Lynda review: Learn from experts & at your pace

I am very happy to write this review as Lynda.com (10 days trial through this link) is one of my favorite online course marketplaces. I previously used it for WordPress and Photoshop tutorials.  For those that don’t know Lynda.com is an online course marketplaces offering video tutorials by industry experts in various fields:

Courses in Course Topics
3D+ Animation Character Animation, Game Design, Materials, Modeling, Particles + Dynamics, Product Design, Rendering, Textures, Visual Effects
Audio+ Music Audio Foundations, DAWs, Live Performance, Mastering, Mixing, Music Business, Music Production, Recording Techniques, Studio Setup
Business Business Skills, Communication, Data Analysis, Leadership, Management, Online Marketing, Presentations, Productivity, Project Management, Social Media Marketing
CAD (computer-aided design) 3D Printing, Architecture, BIM, CNC + CAM, Interior Design, Modeling, Product Design, Prototyping, Rendering, Structural
Design Color, Design Techniques, Digital Painting, Digital Publishing, Drawing, IllustrationLogo Design, Page Layout, Print Production, Typography
Developper Databases, Design Patterns, Desktop Apps, Game Design, Games Mobile Apps, Mobile Web, Programming Foundations, Programming Languages, Servers
Education + Elearning Educational Technology, Elearning, Higher Education, Instructional Design, K-12 Education, LMS, Student Tools, Teacher Professional Development, Teacher Tools
IT Big Data, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Content Management, GIS, IT and Hardware, IT Help Desk, Network Administration, Operating Systems, Security
Marketing Analytics, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Enterprise Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Online Marketing, PPC, SEO, Small Business Marketing, Social Media Marketing
Photography Cameras + Gear, Color Correction, HDR, Lighting, Masking + Compositing, Night + Low Light, Photography Foundations, Portraits, Raw Processing, Retouching
Video Audio for Video, Color Correction, DSLR Video, Filmmaking, Motion Graphics, Projects, Shooting Video, Video Editing, Video Pre-Production, Visual Effects
Web CMS, Interaction Design, Mobile Web, Projects, Responsive Design, User Experience, Web Design, Web Development, Web Foundations, Web Graphics
Courses type • Course marketplace
Subjects • Business, Software, Technology & Creative skills
# of courses • >3800
Device • Desktop, Tablet and Mobile
Professors • Professionals/ industry experts
Student level • All levels
Courses offered in • English
• Spanish, German, French (through Video2brainVideo2brain )
Demography • Mostly professionals, but great for everyone interested in learning practical skills
Cost: • Individual membership starts at 25$ (unlimited access to courses)
• Offer Business, Goverment and education solutions
Certification • Certification of completions (option to post on LinkedIn profile)

What I like is that courses are optimized for a great learning experience by offering practical insights that you can apply while you are watching your tutorials. Lecture are easy to follow, video and audio quality is great, and the content is nicely structured in short and easy to find sections. If you are searching for specific course information, you can easily find it with the search function. All you need to do is watch, listen, practice and learn.

Favorite features

  • Quality of teacher: good and clear communication
  • Video bookmarking: you can bookmark section of videos you found interesting and easily find and access it later.
  • There is a full transcript under each video for those that prefer reading and listening. I use the transcript to quickly find information without having to rewinding the entire video
  • Create Playlists of courses you want to do
  • Post course certificates directly on Linkedin

What should be improved

  • I think finding courses could be made easier. Let’s say I search for Photoshop, I will have >350 course options appearing. I don’t doubt that they’re of great quality, but I have problems deciding which one to choose. Would be great to have a rating system and a comments field  (to be filled out by students doing the course).
  • When I rewind the video, without using the rewind button, it can take time for the video to load again
  • It is a bit difficult to associate with the brand because of the logo (reminds me of strict and boring teachers, which of course doesn’t reflect the true content of the site).

  • Ease of use
  • Content quality
  • Completeness of features
  • Feedback and interaction
  • Learning experience
  • Price/ time/ quality
4.5
Ease of use • Intuitive and easy to use
• Easy course structure to follow (courses divided in easy to find sections)
• Nice and simple design (could be more modern)
• Would like it to be easier to find and choose a courses.
Content quality • Great content
• Great content structure
• Content is updated
Completeness of features • Complete learning experience adapted to different types of learners
• Great video and audio quality
• Video sometimes lags
Feedback and interaction • If you have a question, you'll often find them directly by using the search function within for the course.
• If you don't find you answer, there's a where you can contact the professor directly.
Learning experience • Real and directly applicable insight
• You can follow courses by watching, listening or reading
• To the point
Price/ time/ quality • Considering that the content is of great quality and to the point, you can learn many new skills in a short time. If you actively use the platform, the price is great!

To get the most out of Lynda.com

  • Don’t watch courses just to watch courses. If you want to learn, apply the learnings directly as you are following the tutorials. If you work with Photoshop, play with images. If you want to learn WordPress, make your website…
  • If you are comfortable with it, I strongly recommend increasing video speed by *1,5-1,75. You learn faster and you don’t lose your concentration.

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