lynda.com - The missing link for corporate training
Overall Satisfaction with lynda.com
Our subscription to Lynda.com is used across the firm. Historically, the training offered at DHG has been primarily ILT (instructor-led training) that are offered in classrooms at set dates and times. So if a team member needed to learn a skill but the training wasn't available for several months, there was no option for them besides reading a book. Lynda.com provides a variety of on-demand classes that employees can access from the comfort of their computers at a time that suits their schedule.
Pros
- The technical training is particularly useful. Technology changes so quickly - I've noticed that some of our ILT providers are out of date. Lynda.com usually has training on the most recent version of the software.
- Those who've attained their PMP (Project Management Professional) designation, need to continue to earn a certain number of PDUs (Professional Development Units) to maintain their certification. Lynda.com has a wide variety of training (at least 100+ hours) of relevant PDUs.
- In addition to the technical training, Lynda.com offers soft skills classes too. From communication to management to meditation.
Cons
- The biggest challenge that we have with Lynda.com is that the courses don't yet adhere to the AICPA/NASBA training standards -so they aren't eligible for CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits - which are needed to maintain CPA (Certified Public Accounting) licenses. If a CPA has a choice between taking mediocre training that helps them learn something AND has CPE associated with it OR taking a good class that doesn't let them earn CPE, human nature dictates they'll take the so-so class with the CPE.
- As of 2016, there were about 42,000 accounting firms in the United States. If Lynda.com got its classes to be CPE-worthy, there's a wide variety of people who would take more of the training and a lot more potential revenue for Lynda.com. If heard Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn CEO - who bought Lynda.com) share his goal of expanding the world's wisdom (and compassion). Getting the Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning library to adhere to those AICPA/NASBA training standards is a simple way to achieve that goal.
- While the technical training generally includes practice files and activities, some of the soft skills training could be more interactive. While videos of instructors talking to you can provide a baseline of information, more can be done to have the students interact with the content - and do practice activities and/or action planning. The more students engage with the content, the more likely they are to retain and apply their newfound knowledge.
- When classes are updated to a newer version, the title - and corresponding deep link - changes too. This is challenging when you have curriculum roadmaps that point to certain classes. It would be nice if the title and link stayed the same - so that we don't constantly have to update links.
- Lynda.com provides on-demand eLearning when professionals need to learn something new - or have refresher training.
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