At a special education event on Thursday, Apple introduced a revamped version of their iTunes U services. iTunes U is a collection of podcasts in both audio and video formats, from a number of universities in the United States. Topics covered range from chemistry to basketball and offers a range of choices for different lessons and tutorials.

Apple has now removed the iTunes U service from a tab deep within iTunes and has created a brand new application, simply called ‘iTunes U’. This goes in part with Apple’s new push for education, following the release of textbooks for iPad, bringing a number of textbook publishers under the Apple umbrella.

If you’re an educator at a university, college, or K-12 school, now you have an easy way to design and distribute complete courses featuring audio, video, books, and other content. And students and lifelong learners can experience your courses for free through a powerful new app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

The iTunes U app is available for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch on the App Store for free [App Store]. This new app brings together all pieces of the iTunes U service, and tightens Apple’s control over their multiple updates to the service over the past few years.

Apple’s education services went into the shadows recently, but is now poised to become a focal point of Apple’s revenue stream and targets a larger audience for their products.

Earlier today, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) launched it’s annual Back to School promotion, except this year, they’ve mixed it up a bit. Instead of offering a free iPod touch with the purchase of a Mac, Apple is giving students $100 App Store Credit.

When you buy a new qualifying Mac with Apple education pricing* from June 16, 2011, through September 20, 2011, you’ll get a $100 Back to School Card to use on the Mac App Store, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore.

Many customers believe that a physical product offered by Apple (iPod touch) is much better than free gift cards. Although that may be true, the simple idea that Apple is offering something free for students is better than nothing, and $100 worth of apps is great for purchasing all the software you need for college.

Apple did not state why they made the change from iPod touch to the $100 credit, however, we can assume that it’s because Apple does not carry any older generation iPod touch at this point. In the past, after introducing a new iPod touch at Apple’s September event, Apple would offer the older models in it’s Back to School promo. The Back to School promotion is set to run from June 16th until September 20th, 2011, well into the beginning of the school year.