Earlier this week there was another relatively quiet announcement from Google that I am really excited about. Google has just officially launched Google Helpouts, a site that allows users to get  video help from experts (or those who can pass for such) in real time. This is a paid service, and it’s something that I’ve been envisioning and hoping for for years. I believe this will be another important online tool for democratization and marketization of online education. For students this will mean that they will be able to get online help in any subject that they need, probably instantly (at least in the long run). For teachers and other experts this will open up the vast possibilities of selling and marketing their teaching expertise far beyond the confines of the traditional educational institutions. I know many great teachers and instructors who have been overlooked in the current higher educational marketplace who can potentially become teaching superstars, just given the opportunity. I also have several friends who are excellent private instructors who could really benefit form this service.

So far most of those who want to give their own online helpouts will have to wait. The service is invitation-only, and even though you can request and invitation from the site itself, there is no telling if and when you will get one. I had signed up for one of those a couple of days ago, and hope to start giving private one-on-one Physics instructions in the near future. Stay tuned for the update.