One of the issues that we have seen over the years is that people learn differently. Some people can pick up a book follow the principles and absorb the material. Others, learn with the interaction of an instructor as they ask questions, receive information in a push-pull type of communication. And still others can only absorb principles when they actually perform the task. Ultimately, the ability to perform the task is the true measure that a company is looking for with an employee.
An interesting form of training is video. No doubt the rise of video on the Internet is an indicator that many people learn best by being able to watch multiple times how to perform a task as a Linux Administrator.
Here are a few practical principles for using video in Linux training:
1. Keep Videos Short
Originally we created videos of 30-45 minutes and the largest response we received was that students could not absorb the content, the tasks that that had to perform, in one setting. However, 30-45 minutes was too long to replay each time they missed a task. We have broken down many of the videos that we currently create to 2-3 minutes for individual tasks. This way students are able to rerun the video until they have mastered the skill. This step-by-step approach is much more successful for most students.
2. Integrate Videos with Printed Manuals
Videos often cannot provide context that is needed for student learning. As a result building videos that integrate with class content is a way to reinforce principles and also provide the broader context that is needed for the student. This CentOS Server Training is an example.
3. Provide Videos Online and Offline
Some people insist on having all training in hand that they can run off their computer. Others want the flexibility of having access to videos online. Because of this you will need to create videos that are small in size, bandwidth is always an issue. As I am currently a Nefflix customer, I have watched continuous growth in people wanting to watch movies online. This simply tells you that bandwidth is increasing, but there are still many exceptions. I still run into about %5 who are using dial-up for Internet, so you need take that into consideration.
4. Keep Videos Current
This is certainly a major struggle with Linux as changes are rolled out very frequently. If you decide to use videos you will need to make a long term commitment to the video process which can be very expensive. Working through a course that will only last for 6 months is an expensive proposition for a company. You cannot have your employees trained on video that is not current as the technology that you depend upon dictates that it is current.
Video can be a very helpful tool in Linux training, but the biggest drawback is the expense in creating them.
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