TikTok: A New Educational Tool with an Underestimated Potential
Published 29 March 2024 at 13:42
Tickikids Blog Abu Dhabi > TikTok: A New Educational Tool with an Underestimated Potential
TikTok is arguably one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, especially among children aged 4-18. According to the studies, nowadays kids spend more time watching videos on TikTok than on YouTube - an hour and a half vs. 57 minutes! And, what is more important for us, parents, TikTok is steadily becoming a useful educational tool as it is gradually being filled with educational content. A survey of 1,000 American students showed that they used TikTok to complete their homework and pointed out in which areas they found the content helpful. So, it is safe to say that TikTok today is a new educational trend!
What makes TikTok a great educational tool?
Visual Learning
Content creators here use animations, diagrams, and other visual aids to explain concepts, making them easier for kids to understand and remember.
Community of learners
TikTok offers interactive features like duets and stitching, which allow users to engage with and respond to other users' content. Educational creators often use these features to create interactive quizzes, challenges, and experiments, making learning a more active and engaging experience. So, kids can interact with other learners who are also interested in learning similar topics. This motivates kids to engage with the educational content and it makes the whole process more enjoyable and social.
Accessible Learning
Everyone with an internet connection can access the platform and it is free. Thus, kids from all backgrounds can access educational content regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Cultural Exposure
It is a global platform where children can find out more about different languages, cultures, and perspectives.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Where to search for high-quality educational content on TikTok?
In 2020, TikTok launched the hashtag #LearnOnTikTok, which has more than 826 billion views already, and through this hashtag, it is possible to find thousands of great educational accounts.
There, teachers share entertaining mini-lessons, zoologists educate followers about various animals, and masters of their craft show how they create their masterpieces.
Here are some great educational TikTok accounts for kids and parents to enjoy together!
Science
This account with more than 176,000 followers focuses on physics and The Physics Girl knows how to explain complex concepts in simple terms.
This elementary school science teacher broadcasts to a 1 million audience some fun and easy science experiment how-to videos for children and their parents. And, she often participates in viral TikTok dance challenges with her students and colleagues!
Here you can learn everything and even more about space exploration with Alyssa Carson, an astronaut who is known to be the first person to attend all three of NASA’s international space camps.
Hank Green is always ready to educate his audience of 7.4 million followers on the details of various scientific discoveries and research on various topics from AI to aliens.
Image Credit: Discovery Channel
Wildlife
Meet the official TikTok account of The Discovery Channel with all the wonders of the natural world. In addition to the wildlife-themed videos we love Discovery for, there are plenty more videos on how things are made and so on.
Every week, this account posts information about a new bird with photos and facts about their habitats and characteristics. The author of the channel is a third-grade teacher passionate about birds and here kids can learn a lot about them.
History
The History Channel's short videos cover various themes from Blackbeard’s background to famous French artists, the historical context of today’s celebrations and events.
Baking
This channel mixes science with baking and a dash of creativity - and over a million people admire it! Benjamin The Baker shares tips on how to boost your baking skills and achieve the best results, from the ideal temperature for the cake’s ingredients to how long you have to mix your icing.
Another great example of the combination of science and baking. Do you know why bananas turn brown or how to make an ice cream without an ice cream maker? Delve deep in the depth of kitchen science with food scientist Brittany Towers!
As educators and learners continue to explore the platform's capabilities, it is evident that TikTok has the power to revolutionize the way we engage with educational content. We'll be adding to this list of our favorite accounts and you too can tell our blog readers which accounts you find useful!