The iPods seen at every corner on campus may soon carry something new: homework.

Sacramento State is in the planning stage of a deal with Apple’s iTunes U hosting service that would allow professors to post digital audio recordings of their lectures online for anyone to download for free.

These files, known as podcasts, could be downloaded to any Macintosh or PC, then be transferred to an iPod and listened to anywhere imaginable.

Supporters of this program said they hope the new service will help students gain a better understanding of ideas presented in class by allowing them to revisit challenging subjects. “(Podcasts) deepen understanding and help students catch up on materials they didn’t understand,” said Obadiah Greenberg, product manager of UC Berkeley’s podcast website, http://webcast.berkeley.edu.

Cal has offered podcasts through its own website since April 2005, and has used iTunes U to distribute them since April 2006. Cal’s online offerings include lectures on astronomy, biology, engineering, history and psychology, among others.

Greenberg said many of the professors at Cal appreciate the worldwide exposure they can gain from the iTunes U service.

“Many professors are receiving e-mails from around the world from people who are grateful they can learn (from a UC Berkeley professor),” Greenberg said.

“I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails from people, here at UC Berkeley and elsewhere, who are listening and learning about the topic,” said Dacher Keltner, an associate professor of psychology at Cal, in an e-mail. “That is the most important criterion, to get ideas out into the public realm for consideration and use, and in that sense, these podcasts are working well,” he said.

“A lot of professors hope that what they’re teaching will better the world,” Greenberg said.

These podcasts can be downloaded by anyone – including people who are not students and students who were absent from class.

“If you’ve got the lecture right there, why wake up early and actually go to class?” asked senior Tracy Maddox, a biology major. She added that the service could be useful to help students catch up on topics they missed or didn’t understand.

Supporters of this program said podcasts are not meant to be a substitute for attending class, but rather as an added tool.

“It’s more of a convenience for the learner,” said Jean-Pierre Bayard, director of Academic Technology and Creative Services at Sac Sate, who explained that Apple is not charging for this service.

“This service is free for students and free for us as a university,” Bayard said.

Apple’s iTunes U network can be accessed from within the popular iTunes store, a program many students are already very familiar with. It includes podcasts from K-12 schools as well as universities, such as Yale and Stanford.

“If iTunes is your preferred method of managing your media, it saves you a step,” Greenberg said.

Gary Reichard, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer of the CSU, said iTunes U is beneficial since students are already familiar with the program.

“iTunes U represents a vehicle for learning and communication that students and professors have already embraced,” Reichard said in a press release from the chancellor’s office.

Although the infrastructure to distribute podcasts through iTunes U already exists, Sac State still has to develop a way to connect its server to iTunes.

However, Bayard said he did not want to predict when this service will be available.

Upon its availability, there is no guarantee that all professors will make this option available for their students.

“I’m an old-fashioned professor, I guess, who enjoys the regular human interaction of a university classroom,” said Jason Gieger, an assistant professor of English.

Some students, too, prefer the interaction between students and professors.

“I much prefer being there in person, because I’m in the mood to listen,” said liberal studies major Marc Lorentzen, a junior. “But if I could get (lectures) anytime I want, I might not listen to them or I might not be in the right mood to learn when I do.”