Pod People

This is not so surprising:

In its latest move to broaden its iPod and iTunes franchises, 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.
...
Apple's service offers universities a customized version of the iTunes software, allowing schools to post podcasts, audio books or video content on their iTunes-affiliated Web sites. The iTunes-based material will be accessible on Windows-based or Macintosh computers and transferable to portable devices, including Apple's iPods.

I remember, back in the day, that unmotivated students would take a tape recorder to class, plop it on the desk, hit Record, and then go to sleep. (Yes, they were tape recorders and not Edison wax cylinders.) Now, they can bypass the whole "getting up and going to class" part of the process.

Sour grapes on my part? Oh, probably. Still, I can't help but think that audio files have certain limitations in educational applications: they can't be easily skimmed or studied in the same way that something printed (or written and disseminated electronically) can. So a podcast is really only good as a supplement to something in written form.