All posts by lablearning

Easy Strategies to Increase Your Typing Speed

June 2, 2014Featured, Teaching Tips & StrategiesLabyrinth Learning, teaching computer literacy, teaching in a computer lab, teaching tips for computer instructorslablearning

Have you been looking to improve your words-per-minute on the keyboard? Here are some quick and easy shortcuts on how to increase your typing speed:

Research has shown typing ability is broken down into 80 percent technique, 10 percent speed, and 10 percent accuracy. Proper hand placement technique is vital for increasing typing speed.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to improving your typing skills. While practicing might not seem like a very quick strategy, as little as 30 minutes a day works wonders on increasing your speed.
Fast and accurate typing skills are based on muscle memory and just as when learning anything new, repetition is the best way to train those muscles.
Keep your eyes off the keyboard. This might be difficult at first, so try covering the keyboard or consider starting out with a blank keyboard until you build up your confidence.
Correct posture while sitting at the keyboard ensures your hands are resting in the proper position and reduces strain on your back and neck. This also keeps your energy levels up and allows you to type faster and without injury.
Realize your errors are great learning tools. While it is frustrating to make the same mistake over and over, keeping a positive mindset while working to correct the problem goes a long way in improving both speed and accuracy.

If you’re looking to update and improve your teaching style and curriculum, please feel free to contact us today at Labyrinth Learning for more information on everything we offer!

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Learn Why Payroll Accounting is Important

May 30, 2014Teaching Tips & Strategiesaccounting software, e-learning resources, teaching tips for computer instructors, Teaching Tips for New Teacherslablearning

Payroll accounting is a critical foundation of any business. This is especially true now that most companies are required to provide health benefits for their employees. Having accurate and up-to-date books ensure that a company is complying with federal regulations, and it will improve economic transparency for owners, management and employees.

Learning solutions, like Payroll Accounting, provide a sensible, streamlined and hands-on approach to appeal to a broad spectrum of students, including those that do not have previous accounting experience. The course is divided into six sections, all of which cover the basis of a thorough payroll accounting system, including:

Salaries
Wages
Overtime pay
Commissions and bonuses to employees
Payroll taxes and costs
Employer paid benefits

This course is ideal for small business owners or employees who are ready to take their accounting and bookkeeping knowledge to the next level, especially if they are expanding, adding new employees to the books, or growing their benefit and retirement programs.

Labyrinth Learning offers Payroll Accounting: A Practical Real World Approach, for those who teach accounting. We are also hosting a webinar, led by the book’s author, Eric Weinstein.

Contact Labyrinth Learning to find out more about Payroll Accounting and other interactive teaching tools.

Image Source: freedigitalphotos

How You Can Engage Introverts and Extroverts in the Classroom

May 29, 2014Featured, Teaching Tips & Strategiesassessing student performance, Labyrinth Learning, tips for teaching computer skills, tips on teaching adultslablearning

One of the biggest issues in teaching is being able to engage a large number of students at the same time despite their differences. The teaching strategies that capture and retain the interest of extroverts won’t produce the same results in introverts — extroverts tend to be more eager to participate in the open.

Teaching extroverts and introverts at the same time is not an impossible task, though it does mean that teachers will have to be observant and take both groups into account when crafting their lesson plans.

Here are some suggestions for teaching extroverts and introverts in the same classroom:

Facilitating both extroverts and introverts begins with telling which people are which. Extroverts tend to be more social, meaning that they will make more of an effort to talk with more people. In contrast, introverts tend to be more reserved — they need time to process their thoughts before participating. Bear in mind that both extroverts and introverts fall on the same spectrum, meaning that teachers must be flexible in handling their students.
In class, let extroverts speak first so that the introverts will have time to mull over their thoughts. This ensures that both will be able to participate without being pulled out of their comfort zones.
Set up a means for the class to communicate outside of meetings. Extroverts can continue to socialize, while introverts can communicate at their leisure.

Are you looking for more tips on teach introverts and extroverts? Contact us at Labyrinth Learning about more resources for engaging students.

Using eBooks to Prepare Students for College

May 28, 2014Teaching Tips & Strategiese-learning resources, Labyrinth Learning, teaching tips for online course instructors, technology in the classroomlablearning

Although learning in a classroom environment is the strongest foundation for students, eBooks are a great way to supplement their education. Not only are they beneficial for teachers, but they are a great way to prepare students for college.

Here is detailed list on how teaching with eBooks can be beneficial for students about to head into college:

Preparing for the use of technology – Students will most likely be introduced to new uses of technology for their education in college. eBooks are a great way for them to acclimate to the use of technology for studying.
Improve problem-solving skills – Students that use eBooks enough will most likely run into a few glitches like they would with any technology. Learning to face and handle such problems is a valuable experience.
Learning to try new things – Using eBooks for the first time will take students out of their comfort zones, an experience they should become accustomed to if they are to learn to try new things in life.
Learning to collaborate – Many eBook platforms allow students to interact and collaborate within the text. This type of collaboration is a great learning experience, especially for students planning on taking online courses.
Learn to think outside the box – Using eBooks is a way for students to learn in a nontraditional manner forcing them to think for themselves without the help of an instructor.

Teaching with eBooks is a great way to prepare students for college. For more information, contact us at Labyrinth Learning today.

Effective Ways to Use PowerPoint in a College Classroom

May 27, 2014Teaching Tips & StrategiesLabyrinth Learning, PowerPoint in the Classroom, Teaching on a College Campus, Tips on Using PowerPointlablearning

Once an office staple, PowerPoint has gained new respect in the classroom. More instructors are incorporating it into their lesson plans because lectures can quickly be updated and additional multi-media features like video, images and audio can easily be added.

Students are much more sophisticated than in the past due to rapidly changing technology. No longer are they satisfied to learn by rote. They want and expect to be challenged and engaged, therefore, when teaching with PowerPoint, it is paramount that PowerPoint lesson plans be carefully thought out.

Getting students interested in a lecture from the opening sentence can easily be achieved using a PowerPoint presentation. Including highlights of the lecture at the beginning gives students a visual aid as to what they will be learning. Building off that by asking open ended questions allow students’ prior knowledge to be gauged and lesson plans adjusted.

The body of the lecture should be broken down into short 10-15 minute segments. Often instructors get so wrapped up in what they are teaching that they forget this important tip. Remember to design a PowerPoint presentation to include active learning strategies so everyone can take a break and redirect their focus.

When teaching with PowerPoint, the conclusion is just as important as the beginning. Determine how effective the lecture was by including a slide requesting students write down what they felt was unclear or hard to understand.

For additional information on adding PowerPoint in your classroom, please contact Labyrinth Learning today.

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Helpful Strategies for Teaching Auditory Learners

May 7, 2014Featured, Teaching Tips & Strategiesassessing student performance, Helpful Tips for Teachers, teaching tips for computer instructors, tips on teaching adultslablearning

headphones — Auditory learners digest knowledge better from lectures.

There are many different types of learners — kinesthetic, auditory and visual. An auditory learner is a person that learns best through active listening. They take on information through listening and active discussions. If you feel that you or your student may be an auditory learner, there are a few things you can do to help.

Here are some great strategies for teaching auditory learners:

Questions are key — By asking questions, auditory learners can receive verbal clarification on learning material. Putting an idea into words can help the listener to retain the information. When asking questions, a student is becoming an active participant, helping those around them know that they are taking in the information.

Repeat study material out loud — Whether reading out a whole text or paraphrasing as they read, auditory learners can take in the information they need by hearing themselves repeat it out loud. This works better than reading the text or information.

Beware of distractions — When it comes to auditory learners, too much noise or things going on around them may become a major distraction. While some people do well listening to music while they study, others find it distracting. Awareness of the things that cause you or your student to become distracted can help increase focus.

If you are interested in learning more about teaching auditory learners, contact us today at Labyrinth Learning.

Technology Use in the Classroom Will Become More Important Over Time

May 1, 2014News & EventsLabyrinth Learning, Technology Trends in Higher Learning, Trends in Higher Education, Using Technology in the Classroomlablearning

The days of traditional textbooks, white boards and students in one setting, all being taught the same material, is slowly dying out only to be replaced with rapidly developing classroom technology. Educators, parents and students are quickly realizing technology in higher education is becoming more commonplace and embracing the change.

computer lab — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Because of technological advancements, educators are having to rethink the established teaching methods of presenting information and then having students repeat it back in rote. The future of education is requiring teachers to develop techniques on how to present critical thinking and long-range problem solving.

For all the negatives that people think of with new age technology, like concerns surrounding social media interactions, online gaming and off-topic websites, the positives are so much stronger.

Some of the advantages of classroom technology include:

Keeping students attention even longer
Increases in students willingness to learn
Freedom for students to learn at their own pace
Better preparation of students for more advanced technology

Of course, no article on technology in higher education can be complete without a nod to the long range advantages and potential impact that remote classrooms are already having worldwide. Cultural, geographical and financial boundaries are all reduced through nothing more than a strong internet connection, a webcam and a microphone.

For more ways to help engage your students and improve your classroom, feel free to contact us at Labyrinth Learning.

Emerging Trends That Will Push More Technology into Higher Education

April 25, 2014Featured, Teaching Tips & StrategiesTechnology in Higher Learning, Technology Trends in Higher Learning, Working in Higher Learninglablearning

Cloud Computing — Technology in the classroom is improving the line of communication between professor and student.

Recently the New Media Consortium published its annual higher education report. Much of the report focused on emerging trends in technology, their uses in both online and classroom settings, and the positive impact that is being derived from this higher science.

Promoting the momentum in adopting a variety of technological platforms is seen as a group effort. Social media is finding a place in higher education as a way for professors and administrators to interact with students outside the traditional classroom. For example, Vanderbilt University has a dedicated YouTube channel allowing viewers to see the inter-workings of certain areas of the campus, while at Texas State University, Facebook and Twitter have been incorporated as learning platforms.

Through social media, students and educators are generating large amounts of untapped data which has the potential to reveal algorithms that ultimately can assist in individualizing the learning experience. Universities hypothetically have the ability to use this information to increase the success and graduation rate for at-risk students.

While online learning has been seen as a realistic alternative to a traditional classroom setting for sometime now, there are still strides to be made in improving and integrating specific asynchronous and synchronous tools. Studies have shown that it is vital for professors and students to be able to interact while online through eye contact, body language and additional human gestures to build a strong unspoken connection.

For more information on emerging trends in technology, please contact Labyrinth Learning today.

Image Source: freedigitalphotos

How Technology Is Changing the Higher Education Experience

April 23, 2014News & Eventsteaching tips for online course instructors, Technology and Students, Technology in Higher Learning, tips for teaching computer skillslablearning

The introduction of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) within the last several years has already begun to revolutionize higher education. Yet, among many educators, there is an ongoing battle concerning the integration of technology in higher education versus a traditional classroom setting.

Due to the popularity of MOOCs, symposiums are being held all across the nation to discuss the viability of online learning as it relates to accessibility. MOOCs are now affording groundbreaking opportunities to people from all demographics, who are simply looking for easier ways to access higher education.

Stanford University has been at the forefront of testing and experimenting with technology in higher education. Because digital educational delivery mechanisms include the capacity to track, store and measure the effectiveness of MOOCs, Stanford began offering certain online courses and then analyzed the data amassed.

The ability to determine what sections of a classroom lecture were being repeated by the majority of participants alerted educators to review that segment and to conclude what, if any, changes needed to be implemented. Online courses require exact precision from both student and educator, realizing attention to detail must be paid and that gray areas can not be tolerated.

Other challenges detailed by the Stanford study are the ability to keep students engaged through online interpersonal communication. This include research on how to make this teaching method viable for smaller colleges with limited technology budgets.

Labyrinth Learning is here to keep you in the know on all the latest higher education technology. Please contact us today for more information.

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