iTunesU is one part of Apple’s highly successful iTunes programme. It is located in the iTunes store and is home to free educational resources (in the form of video and audio files) from top universities, museums and other cultural institutions around the world. All the resources are free and are available to anyone.

To understand what iTunesU is, you first need to understand iTunes as a software application.

iTunes

iTunes has become a worldwide phenomenon thanks to the popularity of Apple’s iPods and iPhones. iTunes is Apple’s software application that allows you to organise and play a range of audio and visual files, such as music, broadcasts, films, etc. Using the iTunes store, you can download files of your choice (some of which are free and some of which you have to pay for) to your computer, MP3 player or mobile phone.

If you would like more information about what iTunes is and how it works please follow the link below, which will take you directly to Apple’s website.

• Find out more about iTunes

The OU and iTunesU

The Open University is one of the featured universities on iTunesU.

There is a whole section dedicated wholly to resources provided by the OU. These are taken from current OU courses and include a range of subjects from health and social care to maths and technology. They include both audio and video files that you will be able to download to your computer or iPod to watch or listen to at your leisure.

Apple have very helpfully created an introductory film about iTunesU, which explains the basics about how it is organised and how to use it. You can watch this film by following the link below:

• Watch Introduction to iTunesU

How do I access iTunesU?

You will need to have iTunes installed on your computer and be connected to the internet to be able to access these materials. Many companies have iTunes installed as part of their standard desktop configurations but if you haven’t, don’t despair – it can be downloaded free from the internet by following the link below. This page will also tell you all about the OU on iTunesU.

• Find out more about the OU on iTunesU

We are not recommending that you watch these clips during your working hours (without prior agreement). We are merely suggesting that you might find it easier to watch them in a working environment as most people have access to computers and the internet at work, if they don’t at home.

It is usually quite straightforward to download iTunes but it is not unthinkable that you might encounter problems. Your computer will need to be a certain specification (please see the web pages on the link above) and if your company has certain firewalls or pop up blockers on their system this may hinder you. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you enlist the help of your IT team when you download iTunes.

Bring learning alive in your workplace

iTunesU is another fantastic new resource that has the potential to completely revolutionise the way that people can access learning opportunities.  You can of course watch or listen to these resources on your own, but you might also like to consider setting up a short workplace introductory or CPD session around them?  To find out more about how to do this, please visit our Organising Taster Sessions pages in our Organising section of this website.