iTunes hits Australian higher learning

iTunes U makes audio and video curriculum from lecturers available for students to sync with their iPods or iPhones, so they can carry learning materials anywhere they go and use them on their own time.

The first Australian and New Zealand schools to offer iTunes U include Griffith University, Swinburne University of Technology, the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, the University of NSW, the University of Western Australia and Otago University.

They join 300 universities worldwide who are already using the program, including UCLA and University College London.

Griffith University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Sue Spence said iTunes U simply provides faculty with means to engage students in a way that both appeals to them and fits in nicely with their increasingly hectic schedules.

“As students increasingly become more mobile and seek to combine their study with work, family and other commitments, it has become essential to deliver flexible learning,” she said.

The site also allows people outside the university atmosphere to gain access to content, which several of the universities think could serve as an invaluable tool for both recruiting purposes and alumni relations.

“Potential students will be able to access content on iTunes U and get a feel for the university experience,” Spence said.

“It will grant all our students as well as any lifelong learners the flexibility in time and place and storage of learning materials they need and want to achieve the results they desire,” said UMA Pro-Vice Chancellor Sue Elliott.

The site also includes a ‘Beyond Campus’ section, which features content from educational sources other than universities, like American Public Media, the Museum of Modern Art, and Smithsonian Global Sound.

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