Faculty Center for Professional Excellence

As of the spring semester 2009, Adelphi is officially a participating institution of Apple’s iTunes University initiative.

iTunes U is an academic version of Apple's popular media delivery tool iTunes. All participating institutions receive an individual site to which they can add content at their discretion. There are currently more than 100,000 free educational audio and video files available on iTunes U. The application allows faculty to quickly and easily upload their podcasts and other media files to give students immediate access to these course materials.

Roughly 16 Adelphi professors have already started using Adelphi’s iTunesU site on a regular basis, for approximately 25 courses in total. Assistant Professor of Art Education Courtney Weida enjoys the new avenues for teaching and learning that present themselves through this medium.

"I find iTunes podcasting very helpful in my teaching,” she said. “It serves multiple purposes for me (in) practicing, planning, and reflecting upon lecture portions in advance, while providing additional learning resources for students that miss class or need to review old content. Podcasting has helped me re-conceptualize the lecture/demonstration aspect of my instruction because I find myself thinking more carefully about stories, questions, and examples that would be compelling to listen to on an iPod or on one's computer."

A definite advantage of using Apples iTunes technology to deliver teaching materials is that many students are already familiar with the software. They are used to listening to and downloading media from iTunes, which makes for a seamless transition in accessing course files. When students have access to lecture recordings after class, they can concentrate on listening and understanding during class, rather than taking notes or trying to memorize concepts on the spot. Students report being grateful at being able to review content at their own pace, with the added bonus of assisting students with learning disabilities and language barriers. Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing Maureen reports success in her efforts to incorporate iTunes into the courses Medical Surgical Nursing 1 and 11 by podcasting weekly lectures.

“The students had access to the lectures via their iPod and computer whenever and wherever it was convenient,” she said. “When I asked the students if this was an additional advantage to the traditional classroom lecture and assisted their studies, the response was a resounding yes.”

Both Professors Roller and Weida will be presenting their iTunesU sites at the upcoming “Teaching with Technology Fair” on April 20 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in rooms one through four of the Campbell Lounge in Adelphi’s Center for Recreation and Sports.

VIEW AN EXAMPLE:

If you are new to the iTunes application, please start by reviewing the tutorial below:
Accessing iTunes U (PDF)

In order to access iTunes U, the generic iTunes application needs to be installed on the users computer. It can be downloaded to a Mac or PC. To download iTunes or to upgrade to the most recent version of the software, please click iTunes icon.

Click the iTunes icon for a free download.

To access an audio Podcast on Adelphi’s iTunes U site, please visit Professor Christopher Storm’s 60 Second Lectures.

The FCPE offers regular workshops on iTunes University, and Media Technologist Alexis Seeley is available for questions or to schedule an appointment at (516) 877-4252 or via email at aseeley@adelphi.edu.