Sunday, 20 January 2008
YouTube as a tool for meteorological education
Exhibit Hall B (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
Video can be an integral part of meteorological education, as many phenomena are difficult to demonstrate within the classroom environment and static photos are often unable to capture the dynamic nature inherent in this science. With the proliferation of digital video cameras and inexpensive video editing software, educators now have the means to produce simple educational videos without significant effort or expense. By hosting videos on video sharing websites such as YouTube, it is possible to easily distribute these videos to students without regard to bandwidth or platform issues. A video about thunderstorm development was produced for an introductory level meteorology course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and distributed to the class via YouTube. Questions pertaining to the video were assigned as a homework assignment and feedback was solicited. More than 80% of the responses were of a positive nature. Most students appreciated the ability to watch on their own time and rewind and rewatch until they understood a concept. Student feedback and statistics associated with that feedback are presented.
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