Hacker News Reader

Comment by throwaway81523 | Hacker News Reader

Is this a video version of stack exchange, where you pay to get your questions answered on video?

Anyway I've given and received actual tutoring and imho it just can't be done on video. E.g. in a real session, the tutor might give you a problem to solve (pen and paper) while they sit next to you. You start working on it and when you hesitate somewhere, or if your approach to the solution starts going wrong, the tutor immediately notices what is happening and gives you some guidance.

I suppose this video product could be of some use to some people but I can't imagine it being like tutoring.

View on HN

Yes, the teaching process is often a two-way and long conversation.

Stack Exchange works in the case where the questioner already has enough mastery over the material to ask a well-posed question. But many students don't even have the mastery and they never get around to asking questions on SE, and if they do, that question is quickly closed. So you never see those students online at all. Maybe on more niche forums where there is more back and forth.

As a former physics prof, the students most in need of help are precisely the ones who can't ask questions. In that case, someone has to sit with them and with a back-and-forth figure out what they don't now. Then teach them that.

So I agree with you. This is a product mainly for above average students trying to understand a bit more. No problem with that. You can choose your customer. But I want to highlight that any sort of teaching methodology (edtech or meattech) will serve some students at the expense of others.

Yes you guys are right. This "video-based Stack Exchange format" will have clear disadvantages. You can't observe the non-verbal queues in-person for example that helps you discover the root of their misunderstandings etc.

>Any sort of teaching methodology will serve some students at the expense of others Yes, I admit this isn't helpful to all types of students, though I wish it can at least be helpful to an initial set of students

Reply on news.ycombinator.com