Delta iTunes U Helps Meet Student Expectations for Web 2.0 Apps
Delta College’s (MI) iTunes U site, brand new this fall, really hit the ground running, with more than 100 audio and video tracks posted within the first few weeks. Delta CIO Jason Stahl comments on some of the tactics used to make it easier for faculty to create the podcasts. “During our core scheduling process, faculty members are asked if they want to use the iTunes U applications. If they choose “yes,” their courses are automatically populated onto their iTunes U site by the back-end computer systems and they become the owner of that site.”
The Delta iTunes U site is part of an overall strategy at the college to meet student expectations to experience interactive Web 2.0 applications in their learning environments. Stahl reflects on students' appreciation for and acceptance of the technology. "Our students love their MP3 players and already enjoy downloading music and video clips to them. By making our educational podcasts and vodcasts available to students on iTunes U, we are tapping in to their affection for these devices and giving them another avenue for learning." Delta also has plans to offer public content via iTunes.
iTunes continues to enjoy wide acceptance in education, with colleges and universities not only posting password-protected files for use within their own communities, but also making selected content publicly available. In October 2008 Apple Inc. reported reaching more than 100,000 total free education audio and video files posted by colleges and universities to iTunes U or to the iTunes store.
