lynda.com, the popular training website for business, software, technology and creative skills, is now available to all students, staff and faculty at Queen’s.

Offering thousands of instructional videos on topics including software programs, presentation skills, social media and photography, lynda.com offers an excellent way for anyone to learn a new skill or brush up on changing technology.

Paul Roman, Associate Professor in Queen’s School of Business and Director of the Executive MBA Americas program, is already using lynda.com to complement his course material. He recommends the website to students in his business decision modelling course, which uses Microsoft Excel extensively.

“We use Excel in class so students can apply the theory they are learning and I direct them to lynda.com as a resource to hone their skills with the program. That allows me to spend more class time focused on the course content,” says Dr. Roman. “I’ve heard from students that they find the lynda.com tutorials very useful.”

While currently teaching executive MBA students, Dr. Roman will continue to recommend lynda.com when he offers the course at the undergraduate level in the fall.

“I can’t think of a circumstance when I wouldn’t recommend it, because you’ll always have a broad range of skill levels with the software tools you use in class,” says Dr. Roman. “lynda.com can help bring students with no exposure up to an acceptable level, and for those with some experience it can help them dive deeper into the software’s rich features. That can make students more efficient and more effective in their work.”

lynda.com is also a valuable training tool for Queen’s staff. It can be accessed quickly to watch a single video, for example on how to embed a video into a PowerPoint slide, or to watch an hour-long series on a topic like effective project management.

Many of the videos on lynda.com provide a hands-on approach, allowing users to practice techniques in exercise files as you follow along with the instructor. You can even print a certificate of completion when you finish all the videos in a series.

The availability of lynda.com at Queen’s is made possible by a pilot project sponsored by ITS, Human Resources, Queen’s Library, the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and Queen’s School of Business. Log in to Lynda.com now with your Queen’s NetID at lynda.queensu.ca and begin browsing the wide range of videos available.