2008 Woodie Awards
Professors as YouTube stars
Class lectures being posted on popular Web sites
Lindsey Shumway
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News
Originally published: 2/21/08 at 4:10 PM EST
Last update: 2/21/08 at 4:09 PM EST
YouTube users, after having seemingly quenched their thirst for distracting yet entertaining video clips, are beginning to crawl back to their studies once more.
Common video clips viewed on YouTube, ranging from home-made dance routines and backyard stunts to celebrities' mistakes and drama caught on tape, are now competing with a selection of videos with more of an academic background.
Some college professors' lectures are making their way onto the computer screen and are being broadcast on YouTube. Some already post their lectures on their own personal or school Web sites, but YouTube could prove to be a more accessible form of Internet-aided learning - students who frequent the site for entertainment already won't have to look much further for their lessons.
The first participating college to start airing lectures on the Internet was the University of California at Berkeley, and other colleges have followed suit. Marian Diamond, an anatomy and neuroscience professor at Berkeley, said that she wasn't the one to post her lectures on the Web - it was UC Berkeley Media Services.
"They asked me if they could and since I had had no experience with such a wide base for my lectures, I was honored," Diamond said.
The Berkeley professor, who has been teaching for more than forty years, said she thinks that this just might work.
"It is another effective way of teaching for those who do not have access to college classes. At the same time, anyone with any background can learn anatomy via YouTube if they have the motivation," she said.
Academic YouTube lectures have been, so far, undiscovered by many students whose professors' teachings have not been broadcasted on the Web - including the students of Plattsburgh State. However, PSUC may just want to jump on the bandwagon with this revolutionary teaching method, and join the University of California at Berkeley, the University of South Carolina, the University of New South Wales and Vanderbilt University - the colleges presently participating.
Common video clips viewed on YouTube, ranging from home-made dance routines and backyard stunts to celebrities' mistakes and drama caught on tape, are now competing with a selection of videos with more of an academic background.
Some college professors' lectures are making their way onto the computer screen and are being broadcast on YouTube. Some already post their lectures on their own personal or school Web sites, but YouTube could prove to be a more accessible form of Internet-aided learning - students who frequent the site for entertainment already won't have to look much further for their lessons.
The first participating college to start airing lectures on the Internet was the University of California at Berkeley, and other colleges have followed suit. Marian Diamond, an anatomy and neuroscience professor at Berkeley, said that she wasn't the one to post her lectures on the Web - it was UC Berkeley Media Services.
"They asked me if they could and since I had had no experience with such a wide base for my lectures, I was honored," Diamond said.
The Berkeley professor, who has been teaching for more than forty years, said she thinks that this just might work.
"It is another effective way of teaching for those who do not have access to college classes. At the same time, anyone with any background can learn anatomy via YouTube if they have the motivation," she said.
Academic YouTube lectures have been, so far, undiscovered by many students whose professors' teachings have not been broadcasted on the Web - including the students of Plattsburgh State. However, PSUC may just want to jump on the bandwagon with this revolutionary teaching method, and join the University of California at Berkeley, the University of South Carolina, the University of New South Wales and Vanderbilt University - the colleges presently participating.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
KennyCrane
posted 2/28/08 @ 6:59 PM EST
The videos from TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) are interesting. There's several professors that have videos on YouTube's TEDtalksDirector channel. (Continued…)
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