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Devin Sweeney
Professor Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
YouTube: The Key to a New Generation of Learning
Introduction/Overview
For my extended inquiry project, I will be exploring YouTubes effect on education. As
the use of social media continues to grow, it bleeds into other parts of our lives. Because of this,
some parts of YouTube have turned towards creating more education-based content instead of
just cute cat videos or stupid pranks. YouTube channels like CrashCourse, SciShow, Khan
Academy, and MinutePhysics dedicate themselves to producing educational content that is
exciting and easy to understand. Their purpose is to educate viewers and to get people excited
about the topics they teach. In a TED Talk from 2011
(http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education/transcript?
language=en) , Salman Khan, creator of Khan Academy, talked about using YouTube to
completely reinvent the classroom. He explained how he started simply by making a few math
videos and has expanded to over 2,200 videos covering various topics. His videos have reached
millions and have been adapted for use in courses. Using these videos eliminates the shame that
students feel surrounding understanding course material by allowing students to watch and
rewatch the videos at their own leisure.
There are, however, certain problems that arise when teaching through social media.
Some people view YouTube as a waste of time, which eliminates their potential to experience
this new way of learning. There is also a chance that people will get sucked into the trap of cute
animal videos and song covers that seem to litter the entirety of YouTube. Also, with the sheer

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number of videos on the website, it can be hard to differentiate between people that know their
stuff and people that just think they do. Andrew Keen, author of The Cult of the Amateur
(https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=VPqfyfgi834C&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=youtube+is+bad&ots=jyx8mPMTeo&sig
=azXLV44xuIY_xdt3QQR4y7327EM#v=onepage&q&f=false ) strongly feels that YouTube,
among other social media outlets, provides too much amateur content than is easily manageable.
He views time as his most valuable resource, and he doesnt view sifting through content made
by amateurs to be a good way to spend it.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)


Is YouTube an effective teaching tool, and will it be a prominent part of education in the
future?

My Interest in this Topic


I am interested in this topic because I enjoy learning through YouTube videos. I watch
Vlogbrothers videos weekly, and I watched my fair share of CrashCourse videos to study for my
AP courses. I know that YouTube plays a big part in how I learn, but I hope to learn about the
views that other people have on this subject. I also wish to learn about what educational value
YouTube may hold in the future.

Next Steps
To continue to learn about this topic, I will look through the librarys databases for
articles pertaining to YouTube and education. I will continue to search for people that offer up
opposition to YouTube. I also plan to look for YouTube videos in which creators comment on

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YouTubes educational potential. I have already reached out to some prominent educational
YouTube creators to ask their thoughts on YouTubes future in education, so I am waiting on a
response from them. I am also planning on creating a survey about how people spend their time
on YouTube and if they value educational content.

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