Using Youtube © in the Classroom for the Net Generation of Students

The Net Generation, being the generation born after 1982, are so called as their arrival coincided with the emergence of digital technology such as the internet and PCs. Research suggests that this generation of individuals have different styles of learning due to their comfort with and use of digital technology. Thus, educating and engaging the Net Generation has become a challenge faced by higher education institutions. Various suggestions have been made in order to educate and engage the Net Generation. One of these suggestions has been the use of Web 2.0 elements, such as YouTube, blogs and wikis inside and outside the classroom. This research paper investi-gates the use of YouTube in the classroom for the engagement of Net Generation students for a 2nd year under-graduate course at the University of Cape Town. In the past, a lack of interest in the course has led to students being disengaged. This research paper aimed to identify whether the use of YouTube in the classroom had an effect on the engagement of Net Generation students. Furthermore, this research paper aimed to determine how YouTube was used in the classroom and how the students felt about the use of YouTube in the classroom