Pacific @ iTunes U Student & Visitor FAQ

Q: Do I have to have a PUnet account to access Pacific @ iTunes U?

A: Pacific @ iTunes U contains both Public and Restricted areas.  Public areas can be accessed by anyone, with no PUnet account needed.  Restricted areas are accessible only for current enrollees in certain classes.  To access this restricted content, you must log on with your PUnet account.

Q: Can students or student organizations publish material to Pacific @ iTunes U?

A: No.  Only current PU faculty and staff are given access to upload to Pacific @ iTunes U.  If you have media you believe should go on iTunes U, contact a faculty or staff member (e.g. the faculty advisor for your club) or contact University Relations.

Q: Do I have to have an Apple computer or iPod to access material on Pacific @ iTunes U?
A: No.  You must have the iTunes application (available for both Mac and PC as a free download) to access and download material on iTunes U.  Once downloaded, you can export media to any computer or portable media player.  We cannot guarantee that all file formats will play on all media players, however most files are recorded in mp3 and mpeg-4 formats which are among the most widely used file formats.

Q: I can't see my class, what should I do?

A: First of all, verify that:

  • You are logging in with your PUnet username and password.
  • The class in question does have material on Pacific @ iTunes U.
  • You are currently enrolled in a class.

If you have verified the preceding and still can't access course material, ask your instructor or your department/program's administrative staff to put in a help request to UIS on your behalf.  Make sure that the requestor knows your PUnet username and what class(es) you are supposed to have access to.

Q: Will I still have access to restricted class material after the semester is over?

A: No, not unless the instructor has made special arrangements with the iTunes U administrator for your access to persist.

 

Pacific @ iTunes U Publisher FAQ

Q: What handouts and forms are referenced in this FAQ?

A: The following:

Q: How do I gain access to upload materials to Pacific @ iTunes U?

A: To gain publisher access you must:

  • Be current Pacific University Faculty and Staff.
  • Fill out the Pacific @ iTunes U Course/Public Channel Request form and fax or mail it to UIS.
  • If the course or channel is requesting is going to be public, the form must include a signature from your dean or VP.
  • You must complete the Pacific University - Intellectual Property for uploading to iTunes U course on Blackboard.
  • Once you have sent in the form and completed the course, an email will be sent confirming your access, typically within 3 business days.  

Q: How do I take the complete the "Pacific University - Intellectual Property for uploading to iTunes U" course?

A: All faculty and staff have access to this course.  Log on to Blackboard and you should see it in your course list.  Read through the material and take the assessment.  If you get 9 out of 10 questions correctly you have successfully completed the course.  If not, you can retake the assessment any number of times (you may have to wait up to 1 hour between attempts).

Also, please note that most of the policies and best-practices suggestions mentioned in the course are also available in the IP Recommendations for iTunes U Publishers handout.

Q: What options are available for limiting access to material?

A: If the course/channel you are requesting is "University" (not connected to a particular academic school or program) then your only option is for the channel to be public.  If the course/channel you are requesting is "Academic" (connected to a particular academic school or program) then you have these options:

  • Restricted Course (connected to a current course, only viewable by enrollees in that course).
  • Public Course (connected to a current course, viewable by anyone).
  • Restricted Resources (not tied to one course, viewable by anyone enrolled in any course in the program).
  • Public Resources (not tied to one course, viewable by anyone).

Q: What are the appropriate use guidelines for uploading to Pacific @ iTunes U?

A: The appropriate use guidelines for publishers are as follows:

  • Do not upload material that infringes on copyright or other intellectual property laws (see IP Recommendations for iTunes U Publishers).
  • Do not upload material that infringes on academic rules of conduct.
  • Never record anyone without their knowledge. Any time you are recording, anyone who might be recorded, even inadvertently, should be informed via a sign or announcement.
  • When releases are required (see below), do not upload material until you have signed copies of releases from all appropriate participants. Releases must be kept on file by your department/program indefinitely.
  • Publishers are encouraged to seek advice from the appropriate department or individual (see IP Recommendations for iTunes U Publishers) before uploading.
  • Disciplinary action will be taken against any faculty or staff member who disregards the appropriate use guidelines.

Q: When am I required to get signed releases from the people being recorded?

A: In all cases where people are being recorded except: where you are the only person being recorded, or where students are being recorded for a recording that will only be made available in a restricted area.  See the IP Recommendations for iTunes U Publishers handout for more details.  See also: iTunes U Recorded Participant Release.

Q: I'm leaving my current position.  What will happen to my course/channel?

A: If this is a channel (not tied to a particular course) then your Dean or VP will request that publisher access be given to another faculty/staff member.  If this is a course (tied to a course you were the instructor of) the course will be deleted.  There is no provision for transferring ownership of a course, although you may give your local copies of media files to your successor for that person to use in a new course.

Q: Will UIS record or edit material for me?

A: No.

Q: How do I record and edit material for Pacific @ iTunes U?

A: You can use whatever software and equipment works for you.  Some equipment (digital videocameras, digital voice recorders, analog video capture devices) is available for checkout from UIS, but its availability cannot be guaranteed.  The following handouts give instructions for capturing media via hardware available at Pacific University:

See also the following guide for converting the files obtained by these methods:

Q: How do I upload material to iTunes U?

A: First, you must have publisher access (see above).  Next:

  • Log onto Pacific @ iTunes U from the main page.
  • Navigate to your course/channel (there should be a link from the main page).
  • Go to the tab you want to upload to.
  • Click the "Upload and Manage Files" link in the upper-right.
  • Click "Add file" then "Browse."  Find the file on your local computer, select it, and click Open.
  • Your file should begin uploading.  When it is done you can click on the pencil-icon to edit the name and "Artist" information.

To see a video demonstrating how to upload, go to the Tech Help & Training channel on Pacific @ iunes U.

Q: What format should material be in?

A: UIS suggests the following formats:

  • Audio: mp3, 128 kbps, 44100 sample rate, stereo.
  • Video: mp4, 320x240, 192 kbps, 29.97 fps.
  • File Size: Must be 500 MB or less.

Also, see Apple's Creating Content for iPod + iTunes (pdf) and our How To Convert Media Files to iTunes-Friendly Formats (pdf).

Q: When will students have access to restricted course materials?

A: Students have access when student records say they are currently enrolled in the course.  Access does not begin until the semester starts and it ends when the semester ends.  If you need a student or students to have access to restricted materials before or after the semester ends, contact the iTunes U administrator.

Q: Can I link directly to my course/channel from my webpage or from blackboard?

A: Yes.  Go to the Pacific @ iTunes U site, right-click on the link to your class/course and choose "Copy iTunes Store URL."  This will copy a link which you can then paste into your HTML editor or Blackboard.  It is best if you warn those who may follow the link that they must have the iTunes U application installed and allow their web browser to launch it.

Q: What should I put in the fields on my video or audio recording?

A: The Pacific University standard for fields is:

  • Name | title for the recording that contains brief information of the content and the date on which it was recorded (e.g. “5/12/08 lecture – spongiform diseases”).
  • Artist | name of the presenter(s) or interviewee(s). If no name is available (e.g. the person being recorded wishes to be anonymous, or no one particular person is the subject of the recording) then the name of the person who oversaw the recording should go here.
  • Year | year the recording was made.
  • Album Artist | leave blank.
  • Track Number | the number that corresponds to the order recordings were added to a particular course or channel. (e.g. if this is the 5th item in BIOL-117-4 then the field should contain “5”)
  • Album | name of the course or channel (e.g. “BIOL 117-4 – Cell Biology” or “President’s Speeches”).
  • Grouping | leave blank.
  • Composer | leave blank, unless the material performed was written/composed by someone other than the person listed in Artist, in which case the writer/composer should be listed.
  • Comments | must contain “Copyright 20XX by Pacific University, all rights reserved” (where XX is the year the recording was made).

 

Contact Us

For general support (e.g. trouble logging in) contact:

Technology Information Center (A-175)

Lower Level of Marsh Hall

Help@Pacificu.edu

503.352.3132 (phone)

503.352.3162 (fax)

Publishers who need help can publishing to iTunes U should contact:

iTunesUadmin@pacificu.edu