6

Is the creation of youtube content/lectures in your field worth showing off on an Academic CV?

In the most extreme case: if someone who is considering hiring for a teaching position in a university/college is looking at two candidates who are identical in qualifications except for one candidate having a youtube channel which teaches topics in his/her field (with somewhat decent content) would that candidate be considered more "qualified" (in the broadest sense of the word).

Improve this question
5
  • 2
    I've seen it used as part of flipped class rooms (e.g., youtube.com/watch?v=MjGWZZBWRzc) which might be worth showing on a CV. Do you have any more context for your example?
    – Richard Erickson
    Commented Jun 12, 2018 at 21:14
  • If all you’re aiming for is “somewhat decent” content, then I don’t see it improving your CV (unless perhaps your CV is even less than “somewhat decent”, but in that case you’re in pretty big trouble anyway). Why not strive to make excellent content? Certainly if the material is exceptionally good, that would be a point in the content creator’s favor.
    – Dan Romik
    Commented Jun 13, 2018 at 1:03
  • 2
    If it's a teaching position, they will specifically be looking for excellent teachers. So your youtube teaching videos had better knock their socks off. Somewhat decent content would be worse than nothing.
    – user37208
    Commented Jun 13, 2018 at 1:15
  • @DanRomik do you think it can help in the context of beefing up little teaching experience?
    – EconJohn
    Commented Jun 13, 2018 at 3:11
  • 1
    That depends on what you mean by “it”. As I and @user37208 said, if the content is just decent then I don’t see it helping you regardless of how much teaching experience you have, and potentially it can even hurt you.
    – Dan Romik
    Commented Jun 13, 2018 at 3:45

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
7

Universities are usually interested in the degree to which their teachers can gain wide recognition for their teaching, and thereby spread the reputation of their institution. If you are able to publicise your teaching work to a wide audience, this enhances the reputation of the institution you are in, and so the university has an interest in that outcome. Universities like their academics to be in the public-eye, since this adds to brand-recognition of the university, and shows that their academics are influential in the public sphere. Hence, any activity which gains you wider recognition for your teaching or intellectual work is going to be something worth putting on a CV.

A useful case-in-point for the potential career value of academic YouTube videos is the case of Prof Jordan Peterson at the University of Toronto. Peterson was a successful academic in a Canadian university, but was not widely known outside his field until he began producing YouTube videos of his lectures and his general thoughts on social issues. Coupled with him taking on some controversial topics, his use of direct communication to the public created a great deal of interest in his work, which has led to him being widely featured in conferences, interviews, etc. Two years ago I hadn't heard of Peterson; six months ago he was described in the New York Times (albeit second-hand, with agreement) as "the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now". This is an extreme case, and it is also influenced by the social topics that Peterson discusses, but I think it is fair to say that if he had not produced YouTube videos, his work would not have spread as widely. So yes, YouTube videos of your teaching can make a difference.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .