iTunes U
Apple iTunes resources
• iTunes U Information site
• iTunes U Users Guide
• Profile of Duke on iTunes U
Duke OIT Resources
• Duke on iTunes U Support
• Duke on iTunes U course pages
• Duke on iTunes U FAQ
CIT Workshops
• Introduction to iTunes U
• iPod Boot Camp
Training is also available through our iPod Office Visit program.
Overview
What is it?
iTunes U is a networked content delivery tool developed by Apple Inc. for use in the educational setting. It is especially designed for the easy exchange of digital audio and video content and uses the free desktop software iTunes as a link to networked content storage space hosted at Apple.
iTunes U has three different modes of making content available - to the general public, via the iTunes store; to affiliates of an educational institution, such as Duke; or to members of a particular course or group space within an institution, such as the students and instructors in a Duke course or members of a collaborative group at Duke. Content is organized into pages that may correspond to a course, a research institute, a lecture series, or a program (e.g. Study Abroad).
Due to the different ways schools, colleges and universities manage access to institutional resources, the use and configuration of iTunes U may vary somewhat from one institution to the next.
Key features
- Ability to search a participating institution's public content in the iTunes Store
- Organization of content into tabs or sections to make it easy to find materials by theme or topic
- Option to set up podcasting from iTunes U albums
- Password-protected course albums for exchange of instructional content in digital audio and video formats
- Drop-box and content sharing features to allow students to turn in homework and share original materials with other course members
Who uses it?
Apple Inc. manages an application process for schools and institutions that wish to participate in the program, which currently has over two hundred institutional members. Duke was one of the original participants in the iTunes U pilot, along with Stanford, Brown, the University of Michigan, the University of Missouri and the University of Wisconsin. Currently, at Duke, the Office of Information Technology is making password-protected iTunes U spaces available for all academic courses. A variety of content from departments and programs is available for members of the Duke community and the Office of News and Communications manages Duke's public iTunes U content in the iTunes Store.
How does it work?
Duke users access iTunes U by pointing their Web browser to Duke's institutional Web page for iTunes U. From there, they can choose to view Duke's public material in the iTunes Store or they can log in to view course albums or other content that is restricted to members of the Duke community. Either choice will launch the iTunes application. Once in iTunes U, the user can preview audio and video content within iTunes or download it to the local iTunes Library on the machine they are using. All downloads of Duke content are free. Once the content has been downloaded to the local machine, it is accessible any time iTunes is open; it is not necessary to access iTunes U again to get to the same content.
Things to know before using iTunes U
- Content on Duke on iTunes U pages can be downloaded by authorized users; you do not need an Apple account to access it.
- iTunes must be installed on the local computer before you can access iTunes U.
- You need to have administrative rights on your computer to install downloaded software, so you may need to ask your technical support staff member for assistance with the installation process or for upgrades to the software.
- Apple issues frequent updates to the iTunes software; you should try to keep your version current, to ensure that you can benefit from all the features of iTunes U.
- An iPod is not required to use iTunes U; you can download content to your computer and play it back there.
- Access to course albums on Duke on iTunes U is usually restricted to instructors, teaching assistants, and students who are officially enrolled in the course.
- There may be copyright considerations for materials posted to course albums in iTunes U, since these materials are downloadable. Duke instructors may request a consultation with the Perkins Library Scholarly Communications Office to discuss this in further detail.
Uses as an Instructional Technology
There are a number of ways to use iTunes U for academic and institutional content. The strategies below focus primarily on uses in academic courses.
As a distribution tool for digital audio and video course materials selected by the instructor
- Instructors can post materials in digital audio and video format and organize them into categories called tabs; students can then easily find the materials they need.
- Duke instructors who are using Lectopia (a lecture recording system) can have their lecture recordings uploaded automatically to their iTunes U course albums for easy access by their students.
- Students can download audio or video clips one at a time or download all content on a particular tab at once.
As a shared space for student-created materials
- Instructors can set up a tab as a "shared" space. Students can post their audio and video files to this tab so that anyone else in the class can see what they have created.
As a drop box for student homework
- Instructors can set up a tab to function as a "drop box". Students can use this tab to upload the audio and video files they create as homework. The instructor is the only one who can see content in a drop box, so student homework remains private and is not accessible to other students who have access to the course album.
As a showcase for original student and instructor content
- Instructors can work with the Duke Office of News and Communication (ONC) to make their original content (such as lectures or presentations) available on iTunes U to the Duke community or to the public. ONC can also help instructors or coordinators of programs such as DukeEngage or Study Abroad showcase exceptional student-created audio or video (such as presentations, mini-documentaries, travelogues, or short films) by making them available to a larger audience.
