The (Digital) Natives Are Restless
Stimulating article in USA Today, January 29 article about the latest move by Apple to establish itself as a leader in the digital world:
Apple Computer Inc. has introduced "iTunes U," a nationwide expansion of a service that makes course lectures and other educational materials accessible via Apple's iTunes software.
Internet access to college lectures is nothing new, but listening to them on portable gadgets is a more recent phenomenon of the digital age, spurred in part by the popularity of podcasts, or downloadable audio files.
The University of Missouri offered podcasts of lectures through its school network before it signed up with Apple last summer as a pilot school. But "iTunes U" offered a software and service package for free, said Keith Politte, the development officer at the university's School of Journalism.
The market dominance of Apple's iTunes Music Store and iPods, which helped spawn the podcast movement, also was key.
"Our students are digital natives. We seek to meet our students where they are, and iTunes is the interface that most of our students are already familiar with," Politte said.
That lasat observation is very helpful to remember. Anyone with a high schooler at home knows this to be true. These kids are multi-tasking experts, and they are indeed "digital natives."
We need to be about reaching those natives with our message. How are we going to do that? How do we connect in meaningful ways?
Apple Computer Inc. has introduced "iTunes U," a nationwide expansion of a service that makes course lectures and other educational materials accessible via Apple's iTunes software.
Internet access to college lectures is nothing new, but listening to them on portable gadgets is a more recent phenomenon of the digital age, spurred in part by the popularity of podcasts, or downloadable audio files.
The University of Missouri offered podcasts of lectures through its school network before it signed up with Apple last summer as a pilot school. But "iTunes U" offered a software and service package for free, said Keith Politte, the development officer at the university's School of Journalism.
The market dominance of Apple's iTunes Music Store and iPods, which helped spawn the podcast movement, also was key.
"Our students are digital natives. We seek to meet our students where they are, and iTunes is the interface that most of our students are already familiar with," Politte said.
That lasat observation is very helpful to remember. Anyone with a high schooler at home knows this to be true. These kids are multi-tasking experts, and they are indeed "digital natives."
We need to be about reaching those natives with our message. How are we going to do that? How do we connect in meaningful ways?
posted by John F at 5:19 PM
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