MINNEAPOLIS — Whether it's searching "how to change a tire" or "how to achieve a smoky eye," more than 100 million people turn to YouTube daily to watch videos that educate, entertain or inform. Now users have a chance to start earning college credit for it.
In January, YouTube partnered with Arizona State University and the creators behind YouTube channel Crash Course to launch an educational platform called Study Hall. In the program's introductory YouTube video, host Hank Green says the program is designed to help learners "prepare for, apply to, succeed at, and graduate from college."
In the video, Green goes on to explain a few functions of Study Hall: one is actual college coursework with ASU and the other is educational videos and resources to break down barriers to college by answering common questions. In the video, Green says many may often wonder, "What even is a major? How much is this all gonna cost me? And what can I do once I have a degree?"
If you're ready to take classes, they'll be through ASU instructors. It's more than just watching videos, of course--you'll be taking some assessments as well. Currently, the site offers four courses, ranging from communication to math. Each course is $25 to enroll and you don't have to pay for college credit until you're pleased with your grade. If you like how you performed, you can pay $400 for credit through ASU.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College started a partnership with ASU last July, making it easy to start taking classes in-person in Minnesota and continue classes online through ASU. Dr. Matthew Borcherding, interim vice president of academic affairs, said they wanted to provide Minnesota learners with an opportunity to have a "seamless" transfer to a four-year institution with a robust online offering.
"They are kind of a leader in doing things differently in the online realm," Borcherding said.
He thinks Study Hall could be a game changer for students facing financial barriers, allowing them to dip their toes in post-secondary education.
"I think that type of model--'try it before you buy it' type thing--is not going to go away," he said.
If you want to learn about your options, the Study Hall channel has explainer videos about what different majors are, how to navigate financing in college and how to balance a job while taking classes.
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