IT training and Marketing resources » Video Tutorials http://www.richardadamsonline.com Information and ideas for more effective use of your computer from Richard Adams Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:15:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Find out more about Windows XP http://www.richardadamsonline.com/it_training_for_home_and_office/find-out-more-about-windows-xp/ http://www.richardadamsonline.com/it_training_for_home_and_office/find-out-more-about-windows-xp/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:40:02 +0000 admin http://www.richardadamsonline.com/?p=7 Do you know all there is to know about Windows XP? I am sure you don’t – I don’t!! But most of what I know I have learned from other people telling me. You know, you ask someone how to do something, and you get a whole long explanation of what to do, or they rapidly press a few buttons and say ‘There you are..’ and you are no wiser! The better response is ‘I’ll show you, then you can try, to make sure you remember for next time’. If you get shown how to do something properly, then you will remember when your mentor is not with you!

How would you like to have a Windows XP mentor available to you to show you how to do things whenever you need him? The power of video can make this an ideal way to learn. Video tutorials on anything from ‘How do I turn off my computer properly?’ to ‘What is Adware and Spyware all about?’ or ‘How can I make some money using my computer?’ can act like having your own mentor next to you while you learn.

There are many video tutorial products available to download or view directly on the Internet, and it is easy to get misled by slick sales letters, especially if you are a beginner, and purchase stuff which at best is boring and at worst is downright misleading. How do you know how to find reliable video tutorials that will teach you about how Windows XP works and how to use Windows to the best advantage? Here are 5 quick tips:

  1. Find out about the teacher! If they have an ‘About Us’ link on their website – read it, and decide whether they have enough experience to be able to teach their subject. If there is not much detail here, then be suspicious!
  2. What detail do they give about the videos they are trying to sell? Some sites, such as the Silver Surfers Academy, allow you to view some free samples of the videos, so you will be able to see the kind of quality you will be getting. Other sites may give snapshots, demos, screenshots or simulations, and all these help to see what kind of content you will be getting.
  3. What format are the videos supplied? If the videos are available only online, make sure you have a fast Internet connection, as viewing videos online without interruption takes a lot of Internet capacity. Some providers will produce the videos in a number of different formats, so check this and use the format that suits your Internet connection.
  4. Price – vary considerably for training videos about Windows XP and other IT subjects. There may be a number of reasons for this, and it is difficult to generalise on this. The number/total length of the videos may be a factor, and some videos may include a degree of interaction, such as exercises for the student, which will increase the prive and the value of the video.

If you are buying video tutorials, check out these issues before you buy! Have a look at the Silver Surfers Academy website, for a growing collection of video tutorials about how to use Microsoft  Windows , Microsoft Office Software, and training for practical uses for your PC.

]]> http://www.richardadamsonline.com/it_training_for_home_and_office/find-out-more-about-windows-xp/feed/ 0 Video Tutorials – the best way to learn? http://www.richardadamsonline.com/it_training_for_home_and_office/video-tutorials-the-best-way-to-learn/ http://www.richardadamsonline.com/it_training_for_home_and_office/video-tutorials-the-best-way-to-learn/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:35:12 +0000 admin http://www.richardadamsonline.com/?p=4 Many sites are appearing on the Web offering IT training resources in various forms, for all possible subjects you could think of. These may be in the form of physical books, such as you would find in the specialist sites such as Amazon or Ebay, and lots of people still use books as the source of training material. There are also books that you can download in electronic format, known as E-Books, and these provide another useful source of information and training on all sorts of topics. Video Tutorials are now becoming even more popular, particularly since the widespread use of high-speed Broadband Internet services, since downloading and viewing video tutorials can take a lot of resources. Video allows you to have your teacher on the screen with you, presenting the topic in a step-by-step form and demonstrating the topics in front of you. This is particularly suited to teaching computer topics, as the video can show moving screenshots of how to perform the tasks. Our partner website, Silver Surfers Academy provides Starter packs of video tutorials, suitable for both beginners and more advanced, and gives access to our online shop where you will be able to get access to lots more video tutorials. Have a look at the free sample videos to see what great quality they are!

What do you think about Video Tutorials as a medium for teaching IT topics? Is it better than Ebooks? Let me know!

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