The Gemological Institute of America is now offering free video and audio content that current students and graduates of any GIA course can access through the Institute on iTunes U. GIA joins a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities that are partnering with Apple, Inc. to deliver educational content via iTunes U.

In just a few clicks, students can select the materials to download to their personal computer or MP3 player and enjoy them at their convenience.

The segments are brief, usually five minutes or less, and contain useful information. More than 100 podcasts are currently posted, and GIA’s Course Development department is creating new podcasts on a regular basis, many of them featuring exclusive footage.

Patrick B. Ball, the Institute’s director of Education Training and the creator of GIA’s iTunes U site, said that GIA has delivered approximately 36,000 downloads.

To get started, go to GIA’s Continuing Education page and click on the “Register for My GIA” image in the lower right corner. By completing the forms that come up, and by establishing a “My GIA” user ID. The password will then be e-mailed to the student or graduate. Students will also need to download and install Apple’s free iTunes software.

Once set up, visit https://my.gia.edu often to get the latest content. Students can also choose to subscribe so that new content is automatically delivered to their computer.

JCK