How YouTube Videos are changing the Education System?

The 21^st century witnessed a shift in the pedagogy of teaching and learning. From the traditional classroom teaching of brick and mortar to the use of technology in education, the whole system of education has seen a remarkable change.

Now-a-days; most of the students are seen to be engrossed in their smartphones or tabs. They spend more time being online on the social media chatting and texting their friends or simply browsing & watching videos on the YouTube. According to a report, we spend more than a billion hours a day on YouTube.

Education has embraced technology to produce results beneficial for the teachers and students alike.  The educational videos prove to be a great teaching aid for the students. As per a study, it is noted that a human brain retains visual information 60,000x faster than reading from a text. Therefore, a child is more likely to retain the information processed in audio-visuals. Educational Videos simplify the complexity of the subjects like Math, Science, and Philosophy etc. They provide insights on the given topics in a fresh and interactive manner. Such videos ease the process of teaching and learning and make it fun-filled activity.

The YouTube channel is buzzed with educational content for students from all fields. For the pre-primary kids, there are numerous videos on nursery rhymes, kids’ songs, alphabets and other such content. For the middle and senior school students, there are plethora of videos on math, science, social studies, general awareness etc. YouTube also offers innumerable educational and informative videos for aspirants of government jobs such as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), and NET (National Eligibility Test).

With enormous education-related content available online, it has become easy for the students to study the concepts besides the classroom teaching. Also, students can access the digital-content as per their convenience and as many times as they wish to.

YouTube is a major platform for various premier educational institutions to publish their content online. Added advantage of digital content is that these educational videos can be downloaded, saved and shared across all social media applications.

Besides subject-specific videos, YouTube is the source for videos on skills enhancement. There’re plenty of videos to improve vocabulary, pronunciation, logical and creative skills of the children. YouTube has given the opportunity to many to enhance their technical, writing, and creative skills.

YouTube has also proved to be an effective medium for the retired teachers & tutors to showcase their teaching skills through videos. Such videos not only help the students in their studies but also let the teacher to communicate his words to infinite number of students. It has enabled the educators to teach the students in the medium they prefer the most. YouTube has indeed become a mecca for students looking for study materials and notes. It is also become the ultimate source to clear all your classroom doubts and queries. YouTube has also become a medium for many students to learn advanced concepts and understand new concepts. It has become an increasingly important part of the student and teacher’s life. It has changed the way we acquire knowledge. It is thus a powerful educational tool that has changed the education sector.

To areas where institutional learning is still a distant dream for many, YouTube has proved to be the best source of gaining knowledge. The willful learners can access educational content on YouTube anytime and anywhere. Yet another benefit of educational tutorials on YouTube is for the deprived children. In developing countries like India, not all the students can bear the expenses of education. Books, school fee, tuition fee and other related expenses carry a huge cost as compared to the internet pack, which is considerably cheaper in price. Though this does not mean that school education can be done away with, but digital content can aid the students in learning to a great extent. The short video in beautiful audio-visuals grabs the attention of the students and helps them understand the subjects. Indeed, E-learning has helped many students across the globe.

In the previous year, YouTube also unveiled its new initiative named YouTube Learning on which it sought to offer grants and promotion to support education-focused content-creators, expert organizations, and learners. 

According to a news report of 22^nd October, 2018, YouTube was told to be investing $20 million towards educational content through its new Learning Fund program. Several Educational channels such as TED-Ed, Crash Course, Baby Shark, Khan Academy, and Epipheo etc. have been successfully providing online lecture series and interactive lessons. Therefore, Lecture is now not relegated within the walls of a classroom. Breaking the walls, overcoming the barriers, shredding the traditional, and teaching has become Modern and Effective. Besides being the best educational tool, YouTube is the best medium for the home-makers, and professionals alike to learn new things. This social media platform contains ample number of tutorials on recipes, skin care tutorials, interview tips, using mobile phones, laptops and other such general topics. YouTube is also the biggest source of entertainment with songs and movies.

Yet another fascinating and interesting thing about using YouTube is that it can be a great source of income. Infact, many teachers and artists around the world are showcasing their talents to the people. This makes them reach to the masses as well as earn money. Therefore, YouTube is an ultimate solution to all your needs. It is a potential tool that aids in the teaching-learning process.