YouTube launched a separate player without ads and recommendations – purely for educational projects
YouTube unveiled several new features for creators and organizations that use the platform to distribute educational content. Among them is a built-in player for educational projects, the key feature of which is the complete absence of any advertising, as well as external links and recommendations that can distract attention from learning.
Algorithms responsible for YouTube recommendations are a separate painful topic, especially for Ukrainians. They work, to put it mildly, not well — and from time to time there are various curiosities and scandals due to ineffective policies in terms of combating destructive content and disinformation. Yes, YouTube’s developers are putting a lot of effort into improving recommendations, but currently, the algorithms fall short very often.
Back to the news, YouTube’s dedicated ad- and recommendation-free player will first be available to select partners, including education technology companies. The official blog mentions EDpuzzle, Google Classroom, Purdue University, and Purdue Global.
YouTube launched a separate player without ads and recommendations – purely for educational projects
YouTube also announced new monetization tools for creators who create educational content on the platform. Starting next year, individual authors will be able to create free or paid ‘courses’ with playlists. If a viewer purchases the course, they will be able to watch content without ads and play videos in the background. Initially, in the beta version, such video courses will appear in the United States and South Korea.
Another new feature is the quiz feature, which will be part of the Community tab of the educational content channel. Its beta testing will begin in the coming months, and the feature is slated to launch in 2023.
Over the past few years, YouTube has launched a number of initiatives and features within the development of the educational component of the platform, such as Learning Playlists and a $20 million fund for creators who create educational videos and playlists without recommendations on topics such as math, science and music.
