An Examination of Undergraduate Student's Perceptions and Predilections of the Use of YouTube in the Teaching and Learning Process

Pervasive social networking and media sharing technologies have augmented perceptual understanding and information gathering and, while text-based resources have remained the standard for centuries, they do not appeal to the hyper-stimulated visual learners of today. In particular, the research suggests that targeted YouTube videos enhance student engagement, depth of understanding, and overall satisfaction in higher education courses. In order to investigate student perceptions and preferences regarding the implications of YouTube, a study was conducted at a Mid-Atlantic minority serving institution that examined student opinions regarding the usage of YouTube videos to augment instruction in online and classroombased courses. According to the findings, use of YouTube in the teaching and learning process enhances instruction with students most likely to visit video sharing services from mobile devices. Further, length has an impact on student decisions whether or not to watch a video, and course delivery format impacts length and audio preferences. Finally, there is no relationship between personal use of social media and the perceived value of the use of YouTube in the instructional process.