Apple today announced updates to iTunes U. Starting July 8, teachers using the free iTunes U app can create, edit and manage entire courses directly on iPad for the first time, and students will be able to collaborate including the ability to start class discussions and ask questions directly from their iPad.
“Education is at the core of Apple’s DNA and iTunes U is an incredibly valuable resource for teachers and students,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “iTunes U features an amazing selection of academic materials for everyone around the world. Now, with the ability to better manage and discuss educational content, learning becomes even more personalized on iPad.”
Using iTunes U, teachers will be able to directly add rich content and learning materials from iWork, iBooks Author or any of the over 75,000 educational apps available for iPad. Using the iPad’s built-in camera, teachers can also capture photos and videos to incorporate real-world subject matter into any course, making relevant content available to all students in an instant.
Students with an iPad that are enrolled in private iTunes U courses can now automatically follow classroom discussions and join conversations on new topics, or set up push notifications for when new topics are started or replies are added to active exchanges. Teachers can participate and moderate forums, with the ability to remove any off-topic messages or replies.
The iTunes U app is available FREE for the iPhone and iPad, in the App Store. [DIRECT LINK]
