Apple Updating iTunes U With New Tools for Students and Teachers

[MacRumors]

Apple will today launch a significant upgrade to its iTunes U, reports Re/code. The aim of the update is to improve the tools available for teachers to interact with students, incorporate educational apps in course materials, and manage homework assignments.

Following the update, students who use iPads in the classroom will be able to submit homework assignments directly from their tablets, complete with time stamps to make sure work is turned in on time. The change makes it easier for students to submit homework, but it also simplifies the grading process for teachers, with alerts whenever an assignment is received and tools for sending reminders to students who are failing to turn in their work.

Teachers will also be able to use popular third-party educational apps in their iTunes U course materials, and there are new discussion features that allow students and teachers to more easily interact and share ideas.

As Re/code points out, iTunes U has become an increasingly important tool for teachers who incorporate the iPad into their classrooms. Teachers can use the tool to create entire courses using digital textbooks, videos, and apps, with today's update enhancing the tool's capabilities even further.

Article Link: Apple Updating iTunes U With New Tools for Students and Teachers

 

[captain cadet]

This seems to a new version of Moodle
Moodle is so bad that even if Microsoft made a competitor that cost money everyone would use it....

 

[69650]

Can't they come up with a better name than iTunes U

 

[tomnavratil]

I actually really like iTunes U. Browsing through iTunes, I've always found some pretty cool courses from all around the world for free, which is great.

 

[captain cadet]

Can't they come up with a better name than iTunes U

Apple U?

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Three words:

DIE BLACKBOARD DIE

If I had three more words to continue this thought they would be:

DIE DIE DIE

 

[jayducharme]

Moodle is so bad that even if Microsoft made a competitor that cost money everyone would use it....

The problem with Moodle is it's simply a barebones development platform. If colleges hired really good programmers and designers to manage their Moodle implementation, it could be fantastic. But so many colleges try to take the cheap way out. Moodle is basically free, so it's often deployed in its raw state and in that state it's a mess to use. The strength of iTunes U is Apple's understanding of user interface. It's a joy to use compared with current alternatives.

 

[tomnavratil]

The problem with Moodle is it's simply a barebones development platform. If colleges hired really good programmers and designers to manage their Moodle implementation, it could be fantastic. But so many colleges try to take the cheap way out. Moodle is basically free, so it's often deployed in its raw state and in that state it's a mess to use. The strength of iTunes U is Apple's understanding of user interface. It's a joy to use compared with current alternatives.

Very true, this also applies to Blackboard and other systems. I've seen some universities to fully take advantages of these system thanks for good programmers and designers as you mention. In that case, it really benefits the students. However in many cases I've seen very poor implementation thanks to very little involvement from colleges and their staff.

 

[jim.arrows]

I have been asking (via Apple Feedback) for years for them to add an Apple TV app that tracks all your course subscriptions and maintains your progress through each course. I really wish they would bring this to the atv natively, I would use it a lot more and it would make for a much nicer user experience.

 

[TwoBytes]

No quiz features for autonomous feedback?

 

[captain cadet]

.

 

[captain cadet]

The problem with Moodle is it's simply a barebones development platform. If colleges hired really good programmers and designers to manage their Moodle implementation, it could be fantastic. But so many colleges try to take the cheap way out. Moodle is basically free, so it's often deployed in its raw state and in that state it's a mess to use. The strength of iTunes U is Apple's understanding of user interface. It's a joy to use compared with current alternatives.

I done some developing with MOODLE and it is terrible to actually work with - the database that comes with MOODLE doesn't accept all characters such as _- *&$£"$% - so you have to replace that from the start as you have all the staff complaining at you
Then you have the problem that it is very hardware hungry and when staff start putting videos, large pictures, student work been uploaded, it slows down. We put in a new system in September and in theory it should be working perfect.
Nope its working terrible and were having modules keep breaking such as the notification from MOODLE that there have been changes to the submissions (there are quite a few annoyed students with us)
Trust me I Hate working with it and to top it off I'm working on it all day tommorw

 

[Aidyn's X]

These are some really useful features that put the functionality of iTunes U a litte bit ahead of Google Classroom in terms of a paperless classroom workflow. Couple that with huge library of already developed courses and iTunes U is a huge resource for teachers in an iPad one-to-one district like mine.