The instructional designer in me immediately started analyzing; what is it about this training that has me so easily captivated? There are none of the flashy bells and whistles you might find in other online training: no arrows, no highlighting, no drawing on the screen, no crazy transitions or text animations. Lynda's approach is simple and streamlined, just some video screen-capturing paired with narration and the occasional text overlay.
My conclusion is that this approach works so well because it is the closest thing to mimicking real life. It's as if a helpful friend is sitting next to me, walking me through the software. Watching and listening to a demonstration is a much more natural way to learn than to click your way through slide after slide of paragraphs and visuals.
The lack of screen labels doesn't even bother me. When I see software training delivered so effectively I realize that labels can be more of a crutch than a learning device. The fact that there are no labels in Lynda's training actively engages me in trying remember what each button does as I see it in action.
These are pretty big revelations for me as the majority of my work involves creating computer-based software training. In the future I am definitely going to try to incorporate Lynda's concepts of natural learning into my own work.
I also love how Lynda divides it's training into bite-sized video chunks. It keeps me from feeling too overwhelmed. Now I'm ready to go back for a second helping!
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