University

20 Feb 09

Oxford's iTunes U site has had more than half a million downloads

More than half a million podcasts have been downloaded since the launch of the University of Oxford’s site on iTunes U last October.

There have been around 550,000 downloads of audio and video podcasts from the site, which includes lectures by Oxford academics and famous visitors, information about how to apply to the University, and a film about the University’s major fundraising Campaign.

The site is added to regularly, with recent additions including a series about the credit crunch and global recession, and a conversation between Professor Richard Dawkins and Lord Harries of Pentregarth to mark Darwin’s 200th birthday. The event at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on 12 February revisited the famous 1860 debate on evolution held at the Museum between Thomas Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce.

For many weeks a talk by Joseph Stiglitz, former head of the World Bank, about the credit crunch was the most downloaded podcast in the world on the iTunes U service.

Stuart Lee, Director of Oxford University’s Computer Systems and Services, said: ‘We are thrilled to note the popularity of Oxford's podcasts. This is a result of the hard work of many people at Oxford, and demonstrates the University's commitment to making its resources more widely available.’

The site can be viewed at http://itunes.ox.ac.uk and all material is free to listen to or view online, or download to a portable device such as an iPod. Oxford was one of the first British universities to launch a site on iTunes U.