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We may all have had instances while studying when we feel not so happy because the course content is not making sense. Think about the time when we are trying to understand an important concept in mathematics and there is no help but the plain old text book. We see a myriad of benefits that the internet has brought allowing any user with a decent internet connection anywhere in the world, to enjoy, entertain and learn through online videos. This edutainment which is self-paced and combined with so much choice is transforming learning. YouTube and other video sharing websites have virtually empowered learners with vital tools that are for many more interesting (including me) than text-based medium.

I still remember the time when I was preparing and trying to understand the concepts in an advanced statistics course when I came across a video on YouTube that just made my day. I was sure I had hit a jackpot. Not only did the video enable me to understand the concept well but also got m e interested into a subject that I clicked on by chance. Although, I initially had difficulty in sorting out and choosing videos that I felt were of good quality. Nevertheless, it became obvious that if the right keywords are searched, one can find what is needed. It is still advised to view videos for learning with a pinch of salt since there is so much available on the web that anyone with simple video authoring tools can produce.

Today I received an email from an amazing mentor and teacher in my Ph.D. program, Dr. Patrick Dickson who shared with me a fabulous and informative link about an individual, Salman Khan who sarted the Khan Academy. You can hear more about his excellent initiative that has benefited thousands around the globe from an interview on NPR All Things Considered . Salman is running the Khan Academy which is a “not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere”. It has already become quite popular and has earned accolade for providing quality videos for learning without any charge.

What is worth noting here is how quality lectures are available online free of charge for anyone who is interested in learning and that too globally.  A simple search on YouTube would reveal how much content is available that can benefit learners. The above mentioned link is truly a treasure cove for those trying to understand basic and advanced concepts ranging from Algebra to Physics and Chemistry.

So what are you waiting for, go ahead and take benefit of freely available resources online and (if you are a student) do what students are supposed to do!