Hank Green and his brother John, author of Bad luck and other young adult novels, they have posted many hours of educational content on their sites vlogbrothers YouTube channel, which has more than 3.5 million subscribers. Now they’re expanding their mission: Yesterday, the Green Brothers announced a new initiative, Classroomswhich allows users to earn college credit, at a very reasonable price, by taking classes on YouTube.
Study Hall is a partnership between Crash Course, a YouTube-based educational channel produced by Complexly, a company created by the Greens; Arizona State University; and YouTube. The video program guides users through key questions, such as whether college is right for them, and if it is, helps them learn what they can major in and how they can enter the world of work next.
Most importantly, Study Hall allows users to take online courses to earn accredited college credits through ASU. This means that these credits can be counted toward a degree at ASU, or the hundreds of other colleges that recognize ASU-developed programs.
“We looked a lot at what we’re doing on Crash Course and felt really good about it,” Hank Green told BuzzFeed News. “We intentionally said, ‘We make the content, and that’s what we do.’ But the idea presents itself when creating high-quality educational materials. You start to have those ideas about giving people credentials.”
The project began over three years ago, at an educational event for creators where YouTube Complexly and ASU linked up. The idea came about when the Crash Course team realized that 43 million Americans have some form of student debt, It totaled $1.75 trillion. Of those 43 million people, 40% do not have a degree, because they never graduated. Some may realize part way through their studies that a university education is not for them; For others, life simply gets in the way.
“We decided to look at what were the hardest parts for students, and one of them was the cost barrier and the bureaucratic barrier to higher education,” said Hank Green. He noted that almost anyone can take the courses, including high school students.
Viewers can watch educational videos at Study Hall YouTube channel Free. Then, if they want college credit, they can go to the Study Hall website and purchase access to the entire class, where they will be given coursework and get feedback from faculty. The initial cost of the program is $25, which earns one access to faculty and assessments.
Once someone completes the assessments and gets the grade they want, they can pay $400 toward college credit. Users can choose not to take the credit, which means they only spent $25.
“Fear is a huge roadblock,” Green said. “Getting a little skin in the game is fine with $25, but not how much anyone would think is a lot for a college course. But lowering that initial barrier of paying $1,200 for a course I might fail is important.” Doing four courses and earning at least a B in each entitles the learner to enroll in an official ASU campus or online program.
Green said he appreciates the fact that ASU does not manipulate college ranking systems in the United States by seeking a low acceptance rate. “A long time ago, they turned that on its head and said, ‘We’re going to judge our school not by who we exclude but by how many people we actually help.’” “This philosophy is really inspiring to me, and it is one of the reasons I was excited to work with them.” Such collaborations are rare, said Green, adding, “I am very precious to my two children.”