The world is quickly shifting into the stratosphere of information dissemination. This particular notion is supported by current facts from the pandemic, where a good chunk of learning is now taking place online. There are many essay writers’ blogs or teachers who write their blogs and help you with your studies online, as well as a lot of services on the Internet that help you check or improve your knowledge. Leading the charge on tech tools that are making information a basic human right is YouTube.
YouTube is no longer just another tech phenomenon. It captures the political, social, economic, and cultural trends of our time and is the driving force behind a new wave of learning. YouTube has recently been in the press for censorship, in which the company has deactivated accounts or demonetized them. Harnessed properly, however, it remains a greater force for good.
A Timeline of YouTube
Founded in 2005, the original company was brought by Google the next year in a $1.65 Billion deal that changed the company to a promoter of original content. The first video on YouTube was posted on April 23rd, 2005, by Jawed Karim, one of the co-founders.
From 2007, the company, through its Partner’s Program, enabled content creators to make money off their videos. That same year, the company decided to make money by enabling ads, although it lets users choose which ads to see. Since then, YouTube has grown into a global behemoth that promotes both professional and amateur content.
High profile organizations and governments have YouTube channels. YouTube has helped stars to connect with their fans directly. It has also created a new brand of celebrities through accounts that go viral, such as PewDiePie and Mr. Beast, who rake in millions each year.
Besides the impressive growth of YouTube and its place in new marketing and virality, the platform is the most important educational tool of our time. The topic of YouTube is great fodder for an academic paper. If you’re thinking, “who will write my essay on YouTube,” expert writers may be of great assistance. In the meantime, here are 7 reasons why YouTube might be the greatest educational tool and asset of our time.
1. Accessibility
One of the Millennium Development Goals, spelled out by the UN, is improved access to education for everyone. YouTube is almost available on and compatible with nearly every device. Even low-tier android phones can support YouTube. Children in the far reaches of Africa and Asia can now learn using YouTube, much like their counterparts in more developed countries.
Coupled with improved internet accessibility and speed, YouTube has made learning a breeze for populations who would have never even thought of it.
2. Cost
YouTube is virtually free of charge. The company makes money from ads while leaving the content free for users. This means that unlike conventional teaching tools that would require an expenditure of some sort, YouTube is completely zero-cost. This effectively increases educational inclusivity and participation and improves the learning psyche.
3. A Strong E-Learning and Social Community
On YouTube, the audience can comment and interact with each other. This can be a great force for good, just like GitHub is to the coding and development community. Clarifications can be made, and responses posted instantly, and this provides a great repository of information for future users.
4. Provides A Good Basis for Integrating Theory and Practice
There are millions of instructional videos on YouTube in almost every field under the sun. Teachers and other learning instructors are more and more becoming content creators on YouTube. This ensures the quality and fidelity of educational information. A teacher can explain both theoretical principles and demonstrate practical information in a single tutorial. This aids understanding and knowledge retention.
Microlearning implies short instructional videos teaching specific content. This is also important for learning, as it aids knowledge retention. Besides these, there is a huge virtual library of related content on YouTube for any field that one would choose to research.
5. Great for Learning on The Go.
With YouTube, there is no fixed learning time. You can use it in the classroom while integrating it with normal learning or in the gym if you want to learn a new work out. You can check out content whenever convenient for you.
6. More Focus on Content Rather Than the Teacher or Classroom
A teacher and the environment may indeed affect learning perceptions and quality. YouTube videos can be tailored to be free from such nuances, although this depends wholly on the content creator. The result is an increased focus and an ideal learning environment that can be enjoyed.
But YouTube Can Also Be Misused
It’s not all glorious with YouTube. The platform may be misused, and it may also reduce focus instead of increasing it. However, this all depends on the available supervision and the intentions of the user. Check out more informational articles like this on the rest of our blog!