This fall LinkedIn introduced a new product that brings together courses from Lynda.com, an online-training company it purchased last year, and LinkedIn’s rich data on job needs and job seekers. LinkedIn Learning, as it’s called, essentially provides a recommendation engine for Lynda.com courses and video segments. As described in a company blog post: “We have a unique view of how jobs, industries, organizations and skills evolve over time. From this, we can identify the skills you need and deliver expert-led courses to help you obtain those skills. We’re taking the guesswork out of learning.”
That’s a grand vision. To LinkedIn’s credit, the company has not fallen for the “we’re going to displace higher education” fantasies that powered the worst of the MOOC craze. But it’s still stuck on the idea that idealized chunks of content are equivalent to learning.
Yes, the primary audience for LinkedIn Learning is job seekers and corporate trainers. But those of us in higher education should care. The challenges of better preparing students for their working lives and filling in skill gaps are ones that colleges and universities are also trying to meet, often through graduate schools or continuing-education departments. Lifelong learning is particularly important to alumni.
