De-Google education?

In this article we analyse online video hosting and sharing practices in schools and universities, based on the case of PeerTube. Seen by stakeholders as a possible alternative to YouTube, PeerTube is an open-source software developed by the French non-profit association Framasoft, which has set itself the task to ‘de-Google internet’ by creating alternative applications to those of the Silicon Valley giants. The article examines the difficulties and debates surrounding the adoption of PeerTube in the world of education, through a ‘design-oriented research’ project called Celluloid. This experiment shows that, while PeerTube cannot currently be considered a global alternative to YouTube, it can be seen as a real alternative in the education and research spheres in France. However, the adoption by French educational stakeholders of a free and decentralized alternative to YouTube remains a complex issue, particularly given the contrasting representations and experiences that these stakeholders may have of the world of open-source software.