Privacy

Once the great menace of the classroom, cellphones and other mobile devices are gaining functionality as an educational tool, both in and out of the classroom. Though many educators may be skeptical about introducing or encouraging the use of these devices, creators of OERs and other educational materials are increasingly working to harness their potential for interesting and diverse uses. While there isn't necessarily cohesion to the pool of uses, the diversity is part of the appeal. It's worth experimenting with the different possibilities to see if and where they can be useful to you.

Resources covered:
Top Hat
Twitter
Flowboard

Blended and computer-based learning raises new questions, for many students and faculty, about intellectual property and data usage. Most institutions have their own, explicit copyright policies which spell out exactly what the institution considers to be acceptable and unacceptable use of material. For specific questions about what's allowed at your institution, consult that policy first. LINKwithlove also provides resources and facilitates discussion about creating and promoting best practices for dealing with intellectual property in digital platforms. This post will address the basic question: Does copyright apply to computer-based educational materials like tutorials, quizzes, and animations in my courses?

Generally speaking, current copyright law assumes that the author/creator of a work possesses an exclusive legal property right in that work from the moment of its creation, and the work cannot be bought, sold or traded without that author/creator's consent. Laws makes no distinction between materials created and/or published digitally and those created and/or published on paper. Computer software or code is among the forms of expression protected under US copyright law. However, you have a few options for incorporating computer-based materials into a course: