YouTube is here, forget the classroom!

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We all are familiar with YouTube. We cannot watch all YouTube Videos in our lifetime. YouTube is an American video sharing platform founded in February 2005 currently owned by Google. YouTube allows users to upload, view, share, like and download videos. It is almost free and open access. With the ease of internet access its use is continuously increasing specially in metropolitan areas. Previously its use was limited for video sharing and entertainment but after introduction of smart phones and cheap internet services, it became more popular and its use became multidisciplinary with broad scope. Recently in few years its impact on higher education became more prominent and nowadays it became important tool of learning in higher education. Other contender platforms such as Vimeo, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Flickr, Vevo, Twitch, D tube, IGTV, 9gAGTV, Facebook watch etc. are also available (Twitgoo.com) but their impact and role in higher education is negligible as compared to YouTube.

Myself as a YouTuber cum Professor and founder of an educational YouTube channel named “Dr Deepak Rawal MLSU”. I became curious and analyze the role and impact of YouTube in higher education. Nowadays many YouTubers establish themselves as Edupreneurs. With introduction of monetization of videos, Edupreneurs are seeing it as a potential market. Since most YouTube videos are free and open access, revenue generation is through advertisement within the videos and other marketing. Many YouTubers are orienting towards making videos related to higher education because of publicity and monetization associated with it. For some YouTubers it became easy method to express their knowledge and talent and for some it is self satisfying and to prove themselves. There are many pioneers of YouTube educational channels such as Crash course, ASAP science, CGP grey, Vsauce, Scishow, Veritasium, TED Ed, Bozeman Science, its okay to be smart, Khan Academy etc. (google.com). List is enormous but every learner need subject specific channel. One anomaly is that there are more videos on some specific subjects like medical, engineering etc. while some subjects are completely untouched. With introduction of MOOC’s and other open online courses it became basic platform for all educators. One thing is clear that YouTube will drastically diminish classroom learning and also coaching business in future. If we compare classroom learning and YouTube learning we see both benefits and drawbacks of YouTube learning over classroom learning.

Some noticeable benefits are as follows:

1. Freedom from scheduled time table of classroom learning.
2. Freedom from hesitation and fear of teachers and other classmates.
3. Freedom of revision of content whenever we want.
4. Save time and fuel of transportation to class room.
5. Freedom of learning in any language.
6. Single topic can be learned from many YouTubers with different views.
7. Freedom to comment and discuss on any topic.
8. Use of animation, audio, video, Photographs in videos enhances learning.
9. No limitation of classroom space, infrastructure and number of enrolments.
10. Good alternative of incompetent and lazy teachers.

With above benefits some noticeable drawbacks of YouTube learning over Class room learning such as:

1. It is not free as we have to pay internet service provider.
2. Internet service is not available everywhere.
3. Lose the chance of interaction and communication to other people.
4. Reduce our emotional and social quotient.
5. Loss of practicality of visiting field and seeing specimens face to face.
6. Diminish health due to less walking and eye strains.
7. Will reduce jobs in colleges and Universities.
8. Fake and wrong information may be served.
9. Books and coaching market will be diminished.
10. Requirement of special skill and knowledge to make videos on specific subject.

Instead of many drawbacks, the benefits are overwhelming and YouTube learning will probably replace class room learning in near future. Future of YouTube depends on its policy of free accessing. It is greater chance that it will also be free in future because of the fear of any other contender platform to replace it or one possibility is that they will collect certain minimum amount of money to watch and access YouTube Videos. There is also a possibility that a different more easy and user friendly platform replace it in future but since it is a part of rich company Google, this chance is rare. However YouTube learning must not replace school education because school education is somewhat more compulsory for social, psychological and neurological growth of children up to certain age. School education is necessary component of healthy society. YouTube can be used as teaching aid up to school education but must not replace it. After attaining certain age with developed brain and completing school education, YouTube learning can be a good option and may be alternative of class room learning in higher education but we must use it with precaution. We must see different unseen and unpredicted aspects. In future teachers have to become YouTuber and Tech friendly. We must understand that any educational video can be made by two ways; one is by hard reading means thorough study of books and research articles, second is by soft reading means through watching another videos and information available on internet. So for making good educational videos one has to become a teacher first who has basic knowledge and has clear concepts of his subjects. Certain eligibility criteria must be drawn for making educational videos on YouTube.

However we cannot predict the future of anything, it all depends on circumstances. In this study we have imagine the future of YouTube in higher education by current scenario. This study clearly shows that YouTube is becoming a milestone in higher education in recent years. Nowadays with introduction of MOOC’s and other open online courses it became basic platform for all educators. Instead of many drawbacks, the benefits are overwhelming and YouTube learning will probably replace class room learning in near future.

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