Students gain free access to video tutorials on Lynda.com

By Amanda Carroll, Staff Writer

Towson University has added Lynda.com, a video tutorial library, to the variety of software and online resources that students, faculty and staff have free access to with their NetIDs.

Lynda offers users video tutorials in subjects such as photography, graphic design, business and a number of different softwares. Courses have beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of instruction for students at any point in the learning process. Additional videos in courses feature interviews with experts on the selected topic.

Bridget Sullivan, professor of interactive media design and program director for TU’s interactive media design post-baccalaureate certificate, has been using Lynda.com in lieu of a textbook in her classes since 2006 and believes it is a “tremendous resource” for students and faculty alike.

Sullivan uses Lynda.com in her Blackboard course sites so her students can get “real technical training opportunities” that are essential for pursuing a career in media design.

For art students, “learning about aesthetic concepts and industry standard tools” can help them build portfolios and skillsets that will lead to successful careers, according to Sullivan.

For others, Sullivan recommends Lynda.com for students of any major because the courses on the site can help students better understand content, or turn a good project into a great one.

Lynda.com is owned by LinkedIn and the courses are part of the site’s LinkedIn Learning initiative, through in which viewers can monitor their success as they engage with the courses.

Lynda.com was co-founded by author and educator Lynda Weinman with her husband Bruce Heavin in 1995, and they sold the company to LinkedIn in 2015.

Courses can be accessed at any time, whether on a computer or mobile device, and videos can be downloaded for offline viewing. Many courses are adapted for a number of learning styles with video, transcriptions of the video, exercise files, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Whether learning skills for a class assignment or engaging in self-directed learning, Sullivan recommends browsing through available courses, “like going to the library,” to get a feel for what’s available and what might spark their interest.

“Students who have always wondered about a topic can check it out,” Sullivan said.

Users can access Lynda.com by going to the “Learn with Lynda.com” page on Towson’s website and entering their NetID and password in TU’s Lynda.com portal.

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