iTunes U provides free educational content from leading schools, universities, museums, and cultural institutions to users throughout the world. iTunes U collections contain free lectures, language lessons, audiobooks, and more. iTunes U public courses contain free content designed around a single course subject.
After the move, iTunes U will no longer appear in iTunes on your Mac or PC and you won’t be able to download new content to your computer. (Learn more about downloading content before the move.) You will still be able to access iTunes U content, however:
To access iTunes U collections, use the Podcasts app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV, or go to the Podcasts section of iTunes on your Mac or PC. Content might be categorized differently than it was previously, but you’ll be able to find content by searching for the artist or collection name.To access iTunes U public courses, use the iTunes U app on an iOS device.
Any links to content from iTunes U collections will redirect to the same content in Podcasts. Links to content in public courses will work on iOS devices only.
iTunes U collections are moving to Podcasts – Apple Support https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208029
Looks like another wall around another silo. Generally it seems any non-podcast material in an iTunes U Course will only be available on iOS devices. Not exactly open.