Likelihood to Recommend Grovo is fantastic for bringing a team of people up to speed and for teaching a few things to a large audience. We found Grovo to be lacking when specific training is required or when the training required a certain level of skill. Grovo is fantastic for broad training, less so for specific depth training
Read full review I've learned hundreds of software applications over the last several decades, and trained teams in offices and one-on-one. At one point, books and trade magazines were a great way to get up to speed with an application, but they've become less and less effective for getting started. Video lessons have some strengths; you can get a rapid overview of a program's capabilities and watch an experienced user using its tools efficiently. On rare occasions they'll even point out bugs that could trip you up, but I wish instructors shared more of those issues. However, it takes a very self-motivated learner to sit through training sessions. Most people don't fit that category, and a subscription may end up gathering dust like a pandemic gym membership. My account is sometimes dormant for months, but then I'll be watching lessons continually the following month. I've often wondered if it was worth it for that reason. I have some friends that voraciously devoured class after Lynda.com class, and built successful careers on that training. But many others never use their account. It's helpful to consider whether you're a self-motivated learner. If not, it may not be the best format for you. More complicated software often can't be adequately introduced in a several-hour-long series of videos. I found Final Cut Pro (7) hard to learn online, also Logic Pro. Other somewhat complicated programs like DVD Pro were a snap to learn, and I learned a lot about PHP and Actionscript programming from Lynda.com. Some web and graphics software is exceptionally explained by real experts, such as Lynda's Photoshop classes, which are the best I've seen on that subject. Many of her web production courses will take you every step along the way to creating your own website, even if you haven't coded before. Adobe and Apple have both published similar project-based tutorial classes in book form, and I think they're a bit more polished, but the video instructor can help move you along through all the content more easily. Learning software seems to work better from an online video than a book these days; it's helpful to already be sitting at the computer where you're able to try everything out as it's explained. Most people don't seem to retain software principles unless they're trying them while learning. A bad instructor can make it difficult to sit through a video class. Lynda.com and others generally have a large variety of content creators, so you're not as limited with instructors as you might be at a University, where the same instructor may teach several related applications. Departmental faculty may have much more targeted and creative applications for your software though, while paid corporate software training can be mind-numbingly bad. Continuing ed classes that I've taken usually seemed to just focus on learning the tools in a software product. They often don't or even can't show you how to apply the software for your purposes as full time faculty at a University might. Some Lynda.com instructors weren't great, but most seemed a cut above the continuing ed and corporate software trainers I've learned from or contracted. The majority of the classes seemed to apply the software for an impressive final project. Redundancy is a real drawback among the online lessons. Often the advanced classes repeat many of the concepts from the introductory "Essentials" courses. If you know an earlier version of an application and just want to learn new features, a book may be a faster route to your goal. I originally suggested the "New Features" lessons that Lynda began to offer for updated releases, and I think they're especially helpful. It's much harder to skim through a video than a page of text, so I'd anticipate having to complement your Lynda.com lessons with other instructional materials. Lynda.com didn't have as many of the "fluff" courses that LinkedIn is now offering. These titles read like articles from Cosmo. They might be better served to offer "How to respond to a connection request from a recruiter who works in a field completely unrelated to you."
Read full review Pros Ease to create trainings. Ability to insert GIFs and photos to help with visual aids. Ability to allow others to create trainings. Ability to track trainings (who has done it and who hasn't). Ease of tracking all training done. Read full review Industry expert authors/instructors - you're learning from people with pedigree. Breadth and depth of catalog - not only is there a wide range of topics and disciplines, but there are frequently several levels of depth within each (eg. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced). Time needed to complete each course AND each section of a course are included - you know what you're getting into from the first click. Read full review Cons Some videos/lessons leave a lot to be desired and could use more detail. There's always more room for some more advanced skills. Read full review LinkedIn Learning provides learning paths, but it's left much to be desired. Not enough direction about the why, or learning outcomes. Some courses provide exercises/quizzes. Others do not. There's definitely a missing piece to test comprehension. The library is so large, it's difficult to really build your own learning. I find it better for just-in-time learning. Read full review Likelihood to Renew It can help all employees learn to strengthen current skills or to learn new skills and then can learn to excel in their current department or they learn a new skills in a new department creating interconnection and cross-departmental value in a company.
Read full review Usability Very user friendly, easy to copy and/or download notes offline, and follow up with your instructor is easy as pie. You can even LinkedIn with your instructor and follow up with questions/concerns online and in several forums. Very cool concept and easy to use.
Read full review Support Rating When we have had issues with Grovo not working or a problem with report we have always gotten an answer quickly. We have a rep that we speak to often to make sure we are satisfied with the system and is just a quick email away. It nice to know we have support that will get back to you in a quick manner as we rely on this software.
Read full review The technical team behind LinkedIn Learning (or Lynda.com) knows their job, and they usually solve problems very quickly. While I haven't had many run-ins with them (thus the low rating), I do find that when we call them, the problem gets resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The flip-side of this comment is that we never have needed to call them with a high-priority issue.
Read full review Alternatives Considered The elephant in the room for me, would be TreeHouse. Grovo is very similar to TreeHouse in the fact that they're both programs with lesson tracks, simple and short videos, as well as progress trackers. I would have to say that I enjoyed learning coding on TreeHouse over Grovo, based on the wide variety of native coding languages they have implemented. Grovo, although extremely similar and easy to use as well, doesn't stack up to TreeHouse in my opinion. Grove does, however, beat out Lynda in my humble opinion
Read full review Our organization has used different webinars, including ones on LinkedIn, to provide similar insight. But it's a totally different ballgame. Lynda.com offers in-depth tutorials rather than just a 2-hour video broadcast. With lynda.com there are more information and experts, as well as so many different courses fit for every need/want. There is also a lot more flexibility with lynda. You can take it on the go, watch on mobile and at anytime, rather than being tied to a certain time slot.
Read full review Return on Investment Zero impact. When we determined they were not a good fit for us, we decided to go another direction. I would certainly try them again however if they addressed my concerns as their service was excellent. Read full review I can't think of a negative impact that Lynda.com has when it relates to the extensive library of training software that is available to subscribers. I'm lucky that my job provides a free subscription for instructors. I use Lynda.com to hone in on my technical skills. Read full review ScreenShots Grovo, now part of Cornerstone LMS Screenshots