YouTube Group Assignment

50 Points: Group presentation on Wednesday, March 7

50 Points: One- to two-page reflection and evaluation due via e-mail before Monday, March 12.

This assignment is designed for us as a class to answer two questions. First, what is the state of the field of YouTube? Second, how is YouTube affecting perceptions of race in the US?

During the week of March 5 you will work with about four of your classmates to prepare a 10 to 15-minute presentation about a YouTube channel of your choice that is pertinent to issues that we have raised in this class. Your group will do the presentation for the whole class Wednesday, March 7.

Here are the steps for completing this assignment:

  1. Form a group of about five.
  2. Watch a sample of videos over the weekend between February 29 and March 5 so that you can decide which channel and which videos to focus on.
  3. Meet on Monday, March 5 in class. During this meeting you should decide as a group on the channel and videos you will focus on, and you should also decide on your role in the group.
  4. Post something to the blog (for example, what you find interesting about the channel your group has selected).
  5. Do the presentation on Wednesday, March 7.
  6. E-mail me a reflection before Monday, March 12. Be sure to highlight your contributions and what kind of leadership role you took upon yourself.

Here is a list of topics you might discuss:

  • Aesthetics. Why did the person or people who produced the video make the decisions that they did? Did their choices work? Example: Personas. For whom do these choices work?
  • Background of the person or people who produced the video. You might try to contact them.
  • The parts of the page aside from the video. For instance, YouTube statistics, recommendations, ads, and comments.
  • Comparable videos and channels. Genres.

To discuss these topics you should select a sample (one or a few) of the videos to screen for the class, and then situate the videos within the video-makers' work and within broader fields (such as genre and the medium of YouTube itself).

Here are some suggestions for channels:

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