Stanford and Piazza Add Peer Collaboration to iTunes U 'iPad and iPhone App Development' Course

[MacRumors]

Earlier this year, Apple completely revamped iTunes U with new iPad and iPhone apps as well as new tools that allow teachers to include assignments, books, quizzes and syllabuses with their iTunes U courses.

Now, Stanford is taking that a step further by linking the Piazza social learning platform with one of the most popular iTunes U courses -- Professor Paul Hegarty's iPad and iPhone App Development [iTunes Link].

The new social media aspect of the course builds on a technology many students already use: Piazza, a social learning platform. Stanford students taking the classroom version of Paul Hegarty's programming course, on which the online course is based, have used Piazza.

Earlier versions of the 10-week apps course have proved enormously popular, with individual lecture videos downloaded more than 10 million times.

The inclusion of Piazza will enhance the learning experience, said Brent Izutsu, Stanford's program manager for iTunes U. "There is an enormous potential for collaboration and community-building though Q&A and problem-solving with friends from across the globe," he said.

Those enrolled in the iTunes U class are expected to answer questions as well as ask them, while the course captains facilitate discussions and drive students toward correct answers.

The course follows the iOS 5 course from the Fall 2011 semester that's currently on iTunes U -- Stanford is taking those lectures and using Piazza to improve the experience for users taking the class across the same 10 week period.

We hope that the ability to ask and answer questions online will help even more people learn - increasing the value of the materials Stanford has already made available. We also think having peers will make it more fun, and will make you more likely to keep going when the going gets tough.

The course will run June 25 to August 16. Registration is free and closes July 6.

Article Link: Stanford and Piazza Add Peer Collaboration to iTunes U 'iPad and iPhone App Development' Course

[wickerman1893]

This is cool as I am starting college this year. Signing up for sure!

[LeGacY X]

Very nice! Wish my school had a course like this!

[Consultant]

I hope they don't get inundated with 10 million questions!

Where do I download xcode? =p

[handygeek]

Being in the e-education industry, I'm very interested in this. I'm signed up to see how it goes.

[ArtOfWarfare]

Very cool.

Although I think it would be better if it wasn't temporally limited. Often in my programming classes, I'm well ahead of everyone else and would like to skip to the end stuff + go beyond it. It seems like this online collaboration stuff aught to allow that as well... let the adventurous students explore the undefined-11th week together, rather than force them to do it on their own.

[nexsta]

I really like pizza and beer.

[charlieegan3]

Originally Posted by Consultant

I hope they don't get inundated with 10 million questions!

Where do I download xcode? =p

student: "i've got this great idea"
tutor:" is it like angry birds?"
student: "blah, blah, long explaination about game"
tutor: "its angry birds isn't it."
student: "yeah..."

[goinskiing]

I actually saw this today as I downloaded the course a few days back to get started. Every time I start however I always find I'm not as free as I thought and it alyays gets put on a the backburner, but that was before they had these nice courses available on iTunes U.

[jshbckr]

Originally Posted by nexsta

I really like pizza and beer.

I knew I couldn't have been the only one.

[RalfTheDog]

Originally Posted by nexsta

I really like pizza and beer.

Don't forget the coeds, pizza,beer and coeds.

[rafaltrus]

This is WICKED! I'm on it!

[elcid]

I have started this series several times. But with a job and such, I quickly throw it to the back burner. This should easily keep me engaged and on track. Finally.

[remizart1]

^5

[AppleGuesser]

Originally Posted by elcid

I have started this series several times. But with a job and such, I quickly throw it to the back burner. This should easily keep me engaged and on track. Finally.

I just find App development very interesting even though coding and such is not my forte at all

[indianadavy]

I just signed up. Pretty excited to share some obj-c pain with people from Brazil, Netherlands, Mexico

[deannnnn]

Wow a class that I was in at NYU in 2010 is posted on iTunes U! They told us they were filming it to put online but I had no idea it's been on iTunes this whole time. That's pretty cool.

[chukronos]

Wow! I graduated many years ago. I recently decided to try my hand at coding. So, I am taking the cs106a course via iTunesU. I really like it so far. Hopefully, they will still be offering this when I am at that level.

[dotheDVDeed]

Pizza and Beer?


Damn late again. Guess it's all gone.

[Westside guy]

Originally Posted by jshbckr

I knew I couldn't have been the only one.

Nope, you weren't.

And, even after I saw it correctly - every time my eyes would hit the headline again, I'd see "pizza and beer" for a moment.

[PBG4 Dude]

Sweet! Can't wait for this to start.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by AppleGuesser

I just find App development very interesting even though coding and such is not my forte at all

I do the same thing when I know the language. Java programming is a lot of fun simply because I know it.

[Franco Borgo]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Registration is free and closes July 6.

Registration is Free, how much will it really cost ?
When I try to signup in iTunes-U, there is a note that some items may have to be purchased.

[Mad101daN]

Originally Posted by Franco Borgo

Registration is Free, how much will it really cost ?
When I try to signup in iTunes-U, there is a note that some items may have to be purchased.

Some courses do have paid for content within them, and so that is a standard warning, that pops up regardless of what course you choose. However this course is free.

[G5isAlive]

Originally Posted by Westside guy

Nope, you weren't.

And, even after I saw it correctly - every time my eyes would hit the headline again, I'd see "pizza and beer" for a moment.

in fact just thinking of signing up makes me want to stop studying and get something to eat and drink instead.