Nearly lost among the funny animals, back yard science experiments, and music videos in YouTube are short videos that can be useful in the classroom. In some cases these are simply captured bits of pop culture or history that can be shown in class or embedded in course Web pages. There are also well-produced, short videos created by individuals and organizations on specific topics that can provide supplemental content to a course.
For example, this instructional video produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) giving tips for researchers who want to get better results with Google:
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/SCGFVd1Z5HQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
This video is also part of a longer series that the CBC has posted on YouTube. To view the entire “playlist” of Google tips go to:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4884D513AC87454C
More useful YouTube examples:
UMass Fruit Advisor
Videos about fruit farming posted by Jon Clements, Tree-Fruit Extension Specialist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=jmcext
TJ Walker on PowerPoint
TJ Walker, a professional communications consultant, gives a series of short, to the point, tutorials on effective presenting and use of PowerPoint:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=33C3EC79A32DEED6
“Quirkology”
A series of demonstrations of the limits of human perception by Richard Wiseman, Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Quirkology
YouTube’s YouChoose ’08
A special section on YouTube with materials related to the 2008 election. Includes materials posted by the campaigns as well as “related” videos by individuals and opponents.
http://www.youtube.com/youchoose
A Selection of Historical Footage
In this case, an individual has digitized and posted many clips from famous speeches and events, including a “Duck and Cover” film and several Kennedy speeches. If you are looking for a specific piece of famous footage, it is always worth checking to see if it has been posted on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=forquignon