Who Should Teach on YouTube?

Top Colleges and Universities

All top colleges such as IITs, IIMs, NITs, and IISc, among others, should consider teaching on YouTube. This would provide every student with the opportunity to access high-quality education. Currently, due to limited seats in top colleges, only a few students can benefit from top-tier education.

The success of NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) is a testament to this idea. NPTEL, an initiative by the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science, offers high-quality educational content online.

In today's era, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained popularity, and most prestigious institutions are running their MOOC courses. However, many of these MOOC course videos remain unlisted on YouTube, which limits their discoverability in search results. As a result, students often miss out on quality educational content available on the platform.

MOOCs offer a distinct advantage in that they are often free, and if a student doesn't require a certificate, they should have the freedom to access the videos without needing to log in. To achieve this, colleges and universities should make their MOOC videos public on YouTube. This way, educational videos can reach a wider audience without incurring additional costs, potentially leading to increased enrollment in MOOC courses.

This approach benefits everyone involved, including colleges, students, and the education ecosystem at large.

Colleges, Schools, and Coaching Centers

Private colleges, schools, and coaching centers have many excellent teachers. If these institutions reduce the workload of their teachers slightly and encourage them to create videos related to their subjects, every institution will have a treasure trove of video tutorials within a few years.

Each video tutorial will carry the branding of the institution. Without any extra cost, these videos will enhance the institution's branding and, as the world's second-largest search engine, YouTube will do the rest in terms of reach.

These videos can aid in student admissions, accreditation, and improved academic outcomes. The videos will essentially serve as marketing tools that benefit both the institutions and students.

Researchers and Scholars

A researcher or scholar is someone who dedicates years to deeply understanding a specific subject. I advise researchers to keep a log of their knowledge. Furthermore, I recommend that every researcher should create at least one video on their research topic every month.

This practice has two benefits. Firstly, it encourages researchers to document their knowledge systematically. Secondly, it allows their expertise to reach a broader audience. This can increase interest in the subject and establish the researcher as an expert.

It's common for people without knowledge in a subject to spread misinformation on social media. This often misleads individuals due to a lack of awareness. I personally know many scholars in fields like Sanskrit, Vedas, and Jyotish (astrology) who refrain from sharing their knowledge because they believe what they've learned is insufficient.

Homemakers

In the past, there was a prevalent notion in our society that girls should not be educated. Although government initiatives and opportunities for girls' education exist, sometimes family responsibilities or stiff competition prevent women from securing jobs.

In such situations, many educated and qualified women find themselves in the same position as their uneducated ancestors. This can lead to frustration and even family conflicts.

In this context, it would be far better if educated homemakers start spreading education right from their homes. Through educational videos, they can gain recognition in society, and these videos might also help them generate income.

Retired Individuals

Retired individuals often possess extensive experience and a deep understanding of their fields of work. Preserving this knowledge is crucial. In today's times, there's no better and cost-effective way to do this than through videos.

It's essential to understand that beyond creating videos, no other method appears as effective and affordable. Ideally, every organization should allocate at least six months of a retired individual's time to record their expertise in video format.