College offers YouTube course
Associated PressThe professor says she set up the class to explore the role of the video-sharing site.
Published September 15, 2007
CLAREMONT, Calif. - Here's a dream come true for Web addicts: college credit for watching YouTube.
Pitzer College this fall began offering what may be the first course about the video-sharing site. About 35 students meet in a classroom but work mostly online, where they view YouTube content and post comments.
Class lessons also are posted and students are encouraged to post videos. One class member, for instance, posted a 1:36-minute video of himself juggling.
Alexandra Juhasz, a media studies professor at the liberal arts college, said she set up the course to explore the role of the popular site.
Class members control most of the class content and YouTube watchers from around the world are encouraged to comment, Juhasz said.
She hopes the course will raise serious issues, such as the role of "corporate-sponsored democratic media expression."