Apple Updating iTunes U With New Course Creation and Discussion Features for iPad
Apple today announced it is updating its iTunes U app with new iPad-related features that'll make it easier for teachers and students to use the tablet device for their online courses. These new features will be available starting July 8th.
“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.”
The new app updates will allow teachers to create full courses completely on their iPad by importing content from iWork, iBooks Author or educational apps in the iOS App Store. Teachers also can use the camera on the device to incorporate photos and videos into the course material.
iPad-owning students enrolled in an iTunes U course will benefit from the update with a new discussion feature that allows them to collaborate with both teachers and other students in the class. Students can follow discussions and receive push notifications when new topics are created or new comments are added to an existing discussions.
The iTunes U app is a free download for the iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link: iTunes U]
Popular Stories
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...
Top Rated Comments
This thing is already "serious" without Windows or Android. And what the heck do you mean by utopian? Apple makes their hardware and software so that you can have nice things like iTunes U. If Windows or Android wants their users to have nice things like iTunes U well then they need to actually spend some time and effort like Apple is doing for their users. That's not utopian, that's how the real world works and how products and services have been sold since the beginning of time.
It just really bothers me that people expect Apple to make their really nice software and services available to the competition and they are somehow wrong or something if they don't. Apple's model is not about taking away as much of people's privacy and personal data as possible and sharing it with 3rd party companies. They are about building the best products, services, and experiences for their users so they will keep buying Apple hardware. So they have little to no incentive to put their software and services on other platforms.
It's like saying Toyota's engines are "utopian" because you can only enjoy them in a Toyota car and they should allow Ford owners to have their engines. No. If you wanted a Toyota engine, you should have bought a Toyota vehicle.
Apple really should advertise it more. So many of my friends have no idea it even exists.
Indeed, hopefully it'll be a good update considering this is one of the undeniable strengths of the iTunes ecosystem.
Yea That guy hasn't done his homework in setting up a mass deployment.
I've been researching this for a few weeks now as I'm responsible (along with two others) for maintaining the 400+ macs and 25+ iPads on campus here.
If you're going to just hand out iPads without actually managing them, then yes students can do whatever the hell they want. IF you actually do your job as an IT professional, then I don't get the point. MDM is extremely fine grained in terms of options, and iOS 8 just stepped it up a whole new level. Tell that guy to get a free developer account and watch some of the WWDC MDM videos from this year AND 2013 (iOS 7). It sounds like he's just completely unaware of the measures out there.
Great!
Now please iTunes streaming actually work with stopping mid-movie. :(