The story behind iTunes U at Otago
To conclude day one of ICCMSN Mike Hart from the University stopped by to explain their experiences with podcasting leading up to Otago being the only NZ University featured in the Australasian launch of iTunes U last week.
The University first experimented with podcasting at the beginning of 2007. Trials were a resounding success. Since the beginning of this year the University has been in a non-disclosure agreement with Apple regarding their involvement in iTunes U, a service allowing Universities to offer educational podcasts through the iTunes store. Although over 300 institutions use the service privately only 63 have a public page. Otago is up there with Harvard, Yale and MIT. It’s a matter of prestige.
Mike also allayed fears that the University have locked themselves into the iTunes ecosystem, or walled garden if you like. He explained that although they are drinking a bit of the Apple Koolaid, there’s a water cooler down the hall. The water cooler comes in the form of the University website where everything can be downloaded without iTunes.
Exciting stuff, now if only I could get decent internet access on my laptop. Go check out Otago University on iTunes U (warning, will open in iTunes).
