Principal Investigator Elizabeth Y Choe
Co-investigators Chad Galts , Vijay Kumar
Project Website http://k12videos.mit.edu/
MIT launched an initiative encouraging its students to produce short videos teaching basic concepts in science and engineering. The videos -- aimed at younger students, in grades from kindergarten through high school -- will be accessible through a dedicated MIT website and YouTube channel. A subset of the videos will also be available on Khan Academy, a popular not-for-profit educational site founded by an MIT alumnus.
Professor Waitz conceived of the initiative -- known as MIT+K12 -- to help address growing challenges in primary and secondary education in the United States, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. A 2010 survey of American teenagers showed that only 5 percent view engineers as significant contributors to society. Moreover, the National Academy of Engineering reports that less than 5 percent of all university degrees awarded in the United States are in engineering, compared to 21 percent in Asia and 12 percent in Europe.
Under MIT+K12, MIT students produce videos that are five to 10 minutes long on topics of their choosing; they can also develop video concepts requested by teachers, K-12 students and other users. In the three dozen MIT+K12 videos posted so far, students have focused on topics ranging from flying robots to basic chemistry to Earth’s rotation.
MIT+K12 also offers opportunities for K-12 students and teachers to communicate with the MIT students making the videos, and vice versa.