How To Maximize YouTube For Project-Based Learning
Professional development is critical now more than ever. With unemployment rates at record levels, tech professionals have looked to professional development to stay afloat in competitive workspaces. When you think about professional development, you think about taking online courses. Most of these courses focus on beginners or are very theoretical. This means you’ve already grasped the concepts or are learning some concepts that won’t help you very much in your job. This notwithstanding, it can be hard to do self-paced learning on your own as the incentives are low.
The Rise Of Project-Based Learning
Since project-based learning first emerged, there has been an increase in its use across all levels of education. When it’s coupled with modern multimodal interaction tools, project-based learning considerably influences different learning outcomes. By utilizing PBL, learners can grapple with real-world problems in real-world situations within supported environments while having the opportunity to develop professional skills that are in high demand.
Project-based learning is imperative in the tech space, a sector that calls for professionals with strong critical thinking skills, an understanding of complex systems, and an awareness of the need for life-changing solutions as the industry adapts to evolving situations.
What Has Led To The Increased Demand For Project-Based Learning?
The rise of project-based learning could be attributed to different factors such as;
Improved Learner Experience
Project-based learning yields better experiences for learners than traditional methods when done well. Integrating project-based learning into online training helps learners stay connected and engaged.
Increased Creativity
Project-based learning is mainly learner-directed. It allows free reign over the project’s direction, encouraging learners to explore alternative methods they may not have considered through conventional teaching.
Learner Engagement
Learners tend to have higher levels of engagement when the relevance of what they are studying is immediately apparent. In addition, it challenges learners to self-direct their learning because projects are open-ended, requiring them to critically evaluate multiple solutions and justify their decisions. This involves a higher degree of thinking.
Employability
Complex problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity are necessary skills that employers are looking for in new hires. Project-based learning effectively allows learners to gain these skills and provides a clear example of how to demonstrate them in practice.
Demand Uptick In Software Development Skills
The global developer population is expected to reach over 28 million people by 2024, increasing by 3.2 million since 2020 [1]. Demand for developers is high, as well as for developer-focused products. In another report by Microsoft, by 2025, there will be 149 million new tech-oriented jobs globally in areas such as cybersecurity, privacy and trust, cloud, data analytics, and software development [2]. According to this report, these people will need to be skilled, upskilled, and reskilled. This is where different EdTech platforms have come in to plug the gap.
Youtube For Project-Based Learning
YouTube has emerged as a resourceful educational platform. On Youtube, we have undertaken to plug the skills gap by building a learning ecosystem for future technology areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, game development, data science, cryptocurrencies, and programming. The platform is a decentralized learning ecosystem that teaches professionals and college students how to build real-world products.
Disruptive Model: First Decentralized Learning Network On Youtube
We depart from other EdTech platforms by targeting intermediate tech professionals and college students. We are building a blockchain innovative contract technology on top of the Binance Smart Chain using BEP20 tokenization. LEDU smart contracts are used to incentivize learners.
The platform is the first peer-to-peer learning ecosystem where developers learn how to use tools and services developer-focused companies are offering practically. They learn best practices, tricks, and tips their peers use. It is much like Github on video for developers.
The channel features projects addressing some of the most in-demand skills. It will be expanded by adding more topics in the future to build a decentralized professional development ecosystem that focuses on gaining practical career skills by building real-world products rather than relying on learning theory.
Closing Thoughts
Over the coming years, the need for project-based learning is likely to continue to increase as more players in the EdTech space embrace the concept and realize the benefits of this mode of learning. Preparing learners for the 21st century requires a shift in education towards methods that will equip students with the skills that they need in a rapidly changing workplace. Luckily, there are more tools now than ever before that can enhance project-based learning. One of these is YouTube.
References:
[1] Number of software developers worldwide in 2018 to 2024