iTunes U Expands International Reach
Apple Tuesday expanded the international reach of iTunes U, bringing in 10 universities from the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, all of which are providing content via the iTunes education portal free of charge.
The initial slate of schools from abroad joining in the service, which provides free content (educational and otherwise) from and for the higher education community, includes Open University (UK); University College, London; Trinity College Dublin; the Australian National University; Griffith University (Australia); Swinburne University of Technology (Australia); University of Western Australia; University of Melbourne; University of New South Wales; and University of Otago (New Zealand).
In the United States, Clemson University (South Carolina) and the School of Visual Arts (New York) have also launched iTunes U portals, bringing the total number of education institutions on the service to 64. (A complete list of participating universities and colleges can be found here.)
Content supplied by education institutions ranges from recorded lectures and supplemental video materials to sporting events to videos related to space exploration, such as the recent addition of the University of Arizona's Phoenix Mars Mission materials.
In addition to colleges and universities, companies that work with higher education (and K-12) also provide content via iTunes U through a sub-portal called "Beyond Campus." The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History and 92nd Street Y recently added their content to the service.
In other Apple news, the company has also launched a back to school promotion for students and faculty. The promotion offers a free iPod touch or iPod nano (via rebate) with the purchase of a new Mac system. It's open to students in higher education and faculty in preK-12 and higher ed.
Further information about the promotion can be found here.