Now, it will be a little easier for Col-gate students, with the help of the website Lynda.com, to learn how to use computer programs that will supplement their edu-cation. Colgate Information and Tech-nology Service (ITS) recently gave all students free access to this video-based website through the Colgate portal. This service, which typically costs $25 per month, offers thousands of professional videos that cover nearly every computer application imaginable.

Unlike other educational websites about using technology, the videos on Lynda.com are taught by professional teachers that are experienced with the computer skills that they teach. Lynda. com offers courses focused on software in 3-D design, audio programming, busi-ness, photography, video and web design. Students can learn about anything from building an iPhone application to learn-ing about Google Drive. These teachers are attracted to Lynda.com because they receive up-front payment and then gain royalties over time based on how popular their videos are. The webiste has worked with prestigious universities and compa-nies such as Disney and Time Warner to develop exciting and relevent content to help subscribers master new technology.

Founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman and her husband Bruce Heavin, Lynda. com now has over one million paid sub-scribers. By comparison, the Wall Street Journal barely has half that many online subscribers. The California based compa-ny and its 200 employees have provided subscribers with over 1,400 videos, all of which are now available to Colgate stu-dents. Each computer program has one or more hours-long courses that are bro-ken down into shorter chapters, allowing users to decide how much they want to watch and how advanced they want their skills to become. Subscribers can save their progress and put courses in a queue to save for later.

Contact Jared Goldsmith at [email protected].