How YouTube Courses Can Help You Learn New Technical Skills

If you’re a software developer or you hold roles in the technical realm, YouTube has likely played a significant role in your journey. With its vast repository of learning resources, YouTube stands as a virtual academy in its own right. Expanding upon this, the platform has taken a strategic step by unveiling a dedicated “courses” section.

During the previous year, at the Google for India event, YouTube made a pivotal announcement regarding the introduction of structured learning. Now, after a period of beta testing, this initiative has come to fruition. In this article, we will delve into comprehensive insights about the novel YouTube Courses feature.

Distinct from conventional learning content organized within playlists, “Courses” marks one of YouTube’s recent offerings. It empowers learners to immerse themselves in subjects of their choice, all the while fostering connections with fellow learners.

This approach sets itself apart from the traditional framework of organized learning videos confined to playlists. Creators can instead curate their instructional content into cohesive series, subsequently assembling them into a comprehensive course structure – reminiscent of the paradigm adopted by platforms like LinkedIn Learning.

YouTube Courses hold the potential to enhance comprehension, facilitating a more structured approach to exploring subjects while supplementing content with supplementary reading materials. This inclusive approach entails creators integrating reading materials alongside interactive elements like quizzes and assignments – akin to a conventional online learning environment.

As a learner, you reap the benefits of flexibility. You can seamlessly transition between video courses tailored to your preferred language, while also gaining access to automated captions or subtitles. Moreover, the platform encourages active engagement, enabling you to pose questions and establish connections with both creators and fellow learners. This contrasts with the experience of sifting through a multitude of comparable content scattered across the platform, providing you with a distinctly organized and refined learning journey.

How Does it Work for Learners?

This new feature brings a range of options for learners. You can opt for a free course, explore paid courses, and even initiate a refund under specific circumstances. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what you should be aware of:

Course Accessibility: Courses will be easily accessible across various sections, including your home feed, “watch next,” creator playlists, and search results.
Age Requirement: To purchase a course, you need to meet the age requirement of being at least 18 years old.
Purchase Platforms: Course purchases can only be made from a computer or an Android device.
Cross-Device Viewing: Once you’ve acquired a course, you can enjoy it on any device of your choice.
Additional Resources: If a course is supplemented with extra resources, such as documents or materials, you can exclusively download them via a computer.
Ad-Free Experience: For courses that come with a one-time fee, you’ll have the privilege of an ad-free viewing experience.
Free Course Availability: A variety of free courses will be at your disposal, allowing you to expand your knowledge without any financial commitment.
Refund Eligibility: In the rare scenario that a purchased course fails to function as expected and you haven’t accessed its content, you have the prerogative to request a refund within 7 days.

What Creators Can Expect from YouTube Courses

Creators find a real appeal in YouTube for a simple reason: they can always explore monetization opportunities, and the same holds here. YouTube Courses presents a platform that’s tailor-made for creators to share their educational material, establish a community of learners, and gain revenue from their content.

In this scenario, putting more thought and effort into content creation becomes pivotal. Creators are now in a position to provide comprehensive vocational and academic courses for a fee. Therefore, if you’re already equipped with an audience, the time is ripe to curate a well-structured curriculum for learning. This strategic move enables you to market and sell your courses effectively, positioning yourself as an authoritative figure in your respective field.

The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t necessitate an instant shift towards paid courses. Since a majority of users tend to kick off their learning journey with free courses before committing to a financial investment, there’s still potential to generate revenue through views alone.

Leveraging the comments section as a central hub for course evaluations and embracing the community section for interactive elements like polls and discussions can organically enhance your audience engagement. This dual-pronged strategy also serves as a valuable tool to pinpoint areas for enhancement while cultivating fresh content concepts.

How Can I Access the YouTube Courses in Beta now?

Regrettably, the beta version of the platform has yet to reach a global presence. Presently, access to the Beta is granted to a select group of proficient creators in India, South Korea, and the United States. However, the timeline for its availability to creators in Africa remains undisclosed.

Nonetheless, this circumstance offers a silver lining. The extended timeline allows ample opportunity to embark on the journey of constructing your courses, cultivating your brand, and nurturing the audience that will eventually transition into devoted students under your guidance. As a creator, this is a phase rich with potential and a chance to lay strong foundations.

How to take a course on YouTube

Courses represent an innovative avenue for content creators to offer comprehensive, multi-lesson educational programs on the YouTube platform. This unique feature empowers viewers to engage with creators through well-structured learning experiences, fostering interaction with fellow learners.

You can easily locate Courses throughout your YouTube experience:

On your Home feed
In your Watch Next suggestions
Among your search results
Within playlists curated by participating creators

For select Courses, creators may request a single payment, enabling seamless access to the Course content without interruptions from advertisements. Alternatively, some Courses are provided at no cost to users. In such cases, ad content might still be present.

It’s important to note that a substantial portion of the revenue generated from Courses is directed to the creators who are actively involved in delivering these educational experiences.

How to buy a course on YouTube

If you’re interested in purchasing a Course, make sure you’re at least 18 years old and have access to a computer or an Android device. Once you’ve successfully purchased a Course, you’ll have the flexibility to watch it on any device where YouTube is accessible.

Some Creators might even provide additional files that you can download along with the Course. While some of these files can be downloaded only on computers, you can still preview them on other devices.

To make a purchase for a Course:

Open the Course using a computer or Android device.
Choose the “Buy Course” option.
Click on “Next.”
Simply follow the on-screen instructions to input your payment details and complete the Course purchase.

How to Request a Refund for a YouTube Course

In the event that videos or features associated with the Course you’ve acquired aren’t functioning as intended, there is a possibility that you could qualify for a refund.

If you have not yet accessed or viewed the Course, you have the option to initiate a refund request within 7 business days from the time of purchase. If your refund request has been approved, YouTube will promptly reimburse you and withdraw your access to the Course.

To proceed with requesting a refund for a purchased Course:

Click on your profile picture.
Navigate to Purchases and Memberships.
Locate the relevant Course, then click on More and subsequently select “Problem with purchase?”
Follow the prompts on the screen to complete your refund request.