The Pedagogy of the 21st Century

Faculty stumbles towards multimedia with YouTube videos

It's an easy out.  But it's better than nothing.

Online classroom platforms are now accommodating YouTube videos. 

But it's not what online courses really need.  What online courses really need are original instructor produced audio presentations for each unit of the course.

That's what students want. They want to hear their own teacher. 

Here's my 14 minute YouTube video produced professionally by NASA TED conference. But to hear me teach, take my course. 

 

Hot topic: embed, download or link?

   It’s the hottest topic for online teachers right now, whether to embed, download or link to outside resources.  The ability to embed YouTube videos with such ease has made embedding YouTube videos in your online classroom a new and useful way to access video.

   From our most recent Advanced Teaching Online course, here’s what some instructors are saying.

Use links rather than downloads
   When using other material on the web, it is better to link to the original site than download the material to your site, says Stanie Waddell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He noted, “I work as an information security officer at a University and the majority of the take down notices we get come from situations where content has been downloaded and is now ‘hosted’ by the university. I have yet to see a complaint due to a link to some material at its original site.”

Embed social media
Embed social media and Web 2.0 sites in your course site rather than linking them out to the sites. It is easy to incorporate outside tools into most major learning management systems. Also, try to make the use of the tools as seamless as possible.

If you can embed, it’s o.k.
   If the site offers embed code to embed the content on your site, they are giving you permission to embed it, writes Rick Burkett. He notes that YouTube offers content providers tech option to prevent embedding content on third-party sites, if they do not make use of that option, it is allowing it to be embedded. They can always take down the content if they like. Also, you can make a good-faith argument that you were following copyright regulations by using YouTube video as YouTube is known for being quick to act when a copyright claim is made. The content is pulled down if requested, though some copyright holders only want notices sent that lets posters know that content posted without permission has been noted by their agents and they are putting you on notice that they are not going to have it pulled down, but that they are not surrendering their rights as content owners. This latter portion only applies to posters of content, not those that embed that content. Though, there is a bill in Congress that would move in that direction (although probably not for educators).

Education's New Mission

   Schools and colleges have an entirely new mission in the 21st century.

   In this century, only one thing matters. That “thing” is learning and knowledge.

   And the new mission for K-12, community colleges and universities is to have half of all our young people graduate with a four year college degree.

 Last week I told the President of Waubonsee Community College in Illinois and her top 37 administrators their new mission in an all day NineShift/Pedagogy presentation.

  An hour after I ended my presentation the Governor of Illinois announced that he is upping the target for college graduation from 41% of Illinois residents to 60%, and that colleges and universities would be held accountable for this outcome, not just enrollments.

  I think the 60% includes two year degrees and certificates, which is still below our standard, but it is definitely headed in the right direction! 

Photo: Top administrators at Waubonsee Community College discuss how to implement NineShift and Pedagogy recommendations.