ITunes U at Cal Poly Pomona - Implementation Plan I&IT, Cal Poly Pomona
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iTunes U at Cal Poly Pomona
Implementation Plan
I&IT, Cal Poly Pomona
Date: 8/22/2012
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
BACKGROUND
OF
CAL
POLY
POMONA
ON
ITUNES
U
........................................................................
2
WHAT
IS
ITUNES
U?
......................................................................................................................................
2
ITUNES
U
CONTENT
SHARING
AND
ACCESS
OPTIONS
......................................................................
3
Content
on
Public
Site
.................................................................................................................................................
3
Content
created
using
iTunes
U
Course
Manager
tool
.................................................................................
4
CONSIDERATIONS
.........................................................................................................................................
5
IMPLEMENTATION
TIMELINE
...................................................................................................................
5
ACCESSIBILITY
...............................................................................................................................................
6
MARKETING
PLAN
........................................................................................................................................
7
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
.............................................................................................................................
8
DOCUMENTATION
TO
ASSIST
HELP
DESK
STAFF
...............................................................................
9
Student
Perspective
......................................................................................................................................................
9
Faculty
Perspective
......................................................................................................................................................
9
TECHNICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
FOR
SITE
ADMINISTRATORS
.....................................................
10
LIMITATIONS
...............................................................................................................................................
10
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 1 of 10
Background of Cal Poly Pomona on iTunes U
Cal Poly Pomona is leveraging a variety of web-based solutions to raise awareness of
the unique nature of our campus, the scholarship of our faculty and students, and
connections with our local and global communities. With a focus on the delivery of
academic content and public relations materials, iTunes U was selected as a venue for
sharing general-interest videos, podcasts, and course content with members of the
campus community and the public. Cal Poly Pomona’s iTunes U presence is being
developed within the context of the university’s overall approach to social media and
learning management systems.
What is iTunes U?
iTunes U is a free service provided by Apple that allows instructors and administrators
to manage, distribute, and control access to audio and video content.
Leveraging the familiar interface of the iTunes
Store, iTunes U offers over 500,000 audio,
video, PDF, and ePub assets as well as full
courses that cover a range of topics. The
content is produced at hundreds of colleges and
universities, K–12 school districts, and
museums and libraries.
“The iTunes U app gives you access to
complete courses from leading
universities and other schools — plus the
world’s largest digital catalog of free
education content — right on your iPad,
iPhone, or iPod touch.”
(www.itunesu.apple.com)
At Cal Poly Pomona, iTunes U will provide a vehicle for sharing world-class academic
content, developed by our own faculty, with our students or with the world at large.
Videos and podcasts designed to showcase our university will also be available on the
iTunes U site.
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 2 of 10
iTunes U Content Sharing and Access Options
Video recordings (vodcasts) and audio recordings (podcasts), as well as course
packages, can be accessed via iTunes U in a variety of ways.
1. Content made public on the Cal Poly Pomona iTunes U site
a. access is provided to anyone with an iTunes account or an
iTunes U application
2. Content created using the iTunes U course manager tool
a. access to published content provided to anyone with an iTunes
account or the iTunes U application
b. access to unpublished content provided to anyone who has
received the web link to the content
Content on Public Site
The public Cal Poly Pomona iTunes U site will be launched in September 2012. Visitors
can access the site by navigating to the Apple iTunes store, downloading the iTunes
program, and subscribing, free of charge, to iTunes U. Visitors can then avail
themselves of content published by all iTunes U institutions or select CSU Pomona to
access Cal Poly Pomona content. Devices that can access content from iTunes U
include iPhones and iPads using the iTunes U app, and mac and pc computers using
the downloadable iTunes program.
The Cal Poly
Pomona on
iTunes U public Replace with screen capture
site consists of a of cpp itunes U
series of
collections
including guest
speakers, faculty
spotlights, and
bronco sports
videos.
Members of the campus community interested in contributing content to the site should
contact the Cal Poly Pomona iTunes U administrator at itunesu@csupomona.edu. The
administrator will ensure that all accessibility requirements have been satisfied prior to
publishing the content.
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 3 of 10Content created using iTunes U Course Manager tool
iTunes U provides a web-based course manager tool that allows instructors to create,
package, and distribute courses.
PLEASE NOTE: The course manger tool is available to all teachers and faculty from any
education institution (https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/coursemanger). Permission or
administrative rights are not needed to download the tool, produce course content, and
provide students with a link to the course content. Therefore, a single control point does
not exist for the course manager tool.
Promotion of the course manager tool will not occur until a pilot is conducted by eLearning
during the Fall 2012 and Winter 2013 academic quarters. Accessibility will be assessed
and a determination made as to whether the tool should be marketed to CPP faculty.
The free iTunes U app gives students
access to all the materials for a course
in a single place. Right in the app, they
can play video or audio lectures. Read
books and view presentations. See a
list of all the assignments for the
course and check them off as they’re
completed. And when the instructor
sends a message or creates a new
assignment, students receive a push
notification with the new information.
(www.itunes.com)
Course materials can include a syllabus,
handouts, quizzes, and other items;
these materials are hosted by Apple and
are made available to anyone taking the
course.
Apple provides a step-by-step guide for
developing effective, compelling courses
complete with instructor profiles; editing
and organizational guidance also is
provided. When a course is ready to be
published, the instructor clicks on the
“share course” button; the instructor then
receives a url that can be distributed to
students for in-classroom use or sent to the CPP site administrator for publishing on the
CPP iTunes U site. Apple provides a “getting started” guide that details the steps involved
in creating a course using the course manager tool
(http://images.apple.com/support/itunes-u/docs/iTunesU_Course_Guidelines_011912.pdf).
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 4 of 10Considerations
There are a number of roles, use cases, and processes to consider. The following is a
list of items that are being addressed during the implementation planning process:
• iTunes U architecture creation
• Instructor creation and uploading of course content
• Student access
• Administrator uploading of public content and content removal
• Accessibility, captioning
• Technical support for faculty and students
Implementation Timeline
The timeline reflects a series of milestones culminating in a September 2012 launch of
iTunes U. Planning and implementation will involve the following timeline and tasks:
Timeframe Tasks
April - June 2012 Series of planning and testing meetings with representatives
from I&IT Operations, I&IT Support, eLearning, and I&IT
MediaVision
May 2012 iTunes U architecture creation
May – June 2012 Testing of captioning and accessibility features
Testing of course manager tool and process
July - August 2012
iTunes U technical support plan developed
May - August 2012 Content population of iTunes U site
September 2012 Launching and marketing of public iTunes U site
Fall quarter 2012 Pilot of iTunes U course manager
Winter quarter 2013
Spring quarter 2013 If pilot is successful, full release of tool and marketing to faculty
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 5 of 10Accessibility A key factor in the successful launch of iTunes U is ensuring that iTunes U interface and content is accessible and adheres to section 508 guidelines. According to Mark Turner, Director of the Center for Accessible Media at the CSU Chancellor’s Office, collaboration between the CSU ATI (Accessible Technology Initiative) and iTUnes U commenced in 2007. According to Turner, by Fall, 2008, Apple announced they had addressed all the highest priority accessibility gaps identified by the ATI. In September of 2008, the ATI announced to the CSU community that campuses were free to use iTunes U. As new iTunes versions are released, Apple addresses accessibility support, provides a VPAT for the product, and includes accessibility information in their release notes and product documentation. Turner has provided the following recommendations to CSU campuses interested in creating an iTunes U presence: · Review the latest iTunes VPAT and product accessibility information on Apple’s accessibility website (http://www.apple.com/accessibility) for details regarding current features/gaps · Review the guide from the National Center for Accessible Media entitled ‘Creating Accessible iTunes U Content’ (http://ncam.wgbh.org/file_download/103) Accessibility of iTunes U interface MediaVision staff tested the iTunes U interface using JAWS version13 on a PC and successfully completed the following steps: • Navigated to iTunes U tab from iTunes interface • Accessed Universities and Colleges list • Tabbed through alphabetical headings • Selected a university (in this case we tested Harvard) • Tabbed through content on a university site and selected and played a video A senior systems engineer from Apple provided MediaVision with a screen capture video demonstrating the use of VoiceOver to navigate through the iTunes U interface. Voice over is an advanced screen-reading technology integrated into the Mac OS X operating system. The demonstration video can be viewed by accessing the following: http://video.csupomona.edu/streaming/video.php?id=7859&bandwidth=high&vidwidth=640&vidheight =360. Information on VoiceOver can be found at (http://help.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/10.7/English.lproj/index.html). iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 6 of 10
Accessibility of Cal Poly Pomona iTunes U content
Captioning of iTunes U content has three control-points:
1. Content contributors are informed of captioning requirements (via project
request form, project acceptance email, and at the beginning of the
recording session).
http://www.csupomona.edu/~mediavision/requestservice/general-
production.shtml
2. Contributors provide MediaVision with transcript of video. Transcripts can
be produced using a variety of methods:
a. Contributor generates transcript and submits to MediaVision
b. MediaVision provides contributor with raw transcript; contributor
revises and submits clean transcript to MediaVision
c. Contributor pays for transcript to be created by captioning vendor
Automated Sync Technologies
3. MediaVision content uploads to iTunes U are restricted to captioned
videos*
*ADMINISTRATIVE ACCESS FOR UPLOADING CONTENT TO ITUNES U IS
RESTRICTED TO MEDIAVISION STAFF
Due to the variety of devices utilized by members of the CPP community, as well as the
public at large, ensuring accessibility for every device may not be possible. Therefore,
content posted on iTunes U will also be made available on the CPP YouTube Channel
as well as CPP streaming servers at video.csupomona.edu.
Marketing Plan
Members of the campus community will be introduced to Cal Poly Pomona on iTunes U
through a variety of channels including the university’s facebook page and twitter
account, the campus cable channel, and Poly Updates. The icon for iTunes U will be
present on the homepage of the university’s web site. Apple also offers support in
creating and distributing press releases for iTunes U institutions
http://images.apple.com/support/itunes_u/docs/Marketing_iTunes_U.pdf
If the eLearning pilot and accessibility testing of the course manager tools is successful,
Mediavision will partner with eLearning and the Faculty Center for Professional
Development to garner interest from faculty who can benefit from the use of the course
manager tool. An emphasis will be placed on identifying faculty interested in making
course materials available to the general public in order to showcase the unique talents
and scholarship of our faculty. Usage trends and feedback from content creators will
inform changes and updates to the marketing plan.
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 7 of 10Technical Assistance
Technical assistance to iTunes U content creators and users can be provided in a
variety of ways:
iTunes U provides an extensive catalog of technical assistance documents available at
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes-u/. Resources include Using iTunes U, iTunes U
Course Manager, and iTunes U Public Site Manager.
The Cal Poly Pomona iTunes U support structure follows:
Initial Contact
Help Desk staff will field questions at the Help Desk location, via telephone (909)
869-6776, or via e-mail (helpdesk@csupomona.edu). Help Desk staff will:
• Conduct a brief interview with the user to clarify specific needs or problem
• Ask basic questions about the computer, mobile device, and browser (e.g.
is it a Macintosh, Windows XP, etc.; which browser is being used), the
problem or error message, and the specific events that preceded the
problem.
• Resolve the incident through personal expertise/experience, by finding a
document in the Help Desk database or iTunes U support web site, or by
consulting with a colleague
• Escalate unresolved problems to second level support as needed
Second Level Support
MediaVision will provide second level support. Depending on the nature of the
problem, MediaVision will resolve the problem or contact Apple for
assistance. MediaVision staff will:
• Provide a high level of technical support
• Provide consultation appointments for complicated issues
• Escalate unresolved problems to Apple
Third Level Support
MediaVision staff will engage Apple technicians in the process of resolving
problems that could not be addressed by MediaVision staff. These issues, and
respective solutions, will be documented and referenced if/when similar issues arise.
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 8 of 10Documentation to Assist Help Desk Staff
Student Perspective
• Option 1 (PC/MAC)
o Download iTunes (http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/)
o Install iTunes
o Open iTunes
o Select iTunes Store (left menu bar)
o Select iTunesU drop down arrow (top menu bar)
o Select ‘Colleges and Universities’
o Search for ‘CSU Pomona’
o A list of course will appear in the main content area, search for your
relevant course
o View/download/subscribe to course, whatever they’re looking for
• Option 2 (Have iOS Device 5.0.1 or greater)
o Go to App Store
o Search for ‘iTunesU’
o Install iTunesU App
Requires you to sign into your apple ID
o Open iTunesU app
Find course by using the search feature (top right)
Find course by selecting the browse button (bottom right)
• Under ‘Colleges and Universities’ search for ‘CSU Pomona’
• Look for your relevant course
o View, subscribe, download course material as you see fit
Faculty Perspective
• Faculty who want only lectures available (MediaVision can upload videos only)
o Contact MediaVision to produce/upload video content
(www.csupomona.edu/mediavision)
• Faculty who want to create their own course (use Course Manager Tool)
o Must have apple ID
o Must have the Safari browser installed (www.apple.com/safari/download/)
o Log in at https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/coursemanager/
o Create your course
o Put course on Cal Poly Pomona’s iTunes U page
Select the home button in the course manager (looks like a mortar
board)
Hover mouse over appropriate course
Select ‘share’
Copy link provided and send it to your iTunesU college
administrator (should look something like
https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/audit/X1X2JIJ9898)
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 9 of 10Technical Considerations for Site Administrators
iTunes U Public Site Manager supports the distribution of compressed audio and video
files. Apple recommends using the following formats for your audio and video content:
Audio files (AAC, MP3) with appropriate file extensions (.m4a, .mp3). For best
results during playback, Apple recommends converting MP3 files greater than 32
megabytes (MB) to AAC format. For AAC audio files, Apple recommends the
following specifications:
Audio Format: Baseline Low-Complexity Profile with AAC-LC (Music)
Data Rate: Up to 160 Kbps
Channels: Stereo (in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov formats)
Output Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Encoding Quality: Better
Video files (MPEG-4 with H.264 compression) with appropriate file extensions (.mp4,
.m4v, .mov). For best results with iPod, Apple recommends using MPEG-4 with
H.264 compression with the following specifications:
Video Format: MPEG-4 with H.264
Data Rate: Up to 1.5 Mbps
Image Size: 640 x 480 pixels
Frame Rate: 30 frames per second
Key Frame: Every 24 frames
Audio Tracks: Baseline Low-Complexity Profile with AAC-LC audio 160 Kbps
You can also use iTunes U Public Site Manager to distribute Portable Document Format
(PDF) and electronic publication (ePub) files. ePub files must pass ePubCheck 1.0.5,
include only files listed in the manifest, and use UTF-8/16 characters. For more details,
read the complete ePub specification at http://www.idpf.org/specs.htm. PDF and ePub
files appear in iTunes U and the iTunes U library with a book icon. To open a PDF or
ePub file, download the file and double-click the file. iBooks or another reader is
required (download the free iBooks application from the App store). You cannot preview
a PDF or ePub file in iTunes U.
Limitations
The most important limitation is the inability to ensure accessibility of courses created
using the content manager tool. The tool can be accessed by faculty at any institution
simply by visiting https://itunesu.itunes.apple.com/coursemanager. Permission or
administrative rights are not needed to download the tool, produce course content, and
distribute to students a link to the course content. The key to addressing this issue will
be communication with faculty, department chairs and deans to stress the importance of
creating accessible courses.
iTunes U Implementation Plan (8/22/2012) Page 10 of 10You can also read
