How User Friendly Is It?
iTunes U courses are very user friendly for both the students and the instructors. People simply have to sign up for an iTunes account and they can create and enroll in iTunes U courses. Additionally, the iTunes U App can be downloaded to mobile devices:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Mp3 players
- Other Hand Held Devices
The user functionality for both students and instructors is easy and logical. iTunes U allows the creator of the course to post an overview/syllabus, instructor bio, posts, notes and course materials in different, well designated sections of the virtual classroom. Students can access each section by clicking or tapping on it.
What Do Course Managers See?
When course managers go into their iTunes U account they come to a page that lists the courses they’ve created. There are two buttons at the top of the page.
- My Materials
- Create New Course
On the left side of the screen is a series of frequently asked questions. Each question is a hyper link and when clicked on the answers pop up in a separate window.
Course managers can add a variety of materials to their courses.
- Audio
- Video
- Books
- Documents
- Apps
- Images
- Web links
They can customize the course settings as they wish and choose weather or not they want their course included in the iTunes U course catalog.
What Do Students See?
When students go into their iTunes U account it looks like a bookshelf and each book is a course. They simply click or tap on the course they want to enter and they are automatically led into the info screen. Three choices are displayed.
- Overview
- Instructor
- Outline
The bottom of the screen contains four buttons.
- Info
- Posts
- Notes
- Course Material
If students move out of the info page the info button brings them back.
Who Is The Audience?
Courses can be created for all different audiences with this tool. People can create corporate training courses, supplemental material for credit courses, educational support courses, professional development courses, and the list goes on. iTunes U is meant to be supplemental when used in an academic capacity. It is not meant to replace distance education platforms like:
- Angel
- Blackboard
- Canvas
- Moodle
- Etc.
Is Content Kept Private?
The courses are kept private unless the instructor wants to make them public. The instructor is given an enrollment code to share with his students. Additionally, when students enroll a notification is sent to the instructor and he has to authorize the enrollment before the student gets access to the class. The instructor also has the option to include or not to include the course in the iTunes U catalog.
Are There Any Fees?
Anyone with an iTunes account can create a course. There are no additional fees. It is also not exclusively compatible with apple products, although it may not be compatible with all electronic devices.
How Do I Get Support?
There is a link on the course manager page to a form course managers can submit for tech support. The form indicates that you will get an answer to your inquiry within forty-eight hours. There is also a link to a webpage dedicated to iTunes support located on the same page as the form.
How Reliable Is It?
The courses seem reliable. The content uploaded easily and was easy to access. It appears to be a wonderful tool for teachers and trainers. I will continue looking into the benefits of this tool.
Media In College 
I can definitely relate to this tool because I definitely enjoy keeping up to date with Apple software, my iPhone and Macbook are with me wherever I go! I have never even heard of iTunes U before your post, but it sounds promising. You say it is not meant to replace distance education platforms, but with all the included information it sounds like it could do just that! Is that possible? Perhaps, even probable in the future?
I see through your photos that you have a class, yourself! Did you consider putting up a link so we could enroll in your class? I would definitely appreciate something like that because after reading your review, I might consider applying iTunes U into my own practice. One last question, is all the content accesible offline or can you download content for use when not connected to the internet?
Great review, I look forward to trying it out!
At this time iTunes U couldn’t replace distance education platforms because it lacks important functionalities like tracking grades and completed assignments. However, it is a great way to deliver and house various types of multimedia course content. Here is a link to access the class. I just made an account this week so It’s not completely put together yet.
https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/enroll/D8P-5YM-A43
You can download the content from the class which will allow you to access it offline.
This sounds like another great tool that I need to start using more! I have used iTunes U to search for courses and to learn, but never to create my own classes.
Great job of walking us through the backend if we were creating a course. I like how you included the screen shots, but did you consider including a short video that way the viewers would be able to see the navigation and usability up close of this great product?
Great review of the product.
I think iTunes U is a very cool item. I find it interesting because you can use it on the go. This is my first time hearing about iTunes I can see this taking off as the new big thing when it comes to education. I also like that its free but for how long when thing start off as free and get better at price will have to get added to support the up keep of the service.
iTunes U seems like a valuable tool to add to any educator’s toolbox because of the efficient way to quickly create an iTunes U course as well as the reach and accessibility of iTunes. Historically, Apple related software like iTunes U has been limited to run on Apple related products like MacBooks, iPhones and etc. In your post you mention that the iTunes U app can be downloaded to mobile devices. Is this true for mobile devices outside of the Apple ecosystem as well (i.e. Android devices)? If so, it would be awesome to have a link to iTunes U for Android.
This is a very informative post. I had no idea that anyone with an iTunes account could create courses on iTunes U. Thank for sharing this information!
We are a gaggle of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done a formidable task and our entire community might be grateful to you.
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