Linkedin Learning
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Introduction
Accessing learning materials and acquiring new job skills is simple in today's world. There are a variety of online learning solutions available, with more colleges and universities than ever offering alternative learning paths for motivated (but remote-located) students.
You don't even have to be a full-time student at a college or university to take advantage of these opportunities. In fact, regardless of where you live or how much money you have, there are numerous online learning platforms where you can take courses in relevant skills and subjects. From Coursera to Udemy, there are a plethora of online learning courses available to help you achieve your professional and personal objectives.
LinkedIn Learning is one of these online learning platforms. This LinkedIn Learning review will tell you everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind online course provider.
What is LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning is a leading provider of online learning solutions and professional development opportunities in the United States. Whether you're an individual looking to pick up a few new skills or a company looking to expand your employees' access to professional development opportunities and new skills, LinkedIn Learning has the resources you need today – and tomorrow.
More than 16,000 courses are available on the platform, all of which are taught by experts with real-world experience. Every week, more than 50 brand-new classes are offered, with more classes being added all the time. In fact, the course library is kept up to date with the most in-demand skills and content that you need to know.
If you sign up for a LinkedIn Learning subscription, you'll be joining a network of over 600 million followers. You will receive personalised course recommendations that will assist you in connecting with the most relevant online learning solutions and resources for your needs and goals.
How Does LinkedIn Learning Work?
LinkedIn Learning provides students with three primary learning options.
You can learn by subject, allowing you to gain experience in a particular skill set. You can choose a topic and then select classes that are related to that topic.
You can also learn software skills, which are useful in a variety of industries. You can even follow a Learning Path, which is unique to LinkedIn Learning.
You'll learn the skills you need to move into a new field with Learning Paths. Rather than having to sift through thousands of courses on the platform, you can choose a path and gain access to a structured learning experience based on that path.
What's an example? If you want to learn new skills in digital marketing, for example, you'll start with an online marketing foundations class before progressing to Google Analytics, growth hacking, content marketing foundations, and other related and more advanced topics.
Features and Functionality
LinkedIn Learning distinguishes itself from other platforms through a number of key features. Here are a few of my favourites.
Accessibility and functionality
Do you already have a LinkedIn profile? That's fantastic! When it comes to filling out your profile and signing up for LinkedIn learning, you won't have to do anything. If you want to continue after the free trial, all you have to do is register and pay the fees. After that, you'll be able to use any LinkedIn Learning features you want. You'll also notice that everything is formatted similarly to the regular LinkedIn platform.
Course and Video Highlights
LinkedIn Learning offers a variety of courses and video features that are extremely beneficial to all subscribers.
One such feature is the certificate of completion. Every course, regardless of category or skill level, concludes with a certificate of completion. This is an excellent way to demonstrate to prospective employers that you are well-versed in your field.
You'll also have access to exercise files, notes, and assessments. Exercise files are ideal for assisting you in gaining mastery of a subject because they allow you to practise the skills taught in class in a more hands-on manner. Notes are useful because you can take digital notes as you progress through a course and refer to them later.
Assessments are useful because you can take them at the end of each section of the course. Based on what you've accomplished thus far, you'll know when it's time to move on to the next module.
You'll also have access to saved courses and learning paths. Learning paths are unique to LinkedIn Learning and will allow you to take classes in a specific sequence if you want to master a larger topic. You can also save courses and return to them later to avoid losing track of what you wanted to do.
If you want to read some LinkedIn Learning honest reviews, don't worry – you'll also have access to helpful review sections where you can read feedback from other students. This is especially useful in determining whether a course will be a good fit for your specific learning objectives.
Similarly, LinkedIn Learning has a useful Q&A section where you can ask fellow students and the instructor questions. This is an excellent way to learn more about a subject or to clear up any misconceptions you may have.
Services of Assistance
If you are having difficulties with LinkedIn Learning, there are numerous resources available to assist you.
The Learning Help Center, which contains answers to some of the most frequently asked questions, is the best place to start. You can also contact support by logging in or submitting a help ticket.
Learner Background
LinkedIn Learning provides students with an excellent way to track their professional development. You'll be able to access a list of previous courses you've watched using the learner history feature. The beauty of this system is that if you are an individual LinkedIn Learning subscriber migrating from Lynda.com, all of your data can be transferred to LinkedIn Learning.
Not only that, but you can also use the platform to search for, view, save, and share courses. This is a fun way to stay connected with your professional network both on and off the platform. LinkedIn Learning will even recommend skills you might be interested in, as well as other recommendations.
What Type of Classes are Offered on LinkedIn Learning?
You can take classes in almost any subject through LinkedIn Learning. LinkedIn Learning is the place to go for everything from project management to JavaScript, HTML to body language.
The majority of courses are divided into three categories: business, technology, and creative pursuits. In the business category, you could enrol in classes such as leadership development or soft skills training. You can hone your skills in hardware or software programming in the field of technology. And in the creative category, you'll most likely learn the skills you'll need to become more adept at design and other skills.
How to Choose Courses
To get started with LinkedIn Learning, you must first create an account. This is the same registration process that you would go through if you were creating an account for a general LinkedIn profile, so you may be familiar with it.
After creating an account, you will be able to choose from a general list of skills the ones that most interest you. You could, for example, choose "writing," "marketing," "public relations," or "Microsoft Office."
After you've chosen your skills, the platform will provide you with a list of course recommendations based on your interests and skills.
You do have another option if you prefer to be more autonomous in your class selection. You can find courses by browsing through various fields. LinkedIn Learning is divided into three categories: creative, business, and technology. You can also look at classes that are trending as well as those that are listed as "top liked" to get a sense of the types of courses that other students are taking.
If you know exactly what you want to get out of the platform, you can even search directly. There's a handy search tool that allows you to look up a course by its exact name.
What’s the Price/Cost of LinkedIn Learning?
LinkedIn Learning, like most other online course platforms, offers a variety of pricing options for you to consider.
To get started, as with similar platforms, you can sign up for a free trial. This will give you an idea of whether the platform is one you want to pursue, or if you'd prefer to complete your courses on another online learning platform.
Although LinkedIn Learning is not the cheapest platform available, it is also not the most expensive – nor does it come close to the cost of enrolling in a class at a college or university.
A LinkedIn membership is relatively inexpensive at $29.99 per month, especially if you plan on taking multiple classes each month. LinkedIn Learning offers an annual rate in addition to a monthly rate (which is free for the first month with the trial programme). This allows you to save money on the cost of a subscription. This plan costs $19.99 per month, but you must pay in full for the entire year.
You can cancel at any time if you decide to switch platforms or simply decide that online learning is not for you.
The Advantages (Pros) of LinkedIn Learning
Accounts on LinkedIn are integrated.
If you already have a LinkedIn account, you'll enjoy using LinkedIn Learning because everything is organised and designed in a similar manner. Because the platform has access to your job profile, skills, areas of expertise, and interests, courses are automatically recommended based on this information. When it comes to finding relevant courses, you'll have to do less work.
A free trial is available.
One of LinkedIn Learning's best features is the availability of a free trial programme. This is the best way to determine whether a course or course platform is right for you before you commit. If you decide that LinkedIn Learning isn't for you after the first month, you won't have to pay a dime.
Courses that are accessible and relevant
You'll have access to over 10,000 expert-led courses with LinkedIn Learning. These courses are hands-on and integrative, and they can be completed from any device, including a phone or a computer. In most cases, you can even download your courses and view and complete them while you're on the go.
You will be able to assess your progress with quizzes while completing each individual course, in addition to personalised course recommendations from the platform. Although the quizzes are not graded, they are a good way to keep track of how well you are doing and whether you have met the course objectives.
Aside from the quizzes, there are numerous other resources available in each course on this platform. When you finish a course, for example, you will receive a certificate. To be sure, this type of course completion is not credit-bearing, and the certificate will not always help you in your job search. However, in many cases, the certificate can be a good way to show potential employers that you know your stuff and have gone out of your way to learn new skills.
You can also access project files while learning. These project files contain tools and activities that you can view or complete while working on a course to ensure that you truly understand the material. After all, the best way to learn is to practise!
You will also have access to LinkedIn's premium career features, which can be extremely useful when looking for work.
The Disadvantages (Cons) of LinkedIn Learning
Short introductory courses
One of the main disadvantages of LinkedIn Learning is that courses are typically short and geared towards beginners at a more introductory level. If you want to learn more advanced information about a subject, you should enrol in a university course. LinkedIn Learning offers a high-level overview or skim rather than a detailed experience.
Some content is out of date.
Some LinkedIn premium students have complained that the platform does not allow them to determine how old a course is before enrolling in it. That may not appear to be a problem at first glance, but when you consider that some material is time-sensitive, it may cause you to reconsider.
It may not make a significant difference in some fields. If you're taking a creative writing class, chances are it won't change much from year to year. However, for skills related to technology or business, it may be more important that you take a recently launched course.
Are There Too Many Courses?
Although it may appear impossible, it is possible to have too much of a good thing when taking classes with LinkedIn Learning. There are so many classes to choose from on LinkedIn Learning that it can be difficult to choose the best ones.
This challenge is exacerbated when you consider that not all courses on LinkedIn Learning are equally fantastic. Some are taught by instructors who may not have the best teaching style – or a teaching style that does not mesh with your goals and preferences – while others are taught by people who claim to (but may not actually) know much about the subject at hand.
Material Without a Grade
A common complaint among LinkedIn Learning subscribers is that after completing various modules within a course, you will not receive a grade for your work. Although this makes sense, given that LinkedIn Learning does not provide students with grades or any kind of credential (such as transferrable course credit), it can be frustrating for some to pay for a membership and yet not receive anything tangible at the end of the class.
The Learner’s Perspective
LinkedIn Learning has a lot to offer from the standpoint of a learner. This platform is not only great for learning casual skills that will improve your everyday life, but it is also one of the best resources available for job seekers.
Although the classes available on LinkedIn Learning are not credit-bearing, the benefit of taking them is that they connect to your LinkedIn profile and can be easily displayed there, catching the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager. They will assist you in boosting your resume and demonstrating your motivation and desire to succeed.
The Instructor’s Perspective
Do you believe you have what it takes to teach a LinkedIn Learning class? There's probably a niche for everyone, from soft skills to software development.
The platform is equally beneficial to educators as it is to students, providing every LinkedIn Learning instructor with a way to consolidate their material and disseminate their wealth of knowledge to the public. You will be able to upload a variety of materials, including PDFs, videos, and links.
You can even incorporate digital resources into your curriculum, which distinguishes LinkedIn Learning from other platforms. There are also closed captioning and other accessibility services available, making this platform one of the best and most comprehensive.
LinkedIn Learning is designed for experts, so if you're new to your industry, this may not be the best platform for you. As a LinkedIn Learning instructor, you will be able to help students achieve their personal and professional goals while earning a little extra money. To become an instructor, you must first apply. You must submit a maple video as well as indicate which topics you are qualified to teach.
Conclusion
This LinkedIn Learning courses review should have helped you decide whether a LinkedIn Learning subscription is right for you. While the LinkedIn Learning app could be improved in some areas, this platform is one of the best when it comes to making online learning a reality for all students.
Linkedin Learning
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