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Week 6 OER and Creative Commons

Introduction

Described image
Figure 1 When looking for an image or other resource, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel – check what is available in open educational resources (OER) before making something new.

The internet contains an abundance of images, textbooks, videos and more, which could be used by educators and those who support or manage online learning. While this creates opportunities, there are also challenges because not all these resources can be readily reused for online or blended teaching due to restrictions of international copyright or intellectual property.

This week provides guidelines about the use, reuse and sharing of digital content with a particular focus on Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are online materials that have been shared with the intent that others can reuse them. They are underpinned by Creative Commons (CC) licences. These licences clearly outline what permissions and conditions apply to using the shared resources. This week also introduces and examines some online OER repositories and gives advice on finding OER to reuse and repurpose in your own context. OER offer an alternative to spending time trying to secure (usually at cost) permission to use copyrighted material.

Practitioner reflections

The week starts with a short video from Andy, who discusses his experiences with finding, using and sharing OER as part of his practice. As you watch the video or read the transcript, make a note of the main things you already know about OER, and any opportunities you can see at this stage for using them in your own practice.

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Learning outcomes

By the end of this week, you should be able to:

  • support learners or other staff in their use of content, including academic, professional and open content;
  • identify and use specialist sources of information;
  • know about digital copyright and alternatives such as Creative Commons;
  • edit, remix and repurpose digital media to meet learning needs;
  • share digital content, presentations, resources etc. on appropriate digital sites and networks;
  • develop and adapt digital resources according to user needs with an awareness of licensing issues.