[CS] Tess Eschebach MS Presentation/Dec 10, 2025

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This is an announcement of Tess Eschebach's MS Presentation
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Candidate: Tess Eschebach

Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Time: 10 am CST

Location: JCL 298

Title: Playing 'Google Game': How Educational YouTubers Manage Tensions Between Education and Monetization

Abstract: YouTube has become an important part of the educational ecosystem, with millions of viewers seeking informative videos and help with coursework. Educational YouTubers create this content, often balancing pedagogical rigor and entertainment value. However, creators need not only to promote their content to find viewers, but also to monetize. In this study, we explore the tensions educational YouTubers face when
making monetized educational content. We conduct a qualitative interview study with 12 popular educational YouTubers about their monetization strategies, perceptions of YouTube’s algorithmic promotion of their content, and conception of their audience. We find that educational YouTubers are largely driven by a desire to share free high-quality educational content, and that common monetization strategies like sponsorships and clickbait sometimes interfere with this mission. We describe the careful strategies our participants use to maintain educational integrity while making a living on an algorithmically-driven platform. We then use these findings to draw parallels between YouTubers’ challenges with monetizing educational content and the history of educational public broadcast in the United States, which has followed a similar trajectory. In closing, we offer several recommendations for supporting educational YouTubers in creating high-quality, publicly accessible educational content that is appreciated by a worldwide audience.

Advisor: Blase Ur

Committee: Blase Ur, Marc Downie, Allison McDonald, Sarah Sebo