YouTube as an educational tool

'I was studying a topic I didn't have any knowledge of: I wanted to see whether a class using YouTube-videos as a preparation for a physics test would yield better results than on using a school textbook. I experimented with that at my school, the St Willibrord Gymnasium in Deurne.

After a lot of putting the pieces together, I got it right in terms of statistics, but I was wondering whether I was also drawing the right conclusions, namely that videos are a much better means of instruction than a textbook. I wanted a professional opinion. On the internet I met statistician Manfred te Grotenhuis, the winner of the Radboud education award of 2010. I saw him in a video and I thought to myself: if there's someone willing to help me with this last moment, it must be him.

I received an answer the following day. Manfred thought it was an interesting study and he helped me with some of the statistics. When he said he wanted to make it a scientific paper, I was a bit anxious about it, but his enthusiasm was contagious.

The article will be publicised in the next issue of Mens en Maatschappij. Moreover, the Radboud Teacher's Academy is going to repeat my study at a number of schools. I have to admit that doesn't leave me cold. Now I'm looking at the study again, I'm eager to get back to work. I think the current educational system is lagging behind massively when it comes to the use of modern teaching tools, especially in high school.'

Go to Nico van Mortel's website for more information on this study: www.nicovdmortel.nl

Bron: www.ru.nl