YouTube

This page is part of a larger technology guide for distance and digital learning tools, which was created to fulfill the requirements of the portfolio project for OTL542.

YouTube is a video-sharing platform owned by Google where users can upload and view a wide range of content including video clips, music videos, live streams, and educational videos. Most content on YouTube is user-generated, but corporate accounts also utilize the platform to distribute media content.

YouTube in e-Learning
Since individual users can create and share content freely, YouTube is often used in an educational context to encourage students to produce video essays and short documentary-style films for either private or public audience. Educators also utilize the site as a means to share instructional content not only to their own students but to a broader public audience, leading to the creation of an online repository of educational videos. Students themselves are also frequent consumers of educational content in informal ways, such as supplementing assigned readings and viewing tutorials of difficult technical processes. However, it should be acknowledged that all this content is only loosely moderated and varies greatly in terms of quality and trustworthiness.

Additional Resources

 * YouTube.com. Create a profile on the social media site.
 * The Tech Edvocate. A list of YouTube channels that produce and share educational content.