Sparked by the enormous popularity of iPod and iTunes, mobile learning is changing education in a big way. High school and college students already have mobile access, not just with iPod players, but also with iPhone devices and portable computers; they come to class with the Internet in their pockets. We can help you provide those mobile devices for K-12 students, so they can access the Internet, too (under the supervision of their teachers, of course). If educators can tap into that access, then any place — a bus stop, a cafe, wherever — is a place to learn.
All the tools for mobile learning.
Apple offers everything you need to implement mobile learning, so it’s easy to dive right in. You’ll have the tools to create digital content, the tools to get that content to students, and the tools to let them play it back anytime, anywhere. You can even introduce students to educational mobile applications for iPod touch and iPhone, so they can access reference information, write blog posts, develop physics models, or simulate flying over the earth. And they can do those things wherever they go. Learn more about mobile learning
iTunes U. The new world library.
iTunes U is one of the largest and fastest-growing sources of free educational content, with more than 200,000 lectures, presentations, videos, readings, and podcasts from all over the world. It’s the easiest way to put information into the hands of students. Students go to iTunes — which they do all the time anyway — select iTunes U, find the courses and podcasts they want, and download them to their Mac computers or PCs. And now students on the go can access iTunes U content directly on their iPhone and iPod touch over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks through the iTunes Store. Students can watch Picasso at work in his studio, tour archaeological sites, or study the sound of heart murmurs. You can even assign audio and video content from museums, universities, cultural institutions, and public television stations that post to iTunes U.
Many colleges and universities create their own iTunes U sites. Some instructors podcast their lectures on iTunes U right after class. That way, students can review them anytime. Institutions can make their sites public to share their knowledge with learners around the world. iTunes U is rapidly becoming an important and valuable way to raise your school’s profile and stay competitive in recruiting the best and brightest students.
Explore iTunes U.
Downloading from iTunes is second nature to most students. With one click, students can connect to iTunes U and its vast library of educational podcasts.
Providing amazing educational content is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Apple provides not only the devices you need for mobile access, but the content as well. With Apple, it’s easy to turn your lectures or lessons into engaging podcasts or slideshows. It’s also easy to distribute that content to students. And it’s easy for students to access and use. There are three basic steps.
Step 1: Create educational content.
The Mac is an audio-visual studio. A built-in iSight video camera and microphone work with iLife software, so you can shoot videos of your lectures or classes, record audio, make podcasts, and design sophisticated slideshows. There’s nothing difficult about it. Every step is based on the easy-to-use Apple interface.
To step things up a notch, you can add Keynote in iWork (sold separately) to create compelling presentations, or use Apple’s pro applications to develop more sophisticated movie-, music-, or photography-based projects.
Step 2: Get your content to students
Podcast Producer automatically encodes and distributes the content you create. With just a few clicks, you can post podcasts to your school's server or
iTunes podcast directory, which you can easily create with iLife. Qualified higher education institutions can also post directly to iTunes U. You can even have your podcasts automatically archived for future reference.
Step 3: Students tune in when they’re ready.
Here’s the really exciting part. Students can go online from home, a cafe, the gym — wherever they happen to be — and visit a website, blog, wiki, or iTunes U site to play content or download it for future use. iPod touch and iPhone let students discuss
the content via chats, email, and social networks. Students have 24/7 access to content, so they can connect and study when they want, where they want.
Ready to take the next step?
Find out everything you need to know before applying for iTunes U. Learn more
Mobile applications for the mobile student
Convert inches to centimeters. Browse Wikipedia. Find synonyms in a thesaurus. Hundreds of educational applications like these already exist for iPod touch and iPhone, with more available every day. Some schools are even developing their own applications (often created by students) to help people find their way around campus, check shuttle schedules, view campus events, access directories, or get registration information.
Sample native applications on the App Store
Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards
This classic anatomy resource has over 350 high-resolution illustrated images.
TouchPlot
A grapher with touch capabilities including a formula editor with custom keyboards.
Grafly
A graphical calculator for iPhone and iPod touch that provides full equation graphing.
World Wiki
Get quick access to detailed information on almost 250 countries around the world.
Ultralingua
Unabridged translation dictionaries in English, French, Spanish, German, and more.
The Chemical Touch
Explore the properties of the elements with this interactive periodic table.
Sample mobile web applications
Visual Trigonometry Calculator
Visually calculate triangle and circle angles, side lengths, areas, and more.
Thesaurus
Find synonyms, antonyms, related terms, and similar words.
Reuters
Read articles from the world’s largest multimedia news organization.
Dictionary
Look up any word in an English dictionary or thesaurus.
