Autodesk To Release Design Academy Free Through iTunes U

Autodesk will make the Autodesk Design Academy, a collection of curriculum resources, available through iTunes U.

"Developed by educators and subject matter experts across the globe, the Autodesk Design Academy provides hundreds of standards-aligned class projects to support design-based disciplines in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) while using Autodesk's professional-grade 3D design, engineering and entertainment software used in industry," according to a news release.


The company is also launching the Autodesk Design Academy Multi-Touch Book, a resource featuring learning materials focused on Autodesk SketchBook Express, for digital art and concept sketching.

The move is part of an initiative from the company launched in December 2014 that aims to make access to its design and creativity software freely available and accessible to schools and students.

"Getting our curricula and learning resources to millions of educators for free through iTunes U and Multi-Touch books is a fantastic opportunity to empower students with the tools that will help them to imagine, design and create a better world," said Randy Swearer, vice president of education at Autodesk, in a prepared statement. "The new Autodesk Design Academy iTunes U course helps us to bring best-in-class resources to more schools, establishing a future pipeline of designers, architects and engineers."

The Design Academy and book will both be available through iTunes U beginning in the fall.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • laptop screen with a video play icon, surrounded by parts of notebooks, pens, and a water bottle on a student desk

    Studyfetch AI Tool Generates Video Explanations Based on Course Materials

    AI-powered studying and learning platform Studyfetch has introduced Imagine Explainers, a new video creator that utilizes artificial intelligence to generate 10- to 60-minute explainer videos for any topic.

  • interconnected geometric human figures forming a network

    CoSN: School Staffing Is the Top Hurdle to K-12 Innovation

    Hiring and keeping educators and IT staff remains the top challenge for K-12 education in 2025, according to the latest Driving K-12 Innovation Report from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

  • glowing digital brain made of blue circuitry hovers above multiple stylized clouds of interconnected network nodes against a dark, futuristic background

    Report: 85% of Organizations Are Leveraging AI

    Eighty-five percent of organizations today are utilizing some form of AI, according to the latest State of AI in the Cloud 2025 report from Wiz. While AI's role in innovation and disruption continues to expand, security vulnerabilities and governance challenges remain pressing concerns.