Dubai: Social media should be used as a tool by students and teachers and not as a deliverer of information, said Dr Derek Muller, physicist, filmmaker and TV presenter, at the fourth edition of the World Government Summit.
Discussing the effects of social media on the evolution of the classroom, Miller pointed out that the future of education is “not a virtual reality”.
Known for the YouTube channel Veritasium. Muller has appeared as a television presenter on the Australian television programme Catalyst since 2008.
“Education is not a transfer from point A to point B, education is a social process,” he said.
Starting out as a private tutor, Muller said he now reaches over 250 million people through his YouTube channel. However, while social media facilitates the sharing of knowledge and can be an effective method in the classroom, he emphasised the need for interaction between teachers and students.
“Education works best when there’s a teacher who can be seen as a role model, one who can inspire the students, engage them and work together with them,” he said.
It is then when social media channels can be used by students as a tool to make a larger impact on the world — and not as their main source to receive information, added Miller.
With the speedy evolution of social media, he called on educators to take part in training, and “re-training” in order to remain updated with the latest technologies, which can in turn open up new methods of interaction in the classroom. “Education will not become kids watching YouTube videos,” he said.
