When uniÂverÂsiÂties first startÂed develÂopÂing their podÂcast colÂlecÂtions, a good numÂber took their audio archives — the many lecÂtures and talks they had recordÂed over the years — and uploaded them onto iTunes. Now, months latÂer, some instiÂtuÂtions are turnÂing to their video archives. Most notably, MIT has givÂen users access to video podÂcasts takÂen from its ambiÂtious OpenÂCourseÂWare iniÂtiaÂtive. (HarÂvard has done someÂthing simÂiÂlar with its series, Harvard@Home, although the colÂlecÂtion is conÂsidÂerÂably smallÂer.) MovÂing these videos onto iTunes makes perÂfect sense. While it’s unlikeÂly that many will watch these videos on their actuÂal iPods, it seems safe to assume that new audiÂences will get exposed to these colÂlecÂtions and be conÂtentÂed with watchÂing these clips on their comÂputÂers at least, or perÂhaps on Apple TV down the road. iTunes has become a dynamÂic marketing/distribution platÂform, with massÂes of users flockÂing to it and disÂcovÂerÂing new conÂtent along the way. For instiÂtuÂtions like MIT, shiftÂing conÂtent onto iTunes streamÂlines their efforts to get their conÂtent noticed, which makes the project a no-brainÂer with no downÂside. For more on the MIT OpenÂCourseÂWare iniÂtiaÂtive, click here. For info on the recent inteÂgraÂtion of iTunes U with iTunes, click here.See our comÂplete UniÂverÂsiÂty PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
How can this be open culÂture when it you are pimpÂing a closed platÂform for eduÂcaÂtion delivÂery?
iTunes only runs propÂerÂly on one OS, is bugÂgy on anothÂer and that’s it.
“…the project a no-brainÂer with no downÂside.”
I cerÂtainÂly agree with the no brainÂer comÂment, but not in the same conÂtext.
But then it is for “the massÂes”, so I hope they enjoy their enlightÂenÂment.
Feel free to look around the site and notice that when posÂsiÂble we have includÂed links to the direct feeds, instead of just links to iTunes.