Is YouTube Making Us Smarter? The narrator of this PBS Idea Channel episode is curious to find out. Surfing into this question, Mike Rugnetta discusses some key reasons why YouTube is becoming a number one educational tool for students. As discussed by Regnetta, YouTube's wealth of information can be utilized from any place in the world, as long as there is an internet connection. Due to such an availability of information, Rugnetta suggests that students are now able to consult YouTube for help on homework in many different fields (i.e. chemistry and physics) and they even have the ability to chose who they will learn the information from. Those who are posting on YouTube to teach also tend to be genuinely enthusiastic about the material they present in their videos.
Rugnetta is reasonable with his approach to answering this question, he understands that learning is something that people must first want to do, it is not something that can be forced upon someone. He mentions that YouTube will not change the fact that learning is hard work, but he suggests that it gives people options and opportunities to learn in ways that were never available before.
Rugnetta is reasonable with his approach to answering this question, he understands that learning is something that people must first want to do, it is not something that can be forced upon someone. He mentions that YouTube will not change the fact that learning is hard work, but he suggests that it gives people options and opportunities to learn in ways that were never available before.
Because information is made publicly accessible and affordable (free is a good price) for anyone who wants to learn, Rugnetta claims that the barriers (i.e. extent of schooling, geographic location, government control of information) to information exchange are made fewer via YouTube. However, these barriers are not removed, people must still be motivated enough to learn and get on YouTube to search for information they want. With such a motivation the things that can be learned from YouTube become essentially limitless.
Rugnetta reinforces the ideas and moods he wants to portray by using embedded video clips related to the idea being discussed. Some of these clips were likely from YouTube while others are from beloved movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Billy Madison. When discussing each idea, a clip that relates to the idea in some way is presented. Some of the clips are semi-serious and academic, while others are relate in another way. These clips build a visual bridge to the reader connecting Rugnetta’s ideas to visual triggers which help the viewer to process what is being said. Rugnetta also provides clips for comic relief which allow the audience a slight break between concepts so that the reader has time to finish processing an idea before the next one is presented. With his presentation, Rugnetta appeals to a general audience, but he seems to single out students of all ages. Students are the primary focus because teachers and professors are increasingly posting materials online for their students, and one of the mediums commonly used for lecture recordings is YouTube. According to Rugnetta, the effectiveness of these learning styles are often questionable and can also be somewhat subjective since everyone has different learning styles. Rugnetta’s discussion aims to support these views while leaving room for the audience to formulate their own opinion.
According to The Huffington Post, Mike Rugnetta completed a double major in cognitive and political science achieving status as a 2L (this means he was ranked in the top 15 students of his graduating class) at the Boston University of Law. He is active in a variety of programs and societies and he has completed work studies and research assistant-ships within his field of research. YouTube videos and blogs are some of his most frequent works (The Huffington Post). Rugnetta uploads new videos to his PBS Idea Channel on a weekly basis and his episodes tend to cover a wide variety of topics. Based upon his background, Mike Rugnetta appears to be a reputable and honest source.
Works Cited
"The Huffington Post." Michael Rugnetta. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 29 Oct 2013. Web. 29 Oct 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rugnetta/>.
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