Students watching videos will not supplant higher ed classrooms. For supplementary purposes or augmentation informative videos might be a good resource, but nothing will replace collaboration, student interaction, tutoring, and individual instruction.
There is no research that indicates the Khan video format (youtube) increases retention of content, either.
Some professors are geniuses at communicating their subject matter and some are dolts.
Video tape, VCR, Youtube...that is the medium for communication geniuses. The best excel and the worst die a painful death!
Condolences for your faves!
“There is no research that indicates the Khan video format (youtube) increases retention of content, either. “
I’ve actually tried his k-12 math program (http://www.khanacademy.org/exercisedashboard) just to see what the fuss was all about. At least there is some interaction to this part of the academy but even this is not so great.
I am an engineer, and I honestly believe that I taught myself everything. The people who wrote the books are the ones who gave me an education, and I am forever grateful for all those authors. The classroom in college (high school was helpful) did nothing for me.
My model on education is that almost all meaningful education (especially in math) is self taught and comes from within. Khan academy scores well in the paradigm of mine.
Note: Some things, such as medical doctors, obviously require good teaching to do correctly. However, most math, physics, and engineering is not really taught by outside tutors. It comes from internal drive and good material, at least in my experience.