When I arrived at RRC about six months ago, I was excited to learn that Lynda.com would soon be rolled out to students, staff, faculty and leaders at the college. I’d used Lynda before, at a previous workplace and through the Winnipeg Public Library, so I was aware that there were tons of high quality videos and courses on a variety of topics. Finding content is never the issue for me, but finding time to watch it can be a bit challenging. A new job in a new workplace as big and complex as RRC comes with a learning curve, and the pace doesn’t really slow down when I walk through the door at home. I’m usually greeted enthusiastically by my two energetic sons, six year old Milo and two year old Marcus, and quickly involved in a Lego project, dance party or (hopefully soon), a bike ride.

So I’ve found some creative ways to incorporate Lynda into my routines so that I don’t have to miss out on any of the fun stuff at work or at home, because “Let’s play office!” with a toddler didn’t end up being the solution I was hoping for.

In What’s Watson Watching you read about some great ideas on WHAT to watch on Lynda, now I’m here to share HOW I’m watching it.

• Lynda mobile app – did you know there’s a Lynda app? You can download it from the app store, enter your RRC credentials and it’s ready to go on your mobile device. I watch Lynda almost exclusively on my phone. The home page opens up to display courses you are currently watching so it’s easy to jump back in. It also displays your playlists and has an easy search function.
• Download courses and videos – did you know you can download courses and videos when you’re connected to wifi so you can watch later? I found this out on a recent trip. I downloaded some courses and watched them on a flight.
• Speed it up – by clicking on the settings gear in a video, you can increase the playback speed. I find that depending on voice of the narrator, 1.25 or 1.5x the normal playback speed allows me to take in the content a bit quicker without sacrificing quality. I’ve found any quicker than that is distracting but try the different speeds and see what works for you.
• Embracing micro learning – while I’ve found a number of full courses very valuable, my favourite Lynda videos are the weekly tips series. My favourites are Communication Tips Weekly, Leadership Stories Weekly and Teacher Tech Tips Weekly. Most videos are 5 minutes or less, and offer a quick and effective tip to improve your practice. I also find that these videos are great to download and listen to in the car. Not all Lynda content lends itself to car listening because they have visual elements that complete the learning experience, but Communication Tips and Leadership Stories are mainly auditory and make me feel especially productive during my commute.

I would love to hear about HOW you’re using Lynda – any tips, tricks or settings that have helped you make Lynda a regular part of your routine? Email me at nogborn@rrc.ca