The University of Western Australia today announced it has a range of lectures, tutorials and publications available on the iTunes Store.
iTunes U, an area of the iTunes Store featuring free education content, now includes UWA as one of its first Australian universities offering public access to educational materials. Previously available only to universities in North America, iTunes U is now open to Australian higher education institutions.
UWA will initially use iTunes U to distribute free educational content including presentations from local lecturers and international guest speakers, student support materials, alumni magazines and samples of student work. It intends to continue adding material to the system in the future.
Material on iTunes U can be loaded onto an iPod with a click, making downloading and listening to a lecture as simple as enjoying music.
The Director of the UWA Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Professor Denise Chalmers, said this new initiative complemented the University's commitment to flexible teaching by providing educational resources in ways that meet the changing needs of students.
"We already provide a variety of on-line services for students. iTunes U is an exciting addition to the range of programs we have in place which are designed to cater for a more diverse range of learners, learning styles, needs and interests than are normally catered for through conventional study programs.
"The learning opportunities of students are growing and we must continue to grow with them. We want to provide our students with a learning environment that is flexible and delivers a variety of learning resources and experiences that take advantage of the technology.
"While we continue to encourage the full University experience of a traditional learning environment, there are many ways to engage in learning. Online learning opportunities are now a very important and valuable part of our university students' learning experience," Professor Chalmers said.
Media references
Professor Denise Chalmers (+61 8) 6488 2603
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 5563 / (+61 4) 32 637 716
