Tag Archives: teaching tips for computer instructors

How to Effectively Teach Your Course Content

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ways to teach your course content
Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The quality of the course content in the college classroom is obviously important to a student’s success. However, in order to ensure that students get the most out of a class, it’s also essential that the course content is taught well. Here’s a look at a few easy ways to teach your course content more effectively:

  • Make sure the course content is organized in a clear-cut, progressive manner. Ideas should be introduced in an order that demonstrates how they build upon each other. Always start with basic concepts, and build up to more advanced concepts, even if that means back-tracking to a subject that you discussed earlier on.
  • Find ways to have your students think critically about the material you are teaching. This will encourage them to engage and process the material, rather than just memorizing it. Critically thinking about material will help make it a part of their permanent thought processes.
  • Always integrate discussion into your courses. If you only include lectures and quizzes, students will simply learn the material to pass the quiz. If they are required to discuss and talk about the material, however, they will have to learn it on a deeper level. You’ll notice that, as your students adapt to discussions throughout the semester, they’ll become more skilled at learning in this way.

Labyrinth Learning provides the software and course materials you need to enhance your course content in the college classroom. Contact us today to learn more about our range of products.

Effective Ways to Create a Quality Web Page

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web page design for students
Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Creating web pages takes a lot more effort than it once did – not because it’s more difficult to do, but because you want your website to achieve more in order to stand out from the competition. Not only are you trying to draw in more visitors, you want those visitors to return again and again. Teaching web page design for students will help give them a step up as they go out into the world. The following are a few tips for creating a quality web page:

  • Keep loading times fast – If your website loads slowly, then visitors will hit that back button in a hurry. Obviously, this is not what you want since visitors may not even give your website’s content a chance if this occurs.
  • Make it easy to navigate – Your website should be easy to navigate. This means that visitors looking for a contact page or your blog page shouldn’t have to look very hard. Poor navigation will frustrate your visitors.
  • Make sure your links work – The last thing you want to do is provide links to your readers that don’t work. Not only will this frustrate your reader to no end, it also hurts your search engine ranking; broken links are a sign that your website isn’t being maintained.

Use these tips in order to teach students to create a high quality webpage. Contact us at Labyrinth Learning for more information about web page design for students, as well as our educational media resources.

College Students will Benefit from Our Essential Computing Skills 2nd Edition

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Essential Computing SkillsIn today’s job market, it is essential that college students develop solid computing skills in order to make themselves competitive candidates for the best positions. The Essential Computing Skills 2nd Edition textbook and learning lab makes it possible for students to learn these skills easily and efficiently.

Essential Computing Skills for college students, by author Russel Stolins, covers a diverse set of topics, from basic use of Windows 8.1, to email, to cloud computing. The highly visual design makes it easy for students to interact with the material as they learn. Videos reinforce concepts, and the interactive tutorials make sure that knowledge is utilized and remembered.

This textbook and the accompanying tutorials use real-world situations to prepare students for computer-related problems they may encounter in the real working world. Students are led through the tutorials, and then given challenging exercises to enhance their learning and measure their progress.

Essential Computing Skills is not just valuable to students; it’s also an efficient and versatile choice for instructors. Instructors have the option of using the eLab course for online training and assessment, so they can spend more time actually teaching and interacting with their students and less time on activities like calculating grades.

To learn more about Essential Computing Skills for college students, and our other brilliant learning solutions, visit Labyrinth Learning. Contact us if you have questions about our software packages or eLab, the system that automates the assessment process so you can spend more time teaching.

Enhance Your Lessons With Images on Microsoft Word 2013

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how to insert images in Microsoft Word 2013
Source: Wordprocessing.about.com

As an educator, your job is to make instructional materials as palatable as possible for your student audience. The tricky part is that that audience consists of a variable mix of learning styles. For that reason, it’s important to use visual information wherever possible in addition to your lectures and text-based learning materials.

Learning how to insert images in Microsoft Word 2013 will allow both you and your students to produce more interesting and engaging resources for class projects, presentations, and other professional applications.

  • Insert your cursor or tap in the area of the Word document where you want the picture to be inserted.
  • Go to the Insert tab in the Illustrations section and then click on the Pictures button. An Insert Dialog box will appear where you clicked on the document.
  • You can now insert a picture from your hard drive, a CD or a flash drive. Choose the picture you want to insert, click on it and select Open. You can also double click on the picture.

The image is now inserted into the document. You can also choose to insert online images you have the rights to by clicking Online Pictures in the Insert tab and then searching for the image using the appropriate keyword. Use a similar technique using Clip Art by searching for a particular image in the Office.com field.

Contact us at Labyrinth Learning for more regarding tips on how to insert images in Microsoft Word 2013.

The Basics of Creating a Database on Microsoft Access 2013

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how to create a database on Microsoft Access 2013
Source: Databases.about.com

The ability to comfortably navigate and create a database is a relevant job skill. If your students are fluent in database creation and implementation, they will save employers time and money, ensuring the company’s information is efficiently organized. Microsoft Access 2013 is one of the most prevalent database platforms on the market.

The best way to begin teaching students how to create a database on Microsoft Access 2013:

Find an appropriate template. Once Microsoft Access is open, you can search their templates for a version that is appropriate to their desired task, such as accounting, sales, or expenses. Students can search and find a template that works for them.

Name and select the database. Name the database as accurately as possible so it is easy to find and retrieve later. Then select it and open it up. Students may need to “enable” the template in order to use it to its full capacity.

Begin exploring and working with the database. Now, it’s your students’ turn to play around a bit. Have them open the Navigation Pane, which will provide a dropdown list of the tables, forms and reports that are relevant to that particular template. The more they explore, the more adept they will become at creating task-specific databases of their own.

Visit us online to find resources to facilitate your Microsoft Access instruction. We invite you to contact us at Labyrinth Learning to learn more about our educational services.

How Computer Literacy can Prepare Students for the Workforce

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computer literacy
Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Those who are able to use computer programs effectively are referred to as “computer literate.” While the ability to use computers was a specialized skill several decades ago, it is now nearly essential for students who wish to find a place in the work world. Here is look at a few benefits of being computer literate when trying to enter the workforce:

  • Basic computer skills will help students through the classes they take in college, which will prepare then for the workforce. Many college courses are now at least partially computer-based.
  • Knowing more advanced software, such as QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel, will set your students apart from candidates who have only basic word processing skills.
  • The more efficiently an employee can use a computer, the more work they’ll be able to get done in a day. Productivity is a valued skill in today’s workplaces.
  • Knowing how to use the internet makes communication easier. Harnessing the power of social media and instant messaging services enhances the ability to work remotely, which is becoming more common in recent years.
  • Employees with great computer skills are often placed in leadership roles, where they can help other employees boost their computer skills.

The benefits of being computer literate are never-ending. We are dedicated to providing students and instructors with the software they need to enhance learning in their subjects, and also bolster computer skills. Contact us at Labyrinth Learning today to learn more about our selection of software.

Help Students Learn Windows 8.1 Skills

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Essential Window 8.1 Skills One of the most important subjects of education in this day and age is the ability to use computers and computer software. For example, learning Windows 8.1, which is Microsoft’s newest operating system, will help make it easier for students to perform computer-related work. The best way to do this is by using the Essential Window 8.1 Skills textbook.

The Essential Windows 8.1 Skills textbook is an excellent introduction of Microsoft’s new operating system and provides a great overview of all of its new features, which include full-screen apps and the touch screen-friendly approach of tiles. The textbook will help students learn Microsoft’s new interface and boot operations as well as how to work with files and programs, manage photos and music, interact online via social media, and more.

The textbook accomplishes this through nine different lessons that require minimal reading in order to reach as many students as possible. The skills needed to use Microsoft’s new operating system will be developed with hands-on exercises. There are two options for how the Essential Windows 8.1 Skills textbooks is available – you can purchase it as a physical textbook for $52 or you can download an e-book version complete with video instructions for only $31.25.

To help your students get the absolute most out of Microsoft Windows 8.1, you’ll want to use the Essential Windows 8.1 Skills textbook to provide in-depth knowledge on how to use the operating system. For more about learning Windows 8.1, contact us at Labyrinth Learning today.

Effective Ways to Motivate Your Students

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how to motivate your students
Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Learning can either be fun or boring, and where it swings depends on your approach as a teacher. As a general rule, the more motivated students are, the easier they find learning — even if the subject matter you’re teaching isn’t necessarily easy.

To get the class interested to learning, here are some helpful tips on how to motivate your students:

  • Work with the strengths and weaknesses of your students. Give them rewards for their strong points while finding ways to strengthen their weak points.
  • Make the lesson interactive by encouraging questions and asking for feedback. It’s a good way for your students to be more involved.
  • Free up your schedule for consultation before and after the class, and also during breaks. Let your students know they can approach you for any question they have about the lesson.
  • Divide the topic in cycles 15-20 minutes long to sustain attention. Any longer than that, and your students will have a more difficult time focusing.
  • Use different teaching techniques aside from standard practices. Interactive student discussions, group activities, hands-on demonstrations, and film showings are a few things you can try in the classroom.
  • Show your students the practical application of what you’re teaching. It’s a great way to stir up student curiosity.

Here’s another important tip on how to motivate your students: Use multimedia tools to encourage interaction and streamline the whole teaching process.

We at Labyrinth Learning offer various titles for different courses, so contact us to know more about them.

Help Students Learn a New Program With Outlook 2013 CourseCARD

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Learning to use different programs that are essential to a well-rounded knowledge of computers is very important in this day and age. It’s why you should go to extra lengths to make sure students are familiar with basic software programs, such as Microsoft Outlook. Thankfully, there are some excellent teaching tools available, such as the Microsoft Outlook 2013 CourseCARD.

The Outlook 2013 CourseCARD is a fantastic beginner’s guide for new users of Microsoft Outlook. Students will be able to reference all of the program’s essential features, keyboard shortcuts as well as productivity tips at any time. The Quick Reference features goes over the Ribbon interface, which is what the program now uses. Students will also be able to use the Basic Topics feature, which includes tips on using the main features of Outlook, including Calendar, Mail, Contacts, Tasks and the To-Do-Bar.

Microsoft Outlook 2013 CourseCARD
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Once students get a basic grasp of Microsoft Outlook, they can further their understanding of the program by using the Advanced Topics feature of the CourseCARD, which provides information on using the new Conversation view, color categories, electronic business cards, attachments and signatures. To become an expert Microsoft Outlook user, students can then move on to Top Productivity Tips and Solutions in order to learn how to set up automatic replies, view calendars during meeting requests, create their own Quick Steps, and use the Outlook Social Connector.

Learn the ins and outs of Microsoft Outlook with the Microsoft Outlook 2013 CourseCARD. Contact us at Labyrinth Learning for additional information.

Enjoy Teaching With the FastCourse Microsoft PowerPoint

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Microsoft PowerPoint is a tool that is not only commonly used when giving presentations in the classroom, but also out in the business world, which means it’s incredibly beneficial to learn the program. Trying to learn it on your own can be a difficult task, especially since PowerPoint has countless features that can be used. This is why the FastCourse Microsoft PowerPoint 2013: Level 1 textbook is so helpful.

FastCourse Microsoft PowerPoint 2013: Level 1 textbook
Source: Wikimedia Commons

The level one version of this FastCourse Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 textbook is perfect for introducing students to the PowerPoint software. It allows new computer users who want to get a decent grasp of PowerPoint to learn beginner-level PowerPoint skills. There are a number of topics covered in-depth within the textbook, including:

  • An introduction of the software’s Ribbon interface
  • How to use document themes
  • How to create bulleted lists
  • How to create outlines
  • How to format text
  • How to print presentations
  • How to create transitions
  • How to use clip art and graphics
  • How to do slide show delivery
  • How to use charts

The textbook teaches these topics through 4 lessons that uses a step-by-step and skill-based approach so that students can learn the program as quickly and easily as possible. Once the student becomes well versed in these beginner topics, they can move on to level 2 for learn about PowerPoint’s more advanced features.

Find out more about the FastCourse Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 textbook, as well as our other software guide textbooks, by contacting us at Labyrinth Learning today.