YouTube U
At a recent Liberty Fund Socratic Seminar on “Education and Liberty in the Digital Age,” the conferees considered whether the Internet cum computer constitute “disruptive technology” that will subvert and fundamentally change today’s crumbling educational monolith. We paid particular attention to online education, innovative for-profit programs, and the educational potential of videos on YouTube. We watched the rap video “Fear the Boom and Bust” (better known as “Keynes vs. Hayek”) which has racked up over 2,000,000 views and 1100 comments plus its sequel, “The Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Round Two.”
Can you really educate or stimulate serious interest in economics with a music video? I was dubious. From 1984 to 1994, I wrote a column for Media and Methods analyzing music videos for their use in education (Joan Logue’s dream-like video for Paul Simon’s “Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War,” John Mellencamp’s “Authority Song,” Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms”). Back then, the teacher popping in a rare videocassette of a music video was cool, hip, and sexy.
Eventually, however, I decided that in fact there was no educational value in music videos. At one time, showing INXS’s “Devil Inside” to spice up a “Young Goodman Brown” discussion stimulated students but by 1994, videoland was where students already spent most of their time; no buzz. So the Keynes vs. Hayek vids looked stale and artifactual to me.
However, since YouTube arrived in 2005, maybe lower production costs and vast accessibility have revived music video with a disruptive potential. Just last week, The New Republic editor Jonathan (“I hate George W. Bush”) Chait penned a sniffy refutation of “Fear the Boom and Bust.” Yes, a completely straight-faced fisking of . . . a rap music video.
Yo, J-Chay, it’s two old econ dudes acting like gangsta rappers. Laffs, namean? Your sermon to the TNR choir disses the vid but thanks for driving more page views!
So maybe Chait should fear the educative possibilities of YouTube, even if Neil Postman was right that electronic media turn everything into entertainment. Perhaps right now millions of entertained fanboys are reversing their course down the road to serfdom having been schooled up by “Hayek’s” rap
The question I ponder is who plans for whom?
Do I plan for myself or leave it to you?
I want plans by the many, not by the few.”
Mos def.
Ironically, the videos demonstrate far deeper understanding of the material (in context) than Chait …
I defy you to identify 1 professor out a 100,000 that understands this debate as well as someone who’s figured out the lyrics — and perhaps read an article or two linked directly from the video at econstories.tv
Haha, you don’t have to defy me, Greg. I don’t think one professor out of 1,000, maybe 100, could identify Hayek at all. He’s pretty much invisible in academia, don’t you think? That’s part of the joke–a book of Keynes in the drawer where the Gideon Bible goes. How do students think about something else if they are never exposed to . . . something else? I was jazzed about music video for education in 1984, then tired of music video in 1994, but now I’m thinking that if people like Chait are stung by a music video, maybe something’s happening here. Thanks for reading!
as an high school economics teacher – showed this to my rather drowsy seniors after finishing the exciting world of (keynesian) monetary policy….
it is infomative, and silly, and informative…..and actually quite subtle in the points it makes (keynes everyone knows….hayek, is who ?)… actually got a few seniors to start reading the road to serfdom and fatal conceit….so maybe it isn’t so useless after all…..
Exactly, Nick. Well done, tip of the educational hat.
Sal Khan’s work is disruptive. Especially if the community around him builds and promotes an alternate credentialing mechanism that uses student and coaches’ history (and perhaps a bond jointly funded by student, propespective employers and testing community) to testify to the candidate’s merits, skills and attitude.
See: http://www.khanacademy.org
For a quick introduction watch the videos (1) GEL conference, (2) MIT Club, (3) Vision and social value..
I’m reserving judgment on Khan, Ari. My students find his math and science videos a very useful supplement, but I have watched his history treatments and find them shallow.
As you say, there would need to be a way around credentialing and accreditation, the white cells of the current educational immune system Let’s hope.
Thanks for commenting!
I showed the videos to my kids, aged 13 and 17 – they liked them and it prompted a very unexpected discussion about economics, personal freedom and the role of government in the choices we make.
Damn it, Dave, I thought it was Keynes vs. SALMA Hayek. Watched both videos and she never showed up.
If these guys really want to sell a Hayek victory, they should see if she’s available to play the part in Round Three.
This might be ann odd observation but doesn’t the guy in the picture look like Christian Bale?!