Usage of Apple's iTunes U, an online program that can give vast amounts of information to students, faculty and the public, has been low in the first month and a half since its launch.
Director of Technology Mike Modesitt said Teachers College began using iTunes U in early February. It has been testing the program since the end of last summer, he said.
Modesitt said iTunes U was an online service that provided, among other things, video presentations from faculty theses, professional development and guest lectures to anyone who wanted it.
Academic Technology Support Jerry Case said this program would extend the reputation and prestige of the Teachers College.
Ball State's iTunes U has 1,395 hits so far, Modesitt said. Advertising for the program will increase in the next few weeks as it develops further and more content is posted. Content is judged "extremely carefully," he said.
"The site is not difficult, but we want to make sure the content is of the highest quality," he said.
Case said most of the pieces posted were polished, well-researched and highlighted the department.
Modesitt said the target audience was not students. Anyone can register to view the material, but most of the content is aimed at faculty from public schools, he said.
Case said many universities around the nation used some form of iTunes U. Ball State's version is different than others, he said. As of now, the main purpose of the program is to post professional development seminars.
He said the Teachers College received too many requests from public school administrators for professional development seminars than the staff could fulfill. iTunes U is a way to put the information online where anyone can see it. Ball State staff members have been meeting with administrators of public schools to develop a lesson plan that will meet their needs, he said.
The focus right now is not to have daily class lectures for students, he said. Technical issues and lack of resources prevent that from happening. Supporting class lectures on the iTunes U is a possibility in the future, he said.
Some professors have added course content to supplement students' learning, Modesitt said, but that is the extent to which class materials go.
The Teachers College has been heavily involved with Apple since 2001, he said. It became familiar with iTunes U through experience with other Apple programs. He said the time was right to take advantage of the program's benefits.
"The leadership at Teachers College has been paramount," Modesitt said. "[The leadership] is fundamentally making this a successful run and ... we can show the types of things we do here well."
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