Editor’s note: This article is the third installment of a three-part series on LinkedIn Learning. Part one focused on the benefits of LinkedIn Learning for students, and part two outlined professional and personal development opportunities for employees.
LinkedIn Learning is a highly varied database of more than 18,000 instructional and educational videos — and as of early March, it’s freely accessible to all Colorado State University students, faculty and staff.
The Office of the Provost launched a campuswide LinkedIn Learning license to enrich student learning and provide more professional and personal development opportunities for all employees. More information on LinkedIn Learning and instructions for account activation — which is necessary for users with and without preexisting Learning accounts — is available on the Provost Office website.
“When our office was approached with the idea of a large-scale LinkedIn Learning license, we were excited to realize a potential step forward in executing several aspirations of our recently developed Academic Master Plan,” said Jan Nerger, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We strive to provide our campus community with the most innovative and accessible tools for growth and learning, and LinkedIn Learning allows us to offer more access to on-demand knowledge than ever before.”
Bringing LinkedIn Learning to CSU
While this is the first time LinkedIn Learning has been offered universitywide at CSU, the Office of Engagement and Extension and Department of Journalism and Media Communication have provided their units with access to the service for several years. When interest spread, the idea of a more centralized license emerged.
“We strive to provide our campus community with the most innovative and accessible tools for growth and learning, and LinkedIn Learning allows us to offer more access to on-demand knowledge than ever before.”
—Interim Provost Jan Nerger
“Andrea Karapas contacted the Provost’s Office because the College of Business was considering acquiring a collegewide license for LinkedIn Learning,” said Andrea Duffy, LiL project manager and assistant vice provost. “After an open informational presentation for representatives across campus on LinkedIn Learning and its uses, we asked participants for feedback about whether they thought it would be valuable for campus, and for their units in particular. We got an overwhelmingly positive response, and we found that there would be considerable cost savings for us to have a campuswide license than for individual units to purchase their own.”
Thus began a months-long, multi-divisional process of bringing LinkedIn Learning to CSU involving legal, ethical, logistical, technical/IT and promotional discussions that resulted in a three-year contract to provide all active CSU faculty, staff and students with access to the learning database.
Talent Development, Student Success, The Institute for Learning and Teaching, JMC, the Office for Inclusive Excellence, Libraries, COB, the Career Center and University Marketing and Communications were all heavily involved, along with extensive support from the Division of Information Technology. Duffy said the Division of IT’s work was integral and noted the importance of bringing them on board early and recognizing the time and effort it would require from their department for any digital developments.
Enhancing student skills, marketability
Data collected by LinkedIn representatives found that a significant percentage of CSU students and employees were using LinkedIn Learning prior to the universitywide launch, with some licenses paid for by university entities and others through personal means.
“CSU community members were paying for this service — the demand was there,” Duffy said. “By purchasing a campuswide license, we gave everyone access to this great resource for free. We hope to help free up funds in departments and for individuals using LinkedIn Learning, and now students who couldn’t afford to pay also have access to the service.”
Additionally, the Provost’s Office hopes free access to LiL’s thousands of online, on-demand courses and course certifications will allow members of underserved communities and those with barriers to education and development beyond the classroom to enhance their marketable skills and fortify their resumes for future work and educational opportunities.
“I use LinkedIn Learning for skills like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to get certifications to help me get a job,” senior JMC student Abigail Howshar said. “I’ve heard that can help set you above other applicants, so I’m trying to do that as much as I can.”
“LinkedIn Learning is a very expensive service that is really, really useful,” said Daniela Castillo, senior JMC instructor and decade-long LiL user. “They have a lot of really great content that can be used for things like professional development for faculty and staff, not just for the students.”
LinkedIn Learning can also provide additional resources for students who struggle with classroom learning.
“Different students learn at different speeds and with different learning styles, so with LinkedIn Learning they can go back and review material or find more information at any time,” Castillo said. “You can even put together a super customized, very targeted set of videos that a student or students can watch to learn something specific. It takes time to curate, but those playlists can last for a long time.”
