The Most Persistent Myth

Many technologies have promised to revolutionize education, but so far none has. With that in mind, what could revolutionize education?

I think it is instructive that each new technology has appeared to be so transformative. You can imagine, for example, that motion pictures must have seemed like a revolutionary learning technology. After all they did revolutionize entertainment, yet failed to make significant inroads into the classroom. TV and video seem like a cheaper, scaled back film, but they too failed to live up to expectations. Now there is a glut of information and video on the internet so should we expect it to revolutionize education?

My view is that it won't, for two reasons: 1. Technology is not inherently superior, animations over static graphics, videoed presentations over live lectures etc. and 2. Learning is inherently a social activity, motivated and encouraged by interactions with others.

Filmed and edited by Pierce Cook

Supported by Screen Australia's Skip Ahead program.

[wharepapa]

I have been teaching for 48 years & what past students have always said about me was: Thank you for caring about me, for making me feel important, for making me feel special, getting me excited, motivated & inspired, about what you were teaching. How I was always enthusiastic & excited about what I was teaching, & how I took an INTEREST in them. One student I taught thanked me for giving him a condolence card when his dog got run over it made him want to do the best he could do in my class because I gave him my personal time to buy the card and then to write words that helped ease the pain of his loss. It's because of all of the above that I believe technology will never take over from teachers. However, technology used in conjunction with the good teacher's (as outlined above) teaching a big fat YES. At 73 I am continually developing my expertise with technology so I can, where appropriate, incorporate with my teaching. I am so excited about teaching next year in my 74th year & 49th year of teaching in this wonderful and rewarding profession.

[iammrbeat]

Humans only learn something if it is meaningful to them. A teacher's primary job is to make it meaningful to the student.

[Nixola]

"The job of a teacher is to inspire, to challenge, to excite their students to want to learn."
And so far, you did that better than any teacher I've had.

[nebulousdraconic]

If the primary job of a teacher is to inspire learning, Youtube and the internet really _have_ revolutionized learning. All public school did was make me _not_ want to learn things!! It's Youtubers like you who really made subjects interesting again!

[AppliedScience]

The altruistic posting of information on the internet was a pretty big deal. Before this era, a curious person had to physically get a textbook, or find an expert for a conversation. Now, a curious person needs 30 seconds to get the gist of almost any common topic on Wikipedia. Much lower friction leads to more people choosing to learn because it's simply easier. I agree with your points regarding the job of teachers and fellow students to motivate each other.

[veritasium]

Veritasium passes 2 million subscribers! Thanks for all the support!!

[UltimateFinal]

"
[...]Luckily the fundamental role of a teacher is not to deliver information. It is to guide the social process of learning.
The job of a teacher is to inspire, to challenge, to excite their students to want to learn. Yes, they also do explain and demonstrate and show things, but fundamentally that is beside the point. The most important thing a teacher does, is to make every student feel like they are important, to make them feel accountable for doing the work of learning.
"

I love this quote!

[heftigman]

I'm 31 and currently a post doc researcher in physics and I think that the growth of physics and mathematics channels on YouTube by people who care about the subject and who can explain the topic in an interesting way has revolutionized physics education at third level at least. The problem with lecturers at university is that they view teaching as a chore they have to do if they want to be able to conduct their research. As a consequence its possible to leave university with a physics degree without a thorough understanding of some very basic concepts.

[Danielkaas]

It reminds me of the quote
"Never Let Schooling Interfere With Your Education" - Mark Twain

[bazoo]

This is quite relevant now after 18 months of COVID lockdowns. But all those technological aids did help - as usual, one size does not fit all. And, of course, _motivating_ the student is the most important, and hardest to do remotely. But you, Derek, are a very good role model of a highly motivating teacher.

[gavintantleff]

“The job of a teacher is to inspire, to challenge, to excite...” Well I must have some bad teachers then.

[walterufsc]

I have been an engineering professor for over 30 years, I have a channel with video lessons on YouTube, and I completely agree with the statement: "the main job of a professor is to inspire learning". Transmitting information is not the main thing for a teacher nowadays, with so many resources available to students. However, inspiring students to learn and want to learn more is much more relevant. Therefore, classes must also be fun, so that students feel well in the classroom, willing to pay attention to what the teacher says. In addition, it is important to show the importance and applications of what is being taught, always making a connection with what the student already knows.

[NerdSyncProductions]

From my experience, I feel like people learn more outside of the classroom once they find that thing they are passionate about. By the time I hit college, I had already learned a ton about filmmaking from all sorts of YouTube channels and online courses and many books that I felt my actual college classes about filmmaking were almost a waste of time. That being said, the teachers themselves were wonderful people who were incredibly encouraging. The information they taught may have been slightly outdated or irrelevant, but their hearts were in the right place. Even though I didn't really learn any new information in those classes, it was still a good experience.

[RedCATsquared]

Someone said "books will revolutionize education" ... and they were right .

[AlexE]

2:09. Wow! I was watching a veritasium video showing a clip from a CGP grey video showing a clip from a minute physics video.

[nickcunningham]

I've been considering becoming a teacher recently. Your videos are part of that inspiration. It's funny how the people getting paid to teach me never do a really good job, bore me, leave me uninspired, and hand out busy work. And yet I watch your videos on a free platform and suddenly I'm engrossed in what I'm learning. I want to be to the future generations who you are to me.

[grzegorznonszalancki]

I think this video may revolutionize education one day

[yingxiawei]

“learning on computers”
People who have virtual learning during 2020: yeah, I’ve had enough of that

[TanvirBhulcrap]

I think we also have to differentiate between learning and memorizing. Learning a physics concept and the ability to develop an intuition about it probably would be best done in a social setting with peers and demonstrations. On the other hand, learning a chain of steps for organic chemistry is rote memorization where a social setting may not help. Technology can help substitute teachers when it comes to things that need memorizing, allowing teachers to better focus on their role in the classroom.

[drbrouse]

My thoughts have been expressed by other educators: "Teaching only happens when learning takes place". and, "Teaching takes place in time; learning
takes place over time. "