All files in UQ’s iTunes U site are stored on the UQ podcasting server on campus. iTunes U indexes files, and links to the media at UQ.

Everybody. The iTunes U “Public” site is accessible to anyone in the world with access to the iTunes Music Store. Stage 2 of the project will make course material available on a “Private” Site requiring a UQ login.

Podcasting, unlike streaming, allows the entire file to be downloaded and saved. After that, it can be played on a computer, transferred to a digital media player, or burnt onto a CD.

All video files submitted to UQ iTunes U will have a UQ intro, outro, and watermark added by the submission system. The watermark stays on screen for the duration of a video. All audio files – except for those that are purely “musical” – will have a UQ intro inserted at the beginning. ALL files will have meta-data embedded into the file with information about the title, author, date, and some keywords (to allow searching).

In some cases, yes, but it must meet minimum quality standards, and must not include copyrighted material that you do not have clearance to use. Be aware that the site is supervised by copyright experts (Library) and brand/quality experts (Office of Marketing and Communications).

In most cases, yes. As long as the material is of high enough quality and exists in a relatively uncompressed format (for example, DVD quality) then it is possible to add branding and include it in iTunes U.

Audio — AAC, MP3, with .m4a, .mp3 extensions. Windows .wmv files are not compatible with iTunes.

• Data Rate: 128kbits/sec
• Channels: Stereo Output
• Sample Rate: 44.100 kHz
• Encoding Quality: Better

Video — MPEG-4, H.264 with .mp4, .m4v, .mov file extensions.

• File type H.264 will work best with iPods for those of you anticipating that your files will be downloaded to an iPod.
• Data rate: 256 kbits/sec
• Image size: 320 x 240
• Frame Rate: 30
• Key Frame: every 24 frames

PDFs — .pdf extensionFor those who are hosting their content on Apple servers, the individual file size limit has been increased from 500MB to 1GB. This will enable the upload of larger files.

If you don’t have iTunes, you can install it from http://www.apple.com/itunes. If you are unable to install iTunes (due to administrative restrictions on your computer, or an operating system that can’t run iTunes) then you can still view our podcasts elsewhere on this website.

Top End

Professional production firms can assist you to create well-designed and executed professional-level audio and video for a fee. There are numerous off-campus options – try an internet search or professional forum.

On campus, ITS Video Vision provide content production services ranging from simple lecture recording to fully scripted informational or promotional videos. All prices are by quotation based on a rate of $80 per hour for fully qualified staff. They offer free consulting and advice. Services include pre-production, scripting, production shooting, production editing, lecture recording and lecture recording. Contact Video Vision on 66873.

Journalism School also provides production assistance services, see rates at http://www.uq.edu.au/sjc/production-support.

DIY

Staff and/or students are able to create video, audio or screen recordings themselves using relatively inexpensive technology. Here are some guidelines for what you will need:

• Video – you will need a video camcorder or firewire CCTV camera. For best results, mount your camera on a tripod for steady recording. For best results, you will also need some video editing software, like Final Cut or iMovie.
• Audio – you will need a Dictaphone, lectern or lapel microphone, or a desk-based microphone, connected to a computer. You will also need some recording software, like the free Audacity software.
• Screencasting – you will need specialised screen recording software capable of recording as an MPEG-4 or MOV file (NOT Flash). For Windows, try Camtasia; for Apple, try Screenflow. Both these options require purchase of software – free alternatives may be available with fewer features.

More complex, in-house systems are also possible – check with your organizational unit’s IT division for more information.

Item	Example
Technology open courseware	“Introduction to Mac OS X” (Stanford Univ) #1 most downloaded
Arts/Humanities open courseware	“A romp through the history of philosophy” (Oxford) #2 most downloaded, or Open University language classes (#7)
School/Industry partnerships	“Introduction to comics” (Ball State Univ) #5 most downloaded
Publication Highlights	Dan Ariely’s “Predictably irrational” (Duke Univ) #3 most downloaded; David Sedaris (Univ Minnesota) #8
Social Sciences open courseware	“Introduction to Psychology” (Yale Univ) #4 most downloaded
Student works	Student Short films (Brooklyn College) “Twilight” #6 most downloaded; or student radio podcasts (Indiana Univ) #9 or student music (Stanford) #11
Business/Economics/Law open courseware	“Building a Business” (Oxford) #10 most downloaded
Guest/Celebrity Lectures	Carnegie Mellon Univ Randy Paulsen lecture (#14 most downloaded)