All posts by vkinney

Computer Training: Are You Maximizing Value to Your Clients?

Teaching Tips & Strategies, ,

How many times have you approached a class with a planned set of objectives, only to find out that it wasn’t the training that was needed? Has your client ever wondered whether your training effectively met its objectives? How do you make sure you’re delivering the right training and demonstrate the results to your clients at the end?

One answer is computer skills testing – both before and after your training.

 

Testing prior to the training allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your audience. Do employees have expertise in creating charts but need to understand pivot tables? Have they mastered formatting but need a refresher on integrating images? Testing these skills provides part of a needs assessment that allows you to design training to best match the needs of your client. Testing prior to the class also gives you a baseline report of skills for each individual being trained.

 

Testing again after training gives you definitive results that you can show your client – proof that learning has taken place. Making reports available to your clients that show before and after test scores for the group and individual employees increase the value of your offering by providing a clear picture of skills. If you can break them down by application and specific skills, better yet.

 

The end result for the client will be employees who are able to perform their tasks better and are more productive. The results for you will be a more satisfied customer.

 

Labyrinth Learning has testing solutions designed to provide an affordable testing solution for a variety of organizations, including corporate training firms. For more information, please visit our website or contact us for a demonstration of our eLab Skills Evaluation Tool.

 

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Six Best Practices for Teaching Online Courses

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Online courses are great for working students and remote students, and they allow schools to reach more students than ever before. As these courses have become increasingly popular, we’ve learned what teaching strategies do and don’t work. Below are some best practices to ensure a successful course for all.

 

Show Up and Teach – The number one best practice for online teachers according to Designing for Learning and the Distance Education Report is to be available to your students. This means being present in the communication forums used to interact with your students on a regular basis to address questions, facilitate discussions, etc. Also, set up virtual office hours so that students can contact you by phone or email outside of class times.

 

Create a Clear Set of Expectations – Let your students know how you expect them to participate in the virtual classroom, and how you plan to communicate with them.

 

Provide Feedback Consistently – Cincinnati State notes that online courses can make students feel a little isolated, but that consistent feedback is a great way to avoid that feeling. For example, you can praise a student for making an insightful comment in a forum, just like you would in the classroom.

 

Use a Variety of Activities – Several resources also suggest varying the types of classroom activities you use to keep students from becoming bored. Real-time discussions, individual assignments, and group projects are just a few examples of ways to keep the course fresh and interesting.

 

Use a Combination of Teaching Methods – Designing for Learning suggests combining core concept learning with customized or personalized learning by identifying the performance goals of the course and then mentoring students through the assignments that apply those concepts.

 

Ensure Students Have the Prerequisite Skills – Students sometimes enroll for online courses without a basic understanding of file management, communicating online, and the basic computer skills required to be successful. Establish a set of criteria, or pre-test students using an online computer inventory test to determine their readiness for an online course.

 

Are you currently teaching online courses? If so, what best practices do you follow to ensure that you are teaching the course effectively? Leave a comment to share your thoughts with Labyrinth Learning.

 

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Using Social Media to Reach Your Students

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It seems as if every student uses some form of social media to connect with people near and far. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are great places for students to interact with their friends, and in recent years, these sites have also gained the interest of colleges and universities across the country.

 

Are you using social media to connect with your students?

 

Last year, USA Today College reported that 68% of colleges and universities reported social media as being important, but how can it be used to reach students and make the learning process more engaging? Let’s take a look at a few examples.

 

 

Are you currently using social media to reach your students and enhance their learning experience? If so, please share your ideas with us by leaving a comment below. You can also share your ideas on the Labyrinth Learning Facebook page or tweet them to us @LabLearning.

 

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Why Use iPads and eBooks in Computer Courses?

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Over the past few years, iPads and other e-readers have transformed the way we do a lot of things, from reading to answering emails while on the go. You might be wondering how iPads and ebooks can be incorporated into your computer classes and what benefits they offer. If so, read on and we’ll explain some of those benefits to you.

 

  • eBooks often include interactive bonuses like videos or animation, which can enhance the information covered in the text or serve as an example of the task students are learning. They also usually include links to other relevant website that can expand upon the topic, according to Success Consciousness.
  • Innolance suggests implementing the latest technologies into your course as a way to keep and increase your students’ interest in the subject matter. Remember, devices like iPads are becoming a way of life.
  • iPads are easy to use due to their touch interfaces. Additionally, the availability of downloadable educational apps can aid in a student’s retention of the course material, as noted by The Guardian.
  • iPads and other tablets are compatible with most cloud-based computing systems, making it possible for them to complete assignments from almost anywhere, The Science of Learning Blog notes.

 

Are you and your students currently using iPads and ebooks in your computer classes? If so, please share with us what benefits you’ve seen as a result.

 

Labyrinth Learning offers a variety of resources, including ebooks, that instructors can use to effectively teach computer skills and make their classes more dynamic. For more information, please visit our website or contact us.

 

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Six Tips for Teaching Computer Basics

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Learning to use a computer can be intimidating, especially for the student whose skills aren’t as advanced as their friends or classmates. As computers are becoming a part of our daily lives, it is important to make sure that you teach the basics in a way that is easy for all of your students to understand.

 

Below are six tips to keep in mind as you teach your next course.

  1. State the goals of the class before you begin instructing so students will know exactly what is going to be covered.
  2. Keep a slow, steady pace. The American Library Association (ALA) suggests to “Assume that you are always going too fast. Take your cues not from the agenda you’ve set for the lesson, but instead the look in the eyes of your student.” If your students’ brows are furrowed and eyes are glazed over, take a moment to see what is confusing them or where you lost them, and work on catching up from there.
  3. Avoid using computer jargon while you teach. Find interesting ways to put jargon into laymen’s terms. Computer Shy says it is helpful to use real life parallels. For example, you can say that “web pages are really just magazine pages that you can read on a computer screen.”
  4. Use hands-on instruction. Tell the class what they will be doing (opening a web browser, composing an email, etc.), and then do it together.
  5. Have students practice through repetition. The ALA suggests doing everything at least three times, as repetition helps students retain what they have learned.
  6. Assign homework. Give your students short assignments daily so that they can practice what they have learned. Computer Shy also suggest providing students with notes at the end of each class so that they can review what has been covered on their own.

 

Labyrinth Learning has several teaching resources available that instructors can use to effectively teach computer skills to students of all ages and abilities. Please visit our website or contact us for more information.

 

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The Value of Certification

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Do you offer certification testing? Your students can gain an extra edge when seeking employment by taking advantage of certification programs.

 

Some of the professional advantages of certification include the following:

  • Certification helps broaden employment opportunities.
  • Advanced skills can help students earn more.
  • A study conducted by Microsoft revealed that those who are certified are viewed as more competent, more productive, and more credible by their employers.
  • Certification can lead to increased job satisfaction.
  • Those who pass certification exams are authorized to display certification logos on resumes and other materials to demonstrate proof of certification, according to the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers.

 

Microsoft and QuickBooks offer certification programs that validate comprehensive knowledge of the materials. The Microsoft Office Specialist certification is globally recognized as “the premiere credential chosen by individuals seeking to validate their knowledge, skills and abilities relating to the Microsoft Office application suite.”

 

Several Labyrinth Learning textbooks are approved courseware for the Microsoft and QuickBooks exams. For more information, please visit our website and look at our Excel and QuickBooks texts.

 

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Windows 8: What to Expect

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When you upgrade to Windows 8, you and your students will see a big difference from your current version. Read on for some of the biggest changes:

Start Screen. The most dramatic change is to the Start Screen, which has been redesigned to look more like a tablet or phone screen than your traditional Windows start screen interface. On the desktop, the Start button only appears when you hover your cursor in the bottom left corner of your screen, where you can return to the Start Screen or launch other desktop apps.

Charms. Charms appear when you move your mouse to the right-hand side of the screen or swipe from the right on a touchscreen device. They include buttons for accessing the Start Screen, Search, Share, Devices, and Settings functions quickly and with ease.

Touch Support. You’ll see better touch support than with Windows 7. Windows has also incorporated an intelligence system to tell it what you are attempting to do, according to TechRadar.

Multiple Monitor Support. Windows 8 is better capable of supporting multiple monitors than previous versions. If desired, you can place the Start Screen on one monitor and the desktop on another.

The Windows Store. Windows 8 has its own app store. Mashable notes that apps can be downloaded from the store and are then accessible on your home screen.

Cloud Integration. Windows 8 also includes cloud integration, just like Office 2013. You can sync your address book, photos, SkyDrive data, and even data within 3rd party apps. You can access the data on any Windows 8 device.

Labyrinth Learning will be hosting a webinar in the coming months to demo the changes and discuss implications for the classroom. Once we’ve set the date, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Image from Mashable.com

Welcome to the Labyrinth Learning Blog!

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Welcome to the Labyrinth Learning Blog! We are glad you’ve stopped by to check out our latest online adventure. We look forward to sharing lots of great information and ideas with you through our blog in the weeks to come, so stop by often for the latest news and information from us.

Today, we want to tell you a little bit about us. Labyrinth Learning was founded by Brian Favro, a teacher who recognized the importance of teaching people how to properly use products like Microsoft software, but also realized that adequate instructional materials for such programs were lacking. Brian and his colleague, Russel Stolins, worked together to develop Labyrinth Instructional Design, “an innovative approach that ensures easy, effective learning, enabling students to master material quickly and apply knowledge in real-world situations.”

After seeing the popularity of his textbooks among his own students and other local instructors, Brian decided to start his own company in order to help even more students achieve success. To date, over two million students have benefitted from learning the Labyrinth way in high schools, community colleges, continuing education programs, career and technical education, corporate trainings, and other programs.

In addition to books, Labyrinth Learning’s solutions include instructor support materials, integrated learning management tools, and eLearning components. These solutions cover a variety of topics ranging from computers and technology to specific subjects such as accounting. Our goal is to make teaching and learning easier for everyone.

We look forward to using our new blog to share more information about our products and ideas with you in the near future. Stay tuned for further updates. Also, be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for additional ideas and information.