In today's digital age, YouTube has become an undeniable force in education. Studies reveal that over 90% of students turn to YouTube for supplemental learning outside the classroom, highlighting its integral role in modern education.
This surge in informal learning through online video platforms presents both opportunities and challenges for educators and students alike.
In our recent webinar, we explored how educators can effectively leverage YouTube as a powerful educational tool and introduced innovative solutions like Glean's Chrome extension, designed to enhance the learning experience and promote accessibility for all students.
The rise of YouTube as a learning platform
YouTube's influence on education is staggering. With over 1 billion hours of content consumed daily, it has become a primary source of informal learning for teens and adults.
Research consistently demonstrates that students favor YouTube for its accessibility, visual components, and ease of understanding complex topics.
This is backed up by the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education which found that 95% of college student participants used YouTube for learning, citing reasons such as accessibility, visual components, and ease of understanding content.
Addressing the challenges of online learning
While YouTube offers immense learning potential, it also presents certain challenges. Students can struggle with taking effective notes, staying focused, and retaining key information while watching online videos.
Additionally, ensuring equitable access to online learning materials is crucial for students with disabilities, mental health conditions, and language barriers.
Enhancing YouTube learning: Glean's chrome extension
Glean's chrome extension offers a powerful solution to these challenges by seamlessly integrating note taking with online video consumption. This innovative tool allows learners to use Glean's comprehensive note taking features directly alongside platforms like YouTube.
By utilizing a convenient side panel within the browser, students can maximize focus, improve retention, and ensure they don't miss critical information.
The extension provides access to a range of valuable features, including:
- Efficient note taking: Students can easily capture notes, add labels, import slides, create tasks, and access definitions - all within the same browser window.
- Enhanced focus and retention: By streamlining the learning process and minimizing distractions, Glean helps students stay engaged and retain information more effectively.
- Accessibility for all: Glean's extension is designed to support diverse learners, including those with short term absences, mental health conditions, disabilities, and ESL needs.
How institutions can support learning via YouTube
Educators play a vital role in guiding students to use YouTube effectively for learning. Whilst acknowledging the potential, the challenge for educators lies in how to use their expertise to place guardrails around student activities, ensuring using YouTube is framed as a learning experience.
CJ Brame of Vanderbilt explored how to effectively leverage these new behaviours, discovering that success is often rooted in the learning experience being active, prompting recall and embedding knowledge.
By strategically incorporating YouTube into their teaching practices, professors can create more engaging and impactful learning experiences. Some effective strategies include:
- Creating supplemental content: Professors can upload weekly video summaries, course specific tutorials, and other supplemental materials to enhance student understanding.
- Curating educational playlists: Educators can save time by curating existing YouTube playlists aligned with learning objectives.
- Enhancing video content: Optimizing videos with end screens, info cards, annotated links, and quizzes can improve student engagement and comprehension.
- Promoting active learning: Encouraging students to interact with videos through comments and discussions fosters a more dynamic learning environment.
YouTube has become an indispensable tool for students in the digital age. By embracing its potential and addressing its challenges, educators can create more accessible, engaging, and effective learning experiences.
Innovative solutions like Glean's Chrome extension play a crucial role in maximizing the benefits of YouTube for learning, empowering students to succeed in their academic pursuits.
