iTunesU Post 4

'No money? No problem!' is not something you normally hear from universities and colleges, and for most students the weights of their loans and debt is the biggest pat on their shoulder when they graduate...HOORAY!

So why are universities and colleges going the way of FREE online courses for students..? well there are prose and cons to every situation, and in this case the post-secondary education system decided it was worth the risk.

Although many of the courses offered are free, just as online books, news article and music there are always the 'free downloads' and the 'paid downloads' and if you've ever purchased any 'free download' you know by the time your finished with it there are always several paid suggestions waiting for you to grab hold of.  Free downloads are the bait to the real juicy meat, and just as it works with the novels it works with the iTunes U courses.

Another possible reason for schools going ahead with this rout in education, is the idea of it being the most successful and cost effective advertisement for schools yet.  They have a school full of professors already being paid for their services, and by simply adding an audio and or visual recorder, the school has now gained a reusable, rewindable, and pre-paid lecture to show off to a world full of prospective students.

For students coming straight out of high school or even mature students, to be able to go online and view a possible school of choice's professors, and teaching abilities, is a huge asset to decide on which school may be right for them.

On top of bringing in more prospective students; whom will end up making up for any loss in funds, the universities are also receiving free training for their staff.  Professors whom use to spend all their time in their own classroom are now finally able, on their own time, to watch their fellow colleagues teach and therefore learn from each others styles to improve their own.