Using YouTube as Learning Tool for Children:
A Case Study of Kuntum Animation YouTube Channel
Siti Aishah Shah Bani1*, Norhisham Mohamad Nordin1,2
1 Faculty of Arts, Computing and Creative Industry, Sultan Idris Education University
2 College of Economic, Management and Information Systems, University of Nizwa, Oman
*Corresponding Author: [email protected]
Accepted: 1 June 2020 | Published: 15 June 2020
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Abstract: The rise of new media platform from the Internet itself opens up many possibilities of integrating technology into the everyday learning experience. Because of the importance and need to apply in new media technology especially during the learning and education segment. This study is focusing to identify the medium of media technology used in learning and education that has a positive impact on children. Nowadays, YouTube is one of the learning media that can be integrated into learning and education levels that are used by parents and teachers as an educational tool for children. This study is also can see how far the YouTube platform can be used as a medium of learning among the children. The results showed that the Kuntum animation video on YouTube can be used as one of the new media learning tools. The findings of this study will assist parents, teachers, and children in identifying the key mediums of the use of media technology to search, discover, master, and expand the knowledge systematically. By using new media technology is extremely important in teaching and learning methods as it can be a catalyst for the sustainable learning process.
Keywords: New Media, YouTube & Learning and education tool
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Introduction
By the age of information and digital technology, the curriculum has to be matched with consumer expectations and desires (Rohani, Ahmad Shaharil & Abda Hamida, 2015). The advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) currently opens up more possibilities and opportunities in exploring the information and skills for students and educators. Also, the emergence of this information technology has led to the widespread use of digital media at school in teaching and learning, particularly for the primary level.
Nowadays, technology itself played a very important role in people’s lives and can be applied in several aspects of life. As an example, today's society tends to use technology in activities and find work information, a complete job even looking for information via the internet. The internet has evolved rapidly, through the internet and new media, everyone can access various information useful for the development of each individual (Abdul Hadi, Lee, Mohan
& Jamilah, 2016).
One of the key innovations that technology has made available is new forms of new media representations, such as animation, multimedia, and virtual reality. Computerized information, as well as digital networks and networking systems, are the concept of new media definition. It is said that this media started in the late 20th century (Troy & Kristen, 2011). New media is defined as digital media with special characteristics such as deceptive,
lightweight, insightful, and biased. New media is the interconnection between demand and content. That connection can be used whenever and wherever we are.
The Internet is a new medium that also benefits the social community. One of the benefits of the internet is that it can help the community especially students find the information they need. The Internet is very important and helpful. This is because the internet is considered a science center. After all, the internet has a lot of information. We only need to go to certain links to get the information we need.
As we know, the education field is growing today compared to the past. What technology can see is increasingly dominating teaching and learning activities. With this new media power, it can create something new in the faith and culture of the community such as high technology products, equipment, gadgets, or communications materials (Sedigheh, Ainin, Noor Ismawati
& Nafisa, 2018). The impact of this new medium facilitates communication between students and teachers or parents and facilitates them to search for reference material through this new medium.
In today's education system we see that, the usage of technologies such as email, WhatsApp, Google, YouTube, educational websites for teachers in order to pass on the information, or inform students something, and others. It was once viewed as a time when humans were difficult to communicate because its communication was limited by the boundaries of time and space (Tan & Carol, 2013). Nowadays, it is no longer a new media product that is lightweight, small and portable, and easy to carry anywhere. As a result, students and educators can easily access information as soon as the internet is available.
The use of technology media among educators and students in teaching and learning is crucial to the country's current educational needs. This phenomenon is seen as having a big impact on education mainly in the public institutions for higher learning, which has made this technology a priority for educators and students alike (Koya, Bhatia, Hsu & Bhatia, 2012).
These days YouTube stage has ended up more requesting, particularly among children. This site gives learners with true circumstances and with ordinary clips that offer assistance to induce a superior understanding of their lessons. Numerous analysts stated that understudies get positive markers when they observe nature and genuine life recordings (Maness, 2004).
Observing video on YouTube will offer assistance understudies to memorize the occasions more effortlessly. As the analysts in this current consider trust to form utilize of YouTube which makes the learning handle not as it were more important, but too with more satisfaction (Alimemaj,2010).
2. Literature Review
The era of globalization challenges and the explosion of ICT technology, educational development has become increasingly important for students and educators to master this information technology in the learning process (Robiah & Nor Sakinah 2007).
There is a range of online media, including videos that enable these elements to be available.
YouTube, TeacherTube, and Vimeo are online video repositories within which videos are made available (DeWitt, Norlidah Alias & Saedah Siraj, 2013). Users are ready to download, view, and share video clips on an in-depth style of content that has film clips, television shows, music, and instructional videos, vlogs or videoblogs, likewise as amateur video.
YouTube becomes social media when the videos are shared and comments and other types of interaction occur on the location.
According to Clifton and Mann (2010), the use of YouTube videos almost guarantee increased student engagement, critical consciousness, and accelerated deep learning. Besides all these positive contributions, there are some constraints in using YouTube in education.
The results confirmed the effectiveness of YouTube videos on students’ learning and highlighted the fact that traditional teaching methods need to be improved. These findings are consistent with those reported in other studies arguing that YouTube videos will simplify the understanding of a topic (DeWitt et al., 2013; June, Yaacob, & Kheng, 2014; Orús, Barlés, Belanche, Casalo, Fraj & Gurrea, 2016) and enhance the teaching experience (June et al., 2014). Alon and Herath (2014) reported a similar finding and argued that students believe that they learn more and are more satisfied with a course integrated with social media.
YouTube is one of the most popular social media technologies and nowadays, the YouTube social site is not only used for personal, commercial video, and so forth but also as a medium of teaching and learning (Tan & Carol 2013). YouTube is also a medium that can be linked to other web site applications such as blogs, wikis, and so forth and indirectly impacts the effectiveness of learning with fast information acquisition (Roodt, Villiers, Johnston, Ophoff,
& Peier, 2014). The existence of electronic media such as YouTube has accelerated the educational technology revolution among students and educators using these applications.
YouTube is not just a form of entertainment such as music or song, cartoon, and movie animation but is one of the scientific elements used to communicate and share information in medicine, business, and education (Tan & Carol, 2013). YouTube can be a powerful educational tool for students and faculty and it depends on how you use it. Youtube channels that provide educational information are very effective in the learning process (Duff, 2008).
The use of YouTube's technology media has the potential to create a more engaging teaching and learning environment and should be seen as an opportunity to diversify the education process by students and educators in improving the quality of national education.
To be able to understand how YouTube can enhance the process of learning, it is important, to begin with, a clear assessment of what YouTube represents. YouTube, a video-sharing website that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips, offers access to new and dynamic opportunities for effective and non-traditional patterns of teaching and learning (Tan
& Carol, 2013). Research by Moghavvemi, Sulaiman, Jaafar. & Kasem (2018), showed that YouTube can be an effective tool that can enhance the learning experience if the video is indeed relevant to the subject at hand. It is recommended that instructors integrate YouTube into their respective courses to benefit from their inherent advantages in the context of learning/teaching.
A study by Huda Omar Alwehaibi (2015) in Saudi Arabia, conducted a study that aims at experimenting with the impact of integrating YouTube technology into English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction on enhancing EFL college students' learning of the content of the course. he study shows positive gains for the experimental group students' outcomes as a result of the integration of video technology in instruction. Thus, it was recommended that YouTube should be considered as an effective instructional tool for enhancing content learning of EFL college students and as an important teaching resource in classrooms.
3. Methodology
Implementation of the survey data is fully involved in the qualitative methods that have been carried out through the interview method to the respondents. Data collection by interview is a
method or technique to get information or data from interviewees or respondents with face to face interviews, between interviewers with the interviewee.
The data was collected on 3 February 2020 at Menara Star, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The interview was carried out by the researcher and each person lasted approximately a two-hour interview session with the Kuntum editors; Mrs. Norlia Jaafar and Mr. Tung Eng Hwa, Producer and Senior Manager of Creative Design Content of Star Media Group Berhad. The type of interview that researchers use is interviews structured i.e. interviews that the interviewer sets himself/herself problems and questions that will be asked. The researcher using this type of interview aims to find the answers according to the objective of this study.
Case Study- Kuntum Animation Channel (Kuntum Star)
Kuntum animation channel on YouTube took a huge role in 2019. After 40 years in the publishing industry, Kuntum as a kids brand tries to a new segment in the digital world by starting their own YouTube channel. Own and published by the one of a big media company in Malaysia, Star Media Group Berhad since February 1980.
Kuntum is known as a children’s educational magazine and was published monthly in Bahasa Malaysia for children age ranges 6 to 12 years old. This magazine’s objective is to help children to expand their knowledge on topics ranging from math and science to robotics and languages. Kuntum was mentioned as the only educational magazine to be endorsed by the Ministry of Education Malaysia. Kuntum magazine has been inspiring young Malaysian minds ever since February 1980. Kuntum wants to be one of the tools and mediums for children to bond with their parents, teachers, and friends through the stories and activities that fill its pages.
Each issue of Kuntum also fills and comes with revision worksheets and handy examination tips. Besides, anyone can be a part of Kuntum to join the Kuntum club for free. Other than that, referring to their motto which is "Learning is Fun", the Kuntum Club organizes will provide various types of fun activities and holiday outings for its members each year.
4. Research Objective
The present study attempted to explore how far the YouTube animation videos platform can be used as a medium of learning and education among young children.
5. Research Findings
For the Kuntum team, the digital transformation change is taking place at a slow pace. This is because the direction at that time- before the year 2014 was largely focused on traditional techniques. However, after the change in the top management of the company with various new strategies and ideas since 2018, now everything is clearer and more positive with the new direction it is set towards new segments in digital platforms especially in marketing.
Starting the Kuntum YouTube channel, the company spends more budget to generate animation videos and using the animation video to promote their messages and created for educational purposes. This is the largest investment made by the company in increasing product variations under the Kuntum brand.
Figure 1: Kuntum Star YouTube Channel
5.1 Benefits of Using YouTube As a Platform For Education
Usage of YouTube videos as a supplementary resource may play an important role after a thorough review of the interviews. The usage of multimedia, like videos, is being beneficial for learning purpose. Multimedia become one of the learning methods rather while teaching or learning is successful for knowledge enhancement and Malaysian prefer YouTube to television (Leng, 2016). Any kind of video can be a strong tool for education and encouragement. Much of its value, however, lies not in the video itself but in how it is used.
The video itself is not a target or an end but a way to achieve learning goals and objectives.
Kuntum animation YouTube channel invites users to enjoy the video and experience engaging in video content as a reviewer and creator, which is an activity that improves student visual literacy, which is a significant skill in electronic culture today. Although the majority of videos on the YouTube channel do not have educational goals. Most educators think that the content in the Kuntum channel is useful especially in a learning task, which helps to attract, improve, and understanding study materials and equipment used to build the video content.
According to Mr. Tung Eng Hwa, Producer and Senior Manager of Creative Design Content for Kuntum Star animation channel state the Kuntum animation video will be a very huge tool for educational and motivational purposes. Participants were very motivated and portray positive vibes with attitude and readiness towards the innovation and integration to the Kuntum Star YouTube channel. Furthermore, all the animation video methods are available almost anytime. If the participant wants to study by individually using this channel, they can simply search and access. They desire to learn and pick it up easily.
This mentions by the Kuntum editor; Mrs. Norlia Jaafar that agreed the Youtube channel can be a new media in the very learning currently needed. Through the Kuntum animation video, all kids can use it to stimulate their minds, feelings, attention, and abilities of studies so that they can motivate and catch up on the learning process. Youtube is a challenge for an educator to be more creative and innovative in presenting such learning material also for Youtube students can provide additional material and processes analysis and in-depth
material understanding of the contents the same material presented on Youtube from various narrators and creators video, finally the process stops at the understanding gained by students, from the process of digestion the material becomes part of belief and morals that must be owned, believed and carried out in everyday life.
To make learning fun and easily understandable, you have to be creative when it comes to learning in the classroom or outside the school. It is more useful when learners get information through enjoyable activities. The use of animated videos has taken root with technical advances. Educators use videos to teach basic but successful sketches. This can be either by a picture of some sort, directing on-screen pupils, or using animation videos to illustrate a subject in the classroom.
In several ways, animation videos have revitalized the learning environment by offering creative strategies for conveying topics and ideas, and these are continually changing.
Initially, it has helped make education more enjoyable, making learning more gratifying and effective. Insights have also grown into using animation to improve learning capacity. In the wake of technological advances, producing a simple but successful animation no longer has to be costly, and you might have noticed that the use of this method has increased in recent years.
The producer's note and comments, all Kuntum Star YouTube animation videos combine within visual meaning with spoken language to improve the skills of learners to appreciate, understand and recognize the moral values, ethical lessons, and other language learning like Kelas Bahasa Mandarin (Mandarin Class) and general knowledge. Good is that in each episode it includes a positive message, such as it encourages all the viewers to be friends with everyone regardless of race and religion.
Figure 2: Kuntum Star Animation Series
5.2 A Vibrant Approach
Animated videos have been used for educating and describing a wide variety of subjects. It is often achieved by creating a memorable story or idea, or by using pictures, sound, audio, and text to explain complex topics. Animations proved especially useful when in fact anything is
not easily shown. Some of the animation's biggest benefits are that it is extremely flexible, scalable, and does not limit creativity.
For most cultures, the education and learning process has been a common activity for most children for the past two hundred years or so. The new media effect through the animation videos demonstrates that the Kuntum Star YouTube channel will shape a new way of naturally gaining information about individual children. As well as improvements to the instructional content, the whole learning system may be reorganized according to new standards and a new way.
Data were taken from the Kuntum Star YouTube account showed that they have 30,408 minutes people watched and 14, 873 views. And good feedback and response from the viewer mentioned that they looking forward to learning new things for the next and upcoming Kuntum Star animation video.
Figure 3: Kuntum Star Youtube data
Figure 4: Viewers comments and response
5.3 Could Be Used As Support Instruments
Animated videos are used in learning to be a subsidiary. It is just an instrument of support. It complements the other learning methods, as it encourages a deeper understanding of a topic.
Representative characters will simplify this in the case of a complex subject, thereby giving the learner a lot of inspiration and satisfaction.
At the end of a topic, a brief and straightforward comic video will make the topic unforgettable. In different subjects, common characters can be used to make learning more interesting.
Animated video is often rarely used as a primary teaching medium, but it is highly useful as a support material to other teaching and learning equipment. It's also helpful to illustrate more boring or complicated subjects or to include a memorable description. The animation will
increase levels of motivation and satisfaction in learning, as long as the previous level of comprehension of the students is considered. For certain topics, it may be important to have sufficient background knowledge to achieve full benefits
You can include a series of short videos to cover a subject or topic, maybe with each one at the end of that part of the course summing up a section. Popular characters in each video will make the learning experience more continuous and provide a secure learning platform. Just one short video can be sufficient to include your class in and inspire an animated idea or story. To order to provide more continuity, the animated characters and images that students are acquainted with can then be passed to other teaching content.
It can pose the lesson in a more practical and detailed way than conventional methods of teaching through the Kuntum Star YouTube animation videos. Besides, kids can access these YouTube as a learning resource which can help them to enhanced understanding both, rather inside and outside school. This also helps teachers and parents in carrying out their duties more efficiently and effectively.
5.4 There Is No Age Restriction
Bearing in mind the feedback from the interview, both respondents agreed that animated videos are appropriate for the kids, those in primary, secondary, and even college. Imaging animation videos that Kuntum produces for the YouTube channel, have no age limitations because it is fun to both young and old alike viewers.
While it does not have age limits, various methods can be used for different age groups.
Even, if the same technique is used, it doesn't have any benefit because it helps us recall what happened and what is going on around us. This can be used in the classroom or for courses online.
Animated videos are also valid to use in the classroom as well as outside of school. In any place, any subject can be learned. Its versatility nowadays makes it more in demand and also making animated videos is less costly. Kuntum animation series are prepared with a non- boring plot and straightforward storyline with a fun element in each episode, it's easy to attract and enjoy by the kids or adult.
Today, children are growing up in challenging in the digital era, which they have to face a rapidly changing in digital technology that is different from their parents and grandparents.
There are many innovations rather in our homes, workplaces, schools, or even all around us.
Media and technology will be useful and helpful in learning or educational process if using it wisely. Enjoyable and interactive shared interactions that maximize the learning and growth potential for children will improve relationships between children and both adults and their peers.
Regarding the digital era, there are offers guidance in the usage of technology. The animation video is an interactive media for early childhood educators and parents in order to maximize and build cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and linguistic growth in young children.
6. Conclusion
The advent of new media has transformed the world, especially in the technology sector. The rapid developments in ICT have intensified the usage in technology to education to assist educators and students develop additional efficient learning and teaching processes. In the
modern era, using digital media is very important because it improves the nation's education and builds educated human resources.
The rapid developments in ICT have intensified the use of technology in education in order to help educators and students develop additional efficient methods in teaching and learning processes. Nowadays, technology media is very important, to enhances the education of the nation and generates informed individual resources. Therefore, using technology in education must apply in the sense of education to improve current processes and strategies for a more organized and effective learning and teaching process. Thus, educators and students strongly promote to use technology in the area of education in an attempt to facilitate and further improve the comprehension of the lessons provided by the students.
Potential research into the efficient use of YouTube videos in teaching and learning is important, specifically to examine the attitudes of learners towards using YouTube and the negative issues that learners may have when learning new languages using YouTube or their experiences with using YouTube videos. Such studies will help researchers improve the learning and teaching use of the YouTube platform and animation videos.
Reference
Abdul Hadi Mat Dawi, Lee Siong Theam, Mohan Palaniandy & Jamilah Dolah. (2016).
Penerimaan alat web 2.0 dalam pelaksanaan kurikulum program berasaskan pembelajaran abad ke-21 di Institut Pendidikan Guru. Jurnal Penyelidikan Dedikasi Jilid 10.
Alon, I., & Herath, R. K. (2014). Teaching international business via social media projects.
Journal of Teaching in International Business, 25, 44–59.
Alwehaibi, Huda Omar. (2015). The impact of using youtube in EFL classroom on enhancing EFL students' content learning. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, Volume 12, 121-126.
Clifton, Andrew & Mann, Claire. (2010). Can YouTube enhance student nurse learning?.Nurse Education Today, 31, 311-310.
DeWitt, D., Alias, N., Siraj, S., Yaakub, M. Y., Ayob, J., & Ishak, R. (2013). The potential of Youtube for teaching and learning in the performing arts. Procedia-social and.
Behavioral Sciences, 103, 1118–1126.
Duff, P. (2008). Engaging the Youtube Google – eyed generation: strategies for using web 2.0 in teaching and learning. The Electronic Journal of e – Learning 6 (2), 119 – 130.
June, S., Yaacob, A., & Kheng, Y. K. (2014). Assessing the use of YouTube videos and interactive activities as a critical thinking stimulator for tertiary students: Anaction research. International Education Studies, 7, 56.
Koya, K. D., Bhatia, K. R., Hsu, J. T. S., & Bhatia, A. C.(2012). Youtube and the expanding role of videos in dermatologic surgery education. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 31, 163-167.
Leng, L. K. (2016). Malaysians prefer YouTube over TV. Malaysia: The Star.
Norlidah Alias, Dorothy DeWitt & Saedah Siraj. (2013). Evaluation on the usability of physics module in a secondary school in malaysia: students' retrospective. The Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 1(1), 44- 53.
Orús, C., Barlés, M. J., Belanche, D., Casalo, L., Fraj, E., & Gurrea, R. (2016). The effects of learner-generated videos for YouTube on learning outcomes and satisfaction.
Computers & Education, 95, 254–269.
Robiah Sidin & Nor Sakinah Mohamad, (2007). ICT dalam pendidikan: Prospek dan cabaran dalam pembaharuan pedagogi. Jurnal Pendidikan Malaysia, 32, 139-152.
Rohani M.M Yusoff, Ahmad Shaharil Jamaludin & Abda Hamida D.Abdul Hameed. (2015).
Tahap kesediaan pelajar dalam penggunaan teknologi, pedagogi, dan kandungan (TPACK) dalam pembelajaran kurikulum di IPT. Proceeding of the 3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science (AICS2015), 12 - 13 October 2015, Penang, Malaysia.
Roodt, S., de Villiers, C., Johnston, K., Ophoff, J., & Peier, D. (2014). YouTube as an academic tool for ICT lecturers. Proceedings of the e-Skills for Knowledge Production and Innovation Conference 2014, Cape Town, South Africa, 389-399.
Sedigheh Moghavvemi, Ainin Sulaiman, Noor Ismawati Jaafar & Nafisa Kasem. (2018).
Social media as a complementary learning tool for teaching and learning: The case of YouTube. The International Journal of Management Education. Volume 16, Issue 1, 37- 42.
Snelson, C., Rice, K., & Wyzard, C., (2012). Research priorities for YouTube and video- sharing technologies: A delphi study. British Journal of Education Technology, 43, 119-129.
Tan Choon Keong & Carol Abu. (2013). Pengaplikasian video YouTube: Bahan bantu mengajar (BBM) dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran mata pelajaran sains sosial. Seminar Pendidikan Sejarah dan Geografi 2013 (UMS, 29 – 30 Ogos 2013).
Troy, J., & Kristen, C. (2011). Youtube: Educational potential and pitfalls. Computers in the school, 28, 75-85.
