Q1: What is the UA on iTunes U ?

The UA signed a contract with Apple Inc. to participate in iTunes U. UA on iTunes U
became publicly available on August 20, 2007. UA on iTunes U provides access to a wide range of UA created digital audio and video content via Apple's iTunes Store. Examples of the content include audio of course lectures; audio and video of lectures given by visiting researchers, scholars, and artists; and department, college and program promotional resources.
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Q2: Where is the audio and video stored?

The audio and video that you find in the UA on iTunes U is stored on servers at Apple Inc. Apple has committed to storing theses files; presumably it amounts to terabytes of data. Apple also uses appropriate practices for backing it up. Individuals and departments that participate are responsible for retaining a copy of their audio and video. Consultants at Learning Technology Services can help individuals and departments who have questions about storing copies of the tracks uploaded to UA on iTunes U.
Contact an LTS consultant

Q3 What do I need to record a track for UA on iTunes U ?

This question is best answered in two parts. Part I for recording an audio track and Part II for video tracks.

Part I: For the most part, audio recordings can be accomplished at little to no cost. There are many inexpensive digital recorders that can be purchased at area retail stores or over the Web. In addition LTS and OSCR have digital recording devices available for loan to faculty interested in recording lectures. Once the audio is recorded, it needs to be saved as a MP3 audio file. If your device saves the audio to the .wav format, you can drag the .wav file into iTunes and convert it to MP3 [see "setup directions" below]. If your audio needs editing, we recommend Audacity. Audacity is free software that works on PCs and Macs. Mac users may also use GarageBand. In cases where the recorded audio is in the WAV format, drag the .wav file in iTunes, do a right mouseclick and convert it to MP3 on a PC or Cntl click on a Mac and select Convert selection to MP3.
Audacity Instructions > | Setup directions: Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Importing > Import Using MP3 Encoder

Format requirements for iTunes U audio: MP3 audio, 128 kbits/sec, channels: mono or stereo, output sample rate: 44.100Khz

Part II: Video is more involved and entails much more time to prepare the digital video. Recorded video should be of good quality so that students and other viewers are not distracted by such things as poor lighting and poor sound levels. LTS Media Services staff are available to assist interested individuals and departments.
Request Media Services assistance

Format requirements for iTunes U video: MPEG-4 with H.264 compression, data rate: 256kbits/sec, image size: 320 X 240 or 640 X 480 (currently we recommend 640 X 480), frame rate: 30, key frame: every 24 frames, file extensions: .mp4, .m4v, .mov

Q4: What do I need to download audio and video tracks that are in the UA on iTunes U?

You need a computer with an Internet connection and Apple's free iTunes software. iTunes runs on very well on both Windows and Macs and can be downloaded from Apple's website. Note that it is not a Web browser; it is a big software application that runs on the Internet. You do not need to buy anything from Apple
to use iTunes. You do not need an iPod because you can play the audio and video on your computer.

Q5: How do I get to UA on iTunes U ?

Go to itunes.arizona.edu and click on the button Go to UA on iTunes U. When you click this button, your computer is instructed to open your copy of iTunes. If you do not have iTunes, you will be asked to download and install it. Once iTunes is installed on your computer, go to itunes.arizona.edu and click on the blue button Go to UA on iTunes U. You will now see the UA's mainpage in iTunes U.

Q6: Something screwy is happening with my browser when I click on Go to UA on iTunes U. What's happening?

We've observed different behavior among the three primary browsers, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. Troubleshooting browser behavior is harder to resolve, however, due to having so many different platforms and versions on client computers. When you contact LTS about browser behavior problems, please be prepared to tell us what your browser version and operating system are.

Q7: Can I find the UA on iTunes U by going directly to the iTunes Store?

Until Tuesday, June 3, 2008, Apple maintained a list of all participating colleges and universities on iTunes U's mainpage. Because the list was getting longer and longer, it no longer was practical to list all the participants on the mainpage. Instead, Apple developed a system using major Categories: Business, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health & Medicine, etc. As a participant, we have assigned each of our tracks to a category. In addition, Apple created a section under Categories called Find Education Providers. Go to that page you'll find an alphabetical list of all Universities & Colleges.

Q8: Is there a third way to get to the UA on iTunes U ?

Yes, if you have iTunes installed on your computer, you may click this URL to go to UA on iTunes U 's main page: itms://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/arizona.edu

Q9: Is there any cost to listen to or download tracks from UA on iTunes U?

No, all iTunes U content is free. However, be sure to respect copyright and the content creator's intellectual property rights. Consult "Respecting Copyright and Intellectual Property"

Q10: How do I transfer tracks to my iPod?

Sync your iPod as usual and any iTunes U tracks that you have downloaded or subscribed to will transfer.

Q11: You created permissions for me to an upload tracks. But there's something not working. What is involved in troubleshooting where the problem lies?

Depending on who attempts to use the application, there are between five and seven computers involved. Of these, LTS controls the second in the following list. Please be as specific as you can in describing the problem, the date/time that it happened, and what you were attempting to do.

1. your computer and the status of your Internet connection
2. the server that hosts the U of A's iTunes U application
3. UIS (University Information System)
4. UIS Mirror
5. the WebAuth server
6. any LDAP server that interfaces with WebAuth
7. the Apple's iTunes server

Q12: What do I need to know about the ID3 metatags?

See Best Practices for Uploading Tracks to iTunes U HTML | RTF

Q13: Where else can I look for a discussion of using UA on iTunes U?

Apple has a good discussion on its website. See "iTunes U and Mobile Learning"

See the Learning Technology Services' website Podcasting at Learning Technology Services

Faculty - see "Faculty Podcasting Tip Sheet"