Utilization of YouTube as an information resource to support university courses
| Published date | 05 February 2018 |
| Date | 05 February 2018 |
| Pages | 71-81 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-04-2016-0087 |
| Author | Abdullah Almobarraz |
Utilization of YouTube as an
information resource to support
university courses
Abdullah Almobarraz
Department of Information Management,
Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions, attitudes and experiences of
undergraduate students relatedto the use of YouTube as an information resource to support their learning.
The use of YouTubeby professors for course activities is also examined.
Design/methodology/approach –Quantitativeresearch design based on a survey method was used by
using a questionnaire tool. The collected data were analyzed using frequency and simple percentage. The
sample comprisesundergraduate students from the Collegeof Computer and Information.
Findings –The general results reveal that the use of YouTube in the classroom influences student
engagement. Students’understanding of the importance of YouTubewas determined in this study. However,
professorsdo not seem to have positive attitudes towards incorporatingYouTube into course activities.
Originality/value –The application of socialmedia tools in Saudi Arabia is unclear because of the lack of
studies that focus on the use of video-sharingwebsites by university students. This paper is the first of its
kind conducted to explore the use of YouTube in the academic environment as an information resource to
supportuniversity courses.
Keywords YouTube, User-generated content, Social networking, Open educational resources,
Technology-enhanced learning, Online videos
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Students today are more digitallyoriented and driven than those in the pre-information age
(McCormick et al.,2010).In particular, social media, which can be used to communicate and
collaborate with the wider community,has become a popular educational tool used by
college students for their class assignments and projects. The provision of education
through multimedia and other visual aids has long strengthened the curricula of many
subjects (Shah and Khan,2015).
Video-sharing websites are one of the most important types of social media now used in the
educational system. YouTube, for example, offers access to new and dynamic opportunities for
effective and non-traditional patterns of teaching and learning (Alwehaibi, 2015). Videos
uploaded by individuals and organizations influence universities and other higher education
institutions to the extent that they have changed the ways in which students learn. YouTube
content provides free access to thousands of high-quality educational videos, which are thus
used by university students globally to improve their learning. Similarly, professors, who
prefer to use a variety of teaching resources, find YouTube to be a suitable alternative to
textbooks for delivering information to students. Indeed, the multiplicity of scientificcontent
created on YouTube by specialists and experts, and even by specialized educational
institutions, gives professors confidence and comfort in the educational potential of integrating
YouTube as an
information
resource
71
Received13 April 2016
Revised22 January 2017
Accepted2 May 2017
TheElectronic Library
Vol.36 No. 1, 2018
pp. 71-81
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-04-2016-0087
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
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