Sorry to disappoint, but the traditional lecture is dead….for the majority of us.  Professors are still highly valuable and they need to impart their knowledge on the world, but they will just be doing it in a more “Facebook” kind of way.  The days of showing up to class and putting stuff on a chalkboard are numbered.  Instead they will be embracing video editing tools and a “Facebook” style platform for education.

We just finished recording our 18th video tonight and for every 30 minutes of video we spend 30 minutes of editing with a very simple tool called ScreenFlow.  It takes the same time as a traditional lecture, but the videos are broken up into three videos each ten minutes long and they are available to the entire world at the student’s convenience.  So how does a professor answer questions?  For each video there are discussion threads where the professor or teaching assistant can address issues.  This is simple, efficient and people can learn when and where they want.

Think of how television or movies relate to a theatrical play.  Technology advanced to the point where it was easier to be entertained by something recorded instead of having physical actors entertain you at a specific theater.  People will still want to pay for live lectures, but learning online can be just as effective and give you TiVo-like control of your schedule.  You choose.