Educational Video Channel Analyzer

Analyze educational YouTube channels to optimize for classroom adoption, student learning outcomes, and curriculum integration.

Inputs Required

1. Primary channel database - SQLite file with videos, playlists, and subtitles tables (e.g., MRU)
2. Comparison channel data - SQLite file or playlist URL (e.g., Crash Course Economics)
3. Subject area - e.g., "Principles of Economics", "Microeconomics", "Macroeconomics"
4. Target adoption context - e.g., "AP Economics", "Undergraduate Intro", "Graduate supplement"

Database Setup

Use the included

build_channel_db.py

Installation

pip install yt-dlp

Building a Database

# Basic metadata only (fast - minutes)
python scripts/build_channel_db.py "https://www.youtube.com/@MRUniversity" mru.db

# Full metadata with descriptions and tags (slower - may take an hour+)
python scripts/build_channel_db.py "https://www.youtube.com/@MRUniversity" mru.db --details

# Complete with subtitles/transcripts (slowest but enables text search)
python scripts/build_channel_db.py "https://www.youtube.com/@MRUniversity" mru.db --details --subtitles

# Resume interrupted download
python scripts/build_channel_db.py "https://www.youtube.com/@MRUniversity" mru.db --details --subtitles --resume

Script Options

--details

--subtitles

--resume

--rate-limit N

Database Schema

CREATE TABLE videos (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    description TEXT,
    upload_date TEXT,
    duration_seconds INTEGER,
    view_count INTEGER,
    like_count INTEGER,
    comment_count INTEGER,
    playlist_id TEXT,
    playlist_title TEXT,
    channel_id TEXT,
    channel_title TEXT,
    tags TEXT,           -- JSON array
    categories TEXT,     -- JSON array
    has_subtitles INTEGER DEFAULT 0
);

CREATE TABLE playlists (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    title TEXT,
    description TEXT,
    video_count INTEGER,
    channel_id TEXT
);

CREATE TABLE subtitle_segments (
    id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
    video_id TEXT,
    start_time REAL,
    end_time REAL,
    text TEXT,
    FOREIGN KEY (video_id) REFERENCES videos(id)
);

-- Indexes for performance
CREATE INDEX idx_videos_playlist ON videos(playlist_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_subtitles_video ON subtitle_segments(video_id);

Data Availability by Mode

Analysis Process

Execute these 5 stages sequentially.

Stage 1: Educational Content Inventory

-- Total content volume
SELECT COUNT(*) as total_videos,
       SUM(duration_seconds)/3600.0 as total_hours,
       AVG(duration_seconds)/60.0 as avg_minutes,
       MIN(duration_seconds)/60.0 as shortest_min,
       MAX(duration_seconds)/60.0 as longest_min
FROM videos;

-- Playlist summary (curriculum structure)
SELECT p.title as playlist,
       p.video_count as expected,
       COUNT(v.id) as actual,
       SUM(v.duration_seconds)/60.0 as total_minutes
FROM playlists p
LEFT JOIN videos v ON v.playlist_id = p.id
GROUP BY p.id
ORDER BY actual DESC;

-- Content by playlist/series
SELECT playlist_title,
       COUNT(*) as videos,
       SUM(duration_seconds)/60.0 as total_minutes,
       AVG(duration_seconds)/60.0 as avg_minutes
FROM videos
WHERE playlist_title IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY playlist_title
ORDER BY videos DESC;

-- Upload timeline (content development pace)
SELECT strftime('%Y', upload_date) as year,
       COUNT(*) as videos,
       SUM(duration_seconds)/3600.0 as hours_added
FROM videos
WHERE upload_date IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY year
ORDER BY year;

-- Duration distribution (lecture format analysis)
SELECT
  CASE
    WHEN duration_seconds < 180 THEN '0-3 min (micro)'
    WHEN duration_seconds < 420 THEN '3-7 min (short)'
    WHEN duration_seconds < 900 THEN '7-15 min (medium)'
    WHEN duration_seconds < 1800 THEN '15-30 min (lecture)'
    ELSE '30+ min (extended)'
  END as format,
  COUNT(*) as count,
  AVG(view_count) as avg_views
FROM videos
GROUP BY format
ORDER BY count DESC;

-- Subtitle availability (accessibility check)
SELECT
    SUM(has_subtitles) as with_subtitles,
    COUNT(*) - SUM(has_subtitles) as without_subtitles,
    ROUND(100.0 * SUM(has_subtitles) / COUNT(*), 1) as subtitle_percent
FROM videos;

Stage 2: Pedagogical Pattern Analysis

Series Structure Analysis:

-- Identify numbered series (indicates curriculum design)
SELECT title, playlist_title, duration_seconds/60.0 as minutes
FROM videos
WHERE title GLOB '*[0-9]*'
   OR title LIKE '%Part%'
   OR title LIKE '%Episode%'
   OR title LIKE '%Chapter%'
ORDER BY playlist_title, title;

-- Topic coverage by title keywords
SELECT
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%supply%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%demand%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as supply_demand,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%market%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as markets,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%gdp%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%growth%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as macro_growth,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%inflation%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%money%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as monetary,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%trade%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%tariff%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as trade,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%monopol%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%competition%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as market_structure,
    SUM(CASE WHEN lower(title) LIKE '%game theory%' OR lower(title) LIKE '%nash%' THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) as game_theory
FROM videos;

Transcript-Based Topic Analysis (requires --subtitles):

-- Search transcripts for specific concepts
SELECT v.title, COUNT(*) as mentions
FROM videos v
JOIN subtitle_segments s ON s.video_id = v.id
WHERE lower(s.text) LIKE '%opportunity cost%'
GROUP BY v.id
ORDER BY mentions DESC
LIMIT 10;

-- Find videos discussing specific topics
SELECT DISTINCT v.title, v.playlist_title
FROM videos v
JOIN subtitle_segments s ON s.video_id = v.id
WHERE lower(s.text) LIKE '%elasticity%'
   OR lower(s.text) LIKE '%elastic demand%';

-- Concept density analysis (mentions per minute)
SELECT v.title,
       COUNT(*) as concept_mentions,
       v.duration_seconds/60.0 as minutes,
       ROUND(COUNT(*) / (v.duration_seconds/60.0), 2) as mentions_per_min
FROM videos v
JOIN subtitle_segments s ON s.video_id = v.id
WHERE lower(s.text) LIKE '%price%'
GROUP BY v.id
ORDER BY mentions_per_min DESC
LIMIT 15;

Engagement Signals (proxy for learning effectiveness):

-- Views per minute of content (engagement density)
SELECT title,
       view_count,
       duration_seconds/60.0 as minutes,
       view_count/(duration_seconds/60.0) as views_per_minute
FROM videos
WHERE duration_seconds > 0
ORDER BY views_per_minute DESC
LIMIT 20;

-- Engagement by video length (optimal lecture length)
SELECT
  CASE
    WHEN duration_seconds < 300 THEN '0-5 min'
    WHEN duration_seconds < 600 THEN '5-10 min'
    WHEN duration_seconds < 900 THEN '10-15 min'
    ELSE '15+ min'
  END as length_bucket,
  COUNT(*) as videos,
  AVG(view_count) as avg_views,
  SUM(view_count) as total_views
FROM videos
GROUP BY length_bucket;

-- Like ratio analysis (requires --details)
SELECT title,
       view_count,
       like_count,
       ROUND(100.0 * like_count / view_count, 2) as like_percent
FROM videos
WHERE view_count > 1000 AND like_count IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY like_percent DESC
LIMIT 20;

Stage 3: Comparative Analysis

When comparing two channels (e.g., MRU vs Crash Course):

Structural Differences:

• Total content hours
• Average video length
• Series vs standalone ratio
• Topic breadth vs depth

Pedagogical Approach:

• Lecture style (talking head, animation, mixed)
• Pacing (concepts per video)
• Use of examples and case studies
• Production value indicators

Curriculum Alignment: Map content to standard economics curriculum:

1. Scarcity and opportunity cost
2. Supply and demand
3. Elasticity
4. Market structures
5. Market failures
6. Macroeconomic measurement
7. Aggregate demand/supply
8. Fiscal and monetary policy
9. International trade
10. Economic growth

Stage 4: Classroom Adoption Metrics

Evaluate each channel on:

Modularity Score (1-5): Can videos be used independently?

• Count standalone vs series-dependent videos
• Average video length (shorter = more modular)
• Clear topic titles

Curriculum Coverage (percentage): What standard topics are covered?

• Map titles to curriculum outline
• Identify gaps

Accessibility Score (1-5):

• Closed captions availability (check

  has_subtitles

  column)
• Speaking pace
• Technical vocabulary level
• Visual aids usage

Assignment Integration (1-5):

• Natural stopping points for discussion
• Question-prompting content
• Connections to real-world examples

Stage 5: Strategic Recommendations

Generate recommendations for:

1. Content Gap Analysis

• Topics competitor covers that you don't
• Topics where you have advantage
• Underserved curriculum areas

2. Format Optimization

• Optimal video length for your audience
• Series structure recommendations
• Playlist organization

3. Classroom Integration Guide

• Suggested course pairings
• Assignment ideas
• Discussion prompts per video

4. Competitive Positioning

• Unique value proposition
• Target instructor persona
• Differentiation strategy

Output Format

Write to

analysis/edu-content-strategy.md

# Educational Content Strategy: [Channel Name]

Generated: [Date]
Comparison: [Comparison Channel]
Target Context: [AP/Undergraduate/Graduate]

## Executive Summary
[Key findings for educators considering adoption]

## Part 1: Content Inventory

### Your Channel Overview
[Metrics, structure, coverage]

### Comparison Channel Overview
[Same metrics for comparison]

### Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | Your Channel | Comparison | Advantage |
|--------|-------------|------------|-----------|
| Total Hours | | | |
| Avg Length | | | |
| Topic Coverage | | | |

## Part 2: Pedagogical Analysis

### Teaching Approach Comparison
[Narrative analysis of methodological differences]

### Curriculum Alignment
[Topic coverage mapped to standard curriculum]

### Classroom Adoption Scorecard
| Factor | Your Channel | Comparison |
|--------|-------------|------------|
| Modularity | /5 | /5 |
| Coverage | % | % |
| Accessibility | /5 | /5 |
| Assignment Fit | /5 | /5 |

## Part 3: Strategic Recommendations

### Content Gaps to Fill
[Specific topics needing coverage]

### Format Recommendations
[Length, structure, pacing]

### Classroom Integration Guide
[How instructors should use content]

### Competitive Positioning
[Differentiation strategy]

## Appendix: Topic Mapping

### Covered Topics
[List with video links]

### Missing Topics
[Standard curriculum topics not covered]

PDF Generation

Convert the analysis markdown to a professionally styled PDF for sharing and printing.

Using the PDF Converter

# Generate PDF from markdown analysis
python3 scripts/md_to_pdf.py analysis/edu-content-strategy.md analysis/edu-content-strategy.pdf

PDF Features

The generated PDF includes:

• Professional styling - Clean typography with Helvetica/Arial fonts
• Color-coded headers - Blue gradient theme for hierarchy
• Beautiful tables - Styled headers with alternating row colors
• Page numbers - Automatic pagination in header
• Print-optimized - A4 format with proper margins
• Executive-ready - Suitable for stakeholder presentations

Dependencies

# Install required Python packages
pip3 install markdown weasyprint

Custom Styling

The PDF stylesheet can be customized in

scripts/md_to_pdf.py

• Page size and margins (

  @page

  rule)
• Color scheme (header colors, table styling)
• Font family and sizes
• Header/footer content

Example Invocation

Analyze the MRU database at mru.db
Compare with: Crash Course Economics at crashcourse.db
Subject: Principles of Economics
Target: Undergraduate Introductory Economics (Econ 101/102)

Notes

• Educational focus: optimize for learning outcomes, not revenue
• Key metric: Would an instructor assign this to students?
• Consider both flipped classroom and supplementary use cases
• Account for different learning styles and accessibility needs
• Use

  --subtitles

  mode for deeper content analysis via transcript search