Have you ever completed a task thanks to “YouTube University?” There are several how-to videos that are online thanks to YouTube, making it possible to learn how to fix your car, make your favorite cookies, or learn mathematic theorems. This fact has not been overlooked by educational institutions, from kindergarten to college, and the videos are beginning to be included in certain curriculum. Is this a good idea? Here are the pros and cons of YouTube in education to think about.
What Are the Pros of YouTube in Education?
1. It is free.
Anyone can have access to YouTube whenever they want to have it. This makes it a usable tool for any teacher that happens to be on a tight budget. No matter where you are in the world, you can access the videos that are uploaded for educational purposes without even the need to have a Google account created.
2. It can be used anywhere.
Teachers don’t have to be tied to a specific location in order to upload helpful videos for their students. This means that as long as there is an internet connection, there is the ability to upload a video to students anywhere in the world. It makes YouTube a particularly useful tool for courses that are designed for distant learning.
3. It can be used as a supplemental resource.
The videos that are on YouTube can be used in a classroom environment to supplement the key points a teacher is talking about. It may be a way to offer additional information, show a real-world example, or be a visual method of taking students through the step-by-step solution for a problem they need to solve.
4. It extends the classroom setting into the home.
Not every family can afford a tutor. Not every student is able to complete their homework assignments on their own. With YouTube, a teacher can upload reference videos, lectures, and even replays of what happened in class so that the information can be thoroughly studied and retained.
5. It offers multiple learning options for the same task.
Some people work better through visual components. Others learn better by directly reading the information that needs to be retained. With YouTube, educators have the option to provide multiple methods of showing a problem’s resolution so that every student is able to learn in a way that best suits their needs.
6. YouTube can be a network of sorts for teachers.
Not every teacher has the ability to create and upload videos that are based on their curriculum. Yet if just one teacher has found this time, every other teacher who teaches the same concept or curriculum can use that media as a resource for their classroom. This allows teachers to connect with and support one another in a very unique way.
7. Videos can be rewatched as often as needed.
In a classroom setting, a student may not have the opportunity to have a key point repeated if they didn’t retain the information the first time around. On YouTube, there are no limits.
What Are the Cons of YouTube in Education?
1. Not every video on YouTube is reliable.
Fake news isn’t just a problem on Facebook. There are numerous videos that are uploaded every day that come from questionable sources. Some videos are designed to sell products or promote a personal agenda. It can take some time to sort the real videos from the unreliable ones and that is an investment that not every educator is in a position to make.
2. Some content in videos may not be suitable for the age group.
Let’s just be honest: some videos on YouTube are not suitable for children. This includes videos that are intended for a younger audience. This particular key point may not apply to high school or college-level courses, but should be considered for any educators that teach young children. It is for this very reason why YouTube hasn’t been in education for several years.
3. You need to have an internet connection to access it.
If you don’t have a cellular data connection and there isn’t an internet connection in a classroom, then there is no way to utilize YouTube for education. There has to be some level of online connectivity in order for this to work. If one does not exist, all of these key points are rather moot.
4. Videos often have advertisements.
And some of those advertisements can be very lengthy without an option to skip them. These ads may also not be appropriate for the content that is being taught.
The pros and cons of YouTube in Education show that it can be an especially meaningful way to connect with students. As long as the negatives are managed in an effective way, there are many positive outcomes that can be obtained.
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