Itunes U

Itunes seems like it has become one of, if not the most prominent source for music currently. I know I haven't purchased actual CD's in a long time, not counting blank ones to back up songs in my library. If I want new music, I download it from my Itunes.

Similarly, ITunes U seems like it could become preminent in online learning and distance learning, as well as providing numerous tools to use in a classroom setting. In its simplest terms, it allows you access to countless podcasts and lectures in any one of a number of subject areas. If there is a particular lecture you need access to or want your students to listen to, you need only direct them to Itunes U. The requirement for access is an Itunes account, which is free to create. Plus, the podcasts and/or lectures themselves are mostly free to listen to. So, it costs nothing and opens an endless realm of possibilities.

What's more, one doesn't even have to be a student to make use of it. Because of the variety of lectures, there is something for everyone who may be looking to branch out. If you're looking to expand your knowledge of videography, for example, there's a lecture/podcast available that gives you the basics. Or, if you simply want to listen to a certain speech by a political figure or speaker, you can search for it in Itunes U. There are a number of possibilities.

In essence, not only does it provide tools to enhance learning in the classroom, but also makes it easier to learn outside of the classroom. In that way, as I mentioned, it adds a new dimension to distance learning. Basically, it lets one "take a course" (depending on how many lectures/podcasts/videos/etc. they listen to in a given subject. Informal though it may be, it can definitely show someone the basics of a given concept.

In fact, the Open University, an online University that operates entirely through distance learning, has courses in such fields as Psychology, Writing, Business, Computing, Mathematics, Law, and more available through Itunes U by utilizing its tools. Its potential use is limitless.