Berkeley is now the first University to make its lectures available to the public through YouTube, a natural progression for a facility that has been offering webcasts of courses and events online since 2001, and delved into podcasts in 2006. It also offers video content through iTunes U on topics such as art, history, computer science and mechanical engineering.
Such efforts can only be met with approval and applause as they are progressive means to utilize video-sharing services and the video revolution itself for educational purposes. Even though YouTube is a huge resource of most likely infringing popular entertainment content, a look at which videos are most popular on social networking / index sites such as Digg.com shows that a large number of Internet users want to use their extra bandwidth for something with a better educational value than a Diet Coke + Mentos experiment.
Deals with content providers such as the BBC and National Geographic also bring amazing footage with an educational value to services like YouTube. Universities and other educational facilities can only offer priceless content to the millions of Internet users eager to use the so-called information superhighway (although now an almost completely unused term) for practical and helpful information.
"YouTube's ongoing innovations create a great environment in which students and lifelong learners alike can discover, watch and share educational videos," said Ben Hubbard, co-manager of Berkeley's webcast program, in a statement. "We are excited to make UC Berkeley videos available to the world on YouTube and will continue to expand our offerings." Hopefully, more educational facilities will follow the leader.
Source:
Berkeley YouTube Channel
Ars Technica
Written by: James Delahunty @ 5 Oct 2007 4:59
