

Ask YC: Self Teach Videos - brentr

I'm going back to college to pursue undergraduate degrees in mathematics and computer science. I have been thinking about ways to alleviate my costs as I am currently relying solely on student loans and help for my father. The following is what I have come up with, and I am seeking the opinions of this community.<p>I have noticed that while there is some quality instructional videos on YouTube and places like MIT's website, I still think there is a lack of good quality educational videos. I would like to create a series of lecture videos with a textbook or two written by me and create a means of donating money to offset some of my expenses. In addition to that, if I have any money left over I would create a scholarship for math and computer science studies at Bowling Green State University. Do you think this is a viable plan? Could something like this be turned into a non-profit where more than just math and computer science lectures are posted?
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kyro
I really like the idea of self teaching educational videos. If anything, you'd
be making a great contribution to society for those who can't seem to get an
education for financial, etc. reasons.

It's a viable but very work intensive plan. Writing your own textbook seems
like a pretty big bottleneck. In my opinion, don't waste your time writing
your own textbook at first, just go straight off of an existing textbook to
make your videos. Math, science, bio is math, science, bio. I don't think
you'd run into any trouble unless you start copying unique problem strategies.
As far as a means of donation, I think a project like this would be so highly
praised that many humanitarian/university/etc. organizations would be more
than willing to help fund you.

As for covering your costs, you could create your own textbooks, but not the
usual type. I'd really like textbooks that are more concise and cut the crap.
Just give me the damn formulas, how they work, and why we use them. Then a
section of practice problems. I don't want to read about how neat it is to
graph a 3d image of the shape of a cowbell using trig functions. If you could
make that type of textbook, I'd buy it. Also, you always could create white
label versions of your product and sell them to institutions and universities
for the hosting of their own videos/podcasts for their student body.

It's an ambitious but awesome plan.

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brentr
I thought the exact same thing you thought about the textbook, and I thought I
would do it sort of like a professor does--start out with a set of notes that
evolve into a textbook over time.

I agree with the "cut the crap" out of textbooks. I think modern textbooks
spend a lot of pages showing fluff. When I look at historical books, like
Hardy's A Course on Pure Mathematics, I am amazed at how concise yet rigorous
they are compared with today's textbooks.

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me2i81
Schaum's Outlines are usually a good source of cheap (~$15) "cut the crap"
textbook alternatives. Brief explanations, then many worked problems, then
more problems with answers elsewhere.

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brentr
I'm not so sure Schaum's is that great. I want to "cut the crap" but replace
it with a deeper study of whatever the student is studying.

I really dislike when a mathematics textbook states something like "The proof
is too complicated and therefore not included." Let me be the judge of that.
At least indicate where I may find a proof of a theorem if it's not included
in the text.

I also believe that logic and proofs should be taught much earlier in the
curriculum than at present, and I don't consider the simple geometric proofs
learned in high school to be a firm basis on which to start. Under my plan,
something like Rudin should be what is taught as a last math class in high
school. Some may say that is too ambitious. I don't think so.

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ph0rque
That's what I am trying to do with my web app (www.ezlearnz.com), although I'm
not limiting the site to instructional videos, but also text, images, and
interactive widgets.

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michael_dorfman
Let me get this straight: you are about to start as an undergrad, and you are
thinking about writing textbooks?

Holy hubris, Batman!

