May 19 – Weinman

Educating for Job Skills

PLATO Lecture Series Spring, 2014 – Greeners on the Cutting Edge
Monday May 19, 1:30-3 pm, LH1

Lynda Weinman, Lynda.com

What is the value of a liberal arts degree today, or, for that matter, any degree? How can education serve to engage people to become lifelong learners and creators instead of passive consumers? What ownership do we all have over our own learning outside of school, and how can we get the top skills valued by industry if school doesn’t teach them? Lynda Weinman shares her thoughts about face-to-face education and online learning to gain valuable skills needed to succeed in today’s job market, and explains the benefits and shortcomings of each approach.  For a preview of Lynda’s thoughts on higher education, see the ReadWriteBuilders interview with Lynda.

Lynda Weinman (Evergreen graduate 1976) is cofounder and executive chair of lynda.com, one of the pioneering companies in online education. Weinman is a self-taught computer expert, author, educator, and entrepreneur. She was faculty at Art Center College of Design from 1984-1996, where she taught digital and web design. lynda.com has evolved from its original concept as a free web resource for her students to an award-winning online learning company with over four million members. lynda.com teaches anyone software, creative and business skills through a comprehensive library of instructional videos produced in-house and taught by recognized industry experts.

See also Smart Education: How Lynda.com Hit $70M In Revenue Without A Penny From Investors. That article is a little old – Lynda.com has made more news since and doubled their revenue. Lynda’s plans are that lynda.com becomes the online learning platform of the 21st century.  See also Lynda’s talk at the 40th anniversary event for Evergreen.

Readings:

  1. Nathan Heller, LaptopU: Has the future of college moved online?  New Yorker, May 20, 2013,
  2. ReadWriteBuilders interview with Lynda.
  3. (Optional)  Enough with the lecturing, NSF Press Release – 14-064.