The University is trying to implement supplemental classroom instruction and lectures through "podcasting."

With podcasting and "vodcasting," owners would be able to download audio and video files to their iTunes account in order to listen and watch them at their leisure. Vodcasting is still in the process of being developed.

Podcasting is already being used at several universities including the University of Illinois at Springfield and Stanford University.

"We (the University) are at the pre-service level, and it's too early to announce the service," said Lanny Arvan, assistant chief information officer for Educational Technologies at the University.

Arvan said steps towards podcasting are happening in a more distributed way.

Some colleges, such as the College of Education and the College of Business have the proper technology for it. WILL radio station is already using daily podcasting.

Jack Brighton, the director of Internet Media at WILL, said his objective is to give people more media options.

"Podcasts are the tipping point of the on-demand media revolution," Brighton said.

Audiences are expanding by a large amount because it gives people better access to radio programs, he said.

"Since you don't have to tune in at a specific time, you have the convenience of taking the broadcast with you to the gym or while walking to class," Brighton said.

He said podcasting is like TiVo for radio.

"WILL has offered mp3 downloads for the past couple of years, but our listeners have increased our downloads from 4,000 mp3's a month to 124,000 mp3's," Brighton said.

Arvan said Campus Information Technology and Educational Services is currently researching what options the University has to set up a program that will deal with the syndicated distribution of content.

"CITES would help people consider vendors for a free service, get the word out about how content is distributed and where the podcasts are hosted," Arvan said.

He also said he eventually hopes that PowerPoint files, Excel files and e-reserve content from the library can be distributed through iPods.

"CITES would help students find RSS (really simple syndication) Web sites," Arvan said. "Students could then subscribe to a Web site where a podcast is and find enclosures of files they want to download."

Many critics think that podcasts could replace conventional classroom instruction. However, Arvan said he doesn't think that will happen.

"It's a nice complement to lecture material and is a great option for review," he said.

Bradley Go, sophomore in FAA, said podcasts would not prevent him from going to class.

"Podcasts would remove the realm of interactivity," Go said.

Arvan said students don't need technology as a reason to ditch class.

He also said that whether CITES will provide service is undecided right now.

"We are trying to learn what people and vendors want in order to accommodate and envision what a service could look like in two or three years," he said.

Arvan said Stanford University now has a Web site for putting up content on an iTunes server.

Apple is also in the process of developing iTunes servers for other universities.

Arvan said a major problem is the need for Apple hardware, and departments that already have Apple software are more inclined to invest.

Go said podcasts are a great idea but have certain limitations.

"It depends on the University's ability to make iPods more accessible to students because not everyone can afford them," Go said.