Students who sleep through their lectures can now catch up on what they missed by downloading course material on iTunes.

University College London (UCL), the Open University and Trinity College Dublin are the first universities in Europe to put free lectures on iTunes, the popular online music store.

Professor Peter Mobbs, head of UCL's content on iTunes, said: “Our students will be able to revisit materials presented to them in lectures, so they can learn anywhere and anytime.”

Video and audio from lectures and other course content will now be on offer to students and the public on iTunes U, the free education area within Apple’s iTunes empire.

This is the first time students in Europe can benefit from iTunes U, which has previously only hosted content from leading US universities like Harvard and Yale.

Professor Denise Kirkpatrick, Pro Vice Chancellor at The Open University, said: “We can open up free access to educational resources as well as a window for our potential students.”

Universities in the UK have been offering podcasts of lectures to students for some time, but this is the first time they are to be offered as part of the iTunes empire.

A spokesperson for University College London said that the service would appeal to "techno-literate students" and "reach new audiences around the world".

Click here to see UCL on iTunes

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