software products as well as web development topics, like HTML, Javascript and usability testing.

The Best Features

There’s a lot to like about lynda.com. Here are some of my favorite features:

1. The courses are organized into many short segments.
   Even though many courses are several hours long, they are organized into short lesson segments. A particular lesson might only last five minutes. That means you can use the courses for both just-in-time and comprehensive full-course training.
2. The courses are instructionally sound.
   The courses incorporate high-quality instructional strategies. They progress in a systematic fashion, use realistic examples, are organized logically, and assume the intelligence of the audience. I have rarely come across a course that I thought was sub-par. But it did happen once or twice.
3. The selection is broad.
   The last time I looked, lynda.com was offering 715 courses with quite a broad selection. The tutorials include presentation tools and eLearning applications, graphic design software, social media tools, video and audio editing packages, web design and development, iPhone apps, business applications (Office, Google docs), content management systems and many other categories.
4. The instructors are knowledgeable.
   Most of the instructors appear to know their topics well. They teach in an informal and casual style and give you the sense that they can help you become competent in whatever you’re trying to learn.
5. You only need to pay for one month at a time.
   You don’t have to make a long-term commitment to lynda.com. You can pay for one month, take all the courses you need and end your relationship right there. Most likely, though, you’ll find yourself coming back for more. You can save money by paying for a full year, which is what I do.
6. There are a variety of subscription options.
   You can become a Regular monthly subscriber or a Premium subscriber. There is also special pricing for mult-user corporate and educational options. Many of the courses are also available on DVD.

A screen from a course teaching Captivate 4

A Few Things You Should Know

Lynda.com continues to expand its options for tutorials needed by the eLearning industry and as our field expands into social media, information design, usability and other areas, an increasing number of the tutorials become relevant.

In terms of the eLearning-specific courses, you’ll find Captivate, Adobe Connect, Flash (many hours), Moodle, Camtasia, and PowerPoint.  There are numerous tutorials on nearly all the peripheral products and topics that eLearning designers and developers might want to learn, like Dreamweaver, HTML/CSS, PhotoShop, Illustrator, Final Cut, Podcasting apps, animation sofware, Information Architecture, Twitter, Facebook, gmail and so on.

Note that as a Regular member, you are not provided with the exercise files that go along with each course. These files are reserved for Premium members. Although the exercise files are not required for using the tutorials, they do provide a way to continue learning and exploring after completing the course. And for some of the programming courses, you may find that the exercise files make it easier to follow along. Still, I’ve been a Regular member from the start and have not found this to be a hardship.

Is lynda.com right for you?

You will benefit from lynda.com if you find yourself frustrated because you can’t keep up with all the software and new versions you need to know, if you find that you only use a few features of the software you own and if you frequently need a quick tutorial on how to use a software feature any time of the day or night. People who have a passion for learning new applications and technologies will also benefit.

Check out lynda.com—there are always free tutorials! Look for the underlined topics in the tutorial of your choice.

[Note: Lynda.com is a site sponsor because I think her products are high-quality and helpful.]