Issue Date: 11/16/09
University of iTunes
iTunes store now offers lectures for busy students to download
By Arianna Rivera
Lack of time and lack of money are no longer excuses to keep putting education off. iTunes users can now download music and college lectures at the same time.
iTunes University includes lectures from Ivy League schools, such as Yale, Stanford and even Oxford.
iTunes offers anything from psychology to interpretations of Dante's work. Although some lectures are only available to paying students, many are available for the public.
According to the Apple Web site, "iTunes U is the world's greatest collection of free education media available to students, teachers and lifelong learners, with over 200,000 educational files available."
Students, whose classes are available to download, may no longer have a reason to fall behind.
Before teachers can start using the iTunes University, there are four steps professors are encouraged to take.
First, they are asked to think ahead. According to the site, this includes assembling a team of "forward-thinking leaders from a variety of disciplines."
Next, "Tech skills are a must," the Web site stated. Not only does this mean finding someone (or several people) willing to set up the account, but also making sure it's constantly updated.
From what Bill Wisneski, PCTV producer was told; there are technical limitations. He said it has an inconvenient setup.
Third, the content must be created. Apple states that, "When it comes to creating content, a long-term plan is needed."
After the content is created, it needs to be promoted. Just like everything else, for iTunes U to be a success, marketing is the key.
For students, iTunes U is proving to be a success.
Dani McKinney's study, "iTunes University and the classroom: Can podcasts replace professors?" suggests that students who listen to podcasts instead of lectures are scoring higher on tests.
However, McKinney concluded, "It isn't so much that you have a podcast, it's what you do with it." In other words, the students who downloaded the podcast took extensive notes and paid closer attention.
Also, unlike the students that attended class, they had the opportunity to listen to the lecture more than once.
Those that believe it is not fair will be pleased to know that Palomar College does not offer free lectures through iTunes U.
According to Wisneski, it is not necessary. All videos are available using the Palomar video server.
If a Palomar professor wants to film his or her lectures, they can do so through PCTV; PCTV then offers the students the choice to download it to their iPods or iPhones.
Wisneski made it clear, "It is only for students enrolled in the class."
Although some "Professors want videos to be password protected," Wisneski said, there are some using the service. PCTV is not associated with iTunes U.
Those few professors that do use the service are downloading the content themselves and are filming it themselves.
iTunes University includes lectures from Ivy League schools, such as Yale, Stanford and even Oxford.
iTunes offers anything from psychology to interpretations of Dante's work. Although some lectures are only available to paying students, many are available for the public.
According to the Apple Web site, "iTunes U is the world's greatest collection of free education media available to students, teachers and lifelong learners, with over 200,000 educational files available."
Students, whose classes are available to download, may no longer have a reason to fall behind.
Before teachers can start using the iTunes University, there are four steps professors are encouraged to take.
First, they are asked to think ahead. According to the site, this includes assembling a team of "forward-thinking leaders from a variety of disciplines."
Next, "Tech skills are a must," the Web site stated. Not only does this mean finding someone (or several people) willing to set up the account, but also making sure it's constantly updated.
From what Bill Wisneski, PCTV producer was told; there are technical limitations. He said it has an inconvenient setup.
Third, the content must be created. Apple states that, "When it comes to creating content, a long-term plan is needed."
After the content is created, it needs to be promoted. Just like everything else, for iTunes U to be a success, marketing is the key.
For students, iTunes U is proving to be a success.
Dani McKinney's study, "iTunes University and the classroom: Can podcasts replace professors?" suggests that students who listen to podcasts instead of lectures are scoring higher on tests.
However, McKinney concluded, "It isn't so much that you have a podcast, it's what you do with it." In other words, the students who downloaded the podcast took extensive notes and paid closer attention.
Also, unlike the students that attended class, they had the opportunity to listen to the lecture more than once.
Those that believe it is not fair will be pleased to know that Palomar College does not offer free lectures through iTunes U.
According to Wisneski, it is not necessary. All videos are available using the Palomar video server.
If a Palomar professor wants to film his or her lectures, they can do so through PCTV; PCTV then offers the students the choice to download it to their iPods or iPhones.
Wisneski made it clear, "It is only for students enrolled in the class."
Although some "Professors want videos to be password protected," Wisneski said, there are some using the service. PCTV is not associated with iTunes U.
Those few professors that do use the service are downloading the content themselves and are filming it themselves.
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