Perhaps you’ve already used LinkedIn Learning to acquire a new skill or learn a new piece of software. But have you considered leveraging LinkedIn Learning as a supplement to your teaching materials?
From people skills like communication strategies and leadership to more technical matters like pivot tables and Python, there are thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses that correspond to a range of disciplines. While business and technology tend to be the most represented fields, there are also courses that are more broadly transferable, such as inclusive leadership and project management.
Strategies for incorporating LinkedIn Learning in your courses
Here are a few ideas for how you might incorporate LinkedIn Learning into your own teaching:
- Foundational knowledge and skills preparation: Ask students to watch videos or complete courses that can help them acquire the background knowledge or prerequisite skills required for success in the course. For example, if you’re teaching a class on web design, assign students an HTML fundamentals course early in the quarter so that everyone has a base level of preparation.
- Flipped classroom opportunities: Assign students to watch videos or complete courses before coming to class, and then devote class time to activities, projects, and other exercises that activate deeper levels of learning. For instance, if you’re teaching a class on data analysis, have students complete a course on R outside of class; then, during your class time, have your students use R to conduct analyses of real data.
- Supplemental resources: Offer students videos and courses that provide supplemental instruction for difficult topics. Let’s say you’re teaching a geographic information sciences class and students will need to use ArcGIS software for their final projects. In addition to the tutorials you provide, you can share links to ArcGIS courses that offer further training.
Add LinkedIn Learning to Canvas
There are a two ways to add LinkedIn Learning to your Canvas course:
- If you want to track students’ progress and/or award points for completion, you can add LinkedIn Learning videos, courses, or collections as assignments using the Canvas and LinkedIn Learning integration.
- If you are not concerned with tracking students’ progress or assigning grades, you can also add a link in a module that directs to LinkedIn Learning videos or embed a video into a page. Note that there are some caveats related to this approach, such as limits to the number of videos one can share per month.
LinkedIn Learning as Supplements to Texts
In career development classes that I’ve taught, I’ve used LinkedIn Learning courses and videos to supplement readings and help enliven discussions. One of the authors of a book chapter I assign also produced a LinkedIn Learning course on the same topic. So I gave students the option to either read the relevant chapter or complete the Linkedin Learning course. Students appreciated being given the option to choose the medium that they felt works best for them.
In Summary
LinkedIn Learning is a great platform not only for individual learners but also for educators who want to enhance their courses and engage their students. By using LinkedIn Learning as a supplement to your coursework, you can provide more options for your students to learn.
Further Resources
- To get started with LinkedIn Learning, visit linkedinlearning.uchicago.edu or attend one of our upcoming ATS office hours. You can also schedule a consultation with us.
- Learn how to add LinkedIn Learning to your Canvas course via LTI.
