Profiles in Success: Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ — As chief information officer (CIO) at Arizona State University (ASU), Dr. Adrian Sannier has the chance to test out and tinker with any number of technology tools. When he saw how Duke University, Stanford University, and the University of Michigan’s Dental School were using iTunes U to deliver dynamic digital content to their students, Sannier knew he was glimpsing the future of education. Now ASU has launched an iTunes U site in the iTunes Store, and Sannier says the results have more than lived up to his expectations.
ASU has always been recognized for its culture of technology innovation. But as the university’s population exploded to its current level of 65,000 students, Sannier says the information technology (IT) team struggled to stay ahead of the curve. Faced with increasing demands to support consumer technologies, including notebooks, iPod players, and mobile phones — and hoping to harness the power of the web for the rapid delivery of course content — ASU began actively investigating various consumer technology solutions.
iTunes U has allowed us to move into the rich media space, completely seamlessly.
— Dr. Adrian Sannier,
Chief Information Officer,
Arizona State University
“We knew we had to find ways to partner with organizations who could provide technology-driven services and capabilities at the scale and speed of the Internet,” Sannier explains. “We found that there was no better example of that strategy than iTunes U: Instead of talking about what machines we had to buy, what infrastructure we should have, or what formats we should support, we went straight to the head of the class with iTunes U, the world’s greatest content delivery infrastructure. iTunes U has allowed us to move into the rich media space, completely seamlessly.”
iTunes U: The Preeminent Content Distribution Model
Though Sannier’s team is always vigilant about evaluating all-possible options prior to a major implementation, he says the choice to go with iTunes U’s content distribution platform required little time or energy. “We never looked at any other technologies,” he says firmly. “The minute you decide to use iTunes U, it’s as easy as it can be. Instead of working in the back room, trying to create some sort of infrastructure that would be a pale reflection of what Apple has created, we went with iTunes U, the preeminent way to distribute this kind of material.”
Sannier adds that the overwhelming popularity of iPod players on campus was a deciding factor in the decision to adopt the iTunes U platform. “When we saw how many of our students already had MP3 players, and that the majority were iPods, it was a simple choice for us. We wouldn’t have to try to change any behaviors, or guide anyone somewhere new. Our students already knew how to download songs, and the product runs on the platforms they want to use. Our community would realize the benefits of iTunes U so quickly, there just wouldn’t be any debate.”
Objectives
- Deliver digital course content to students
- Eliminate need to build new distribution architecture
- Ensure solution can scale as student population grows
Solutions
Results
- University’s iTunes U site makes wide range of digital content available
- Content delivery system utilizes platform students already use and prefer
- Solution requires no new infrastructure, supports any number of users
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