Course Design

Tips from the Pros: Use of Copyrighted Video

During a recent Magna Online Seminar, Linda Enghagen, an attorney and professor in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, responded to two commonly asked questions about use of copyrighted videos in online courses.

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Universal Design in Online Courses: Beyond Disabilities

The concept of universal design for learning (UDL) was initially developed in order to provide equal access to learning opportunities for students in face-to-face courses. It has since been adapted for many learning situations, including online courses. However, there is still a widespread perception that

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A Professor’s Experience as a MOOC Learner

Supriya Sarnikar, associate professor in the Economics and Management Department at Westfield State University, enrolled in several MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) offered through Coursera for several reasons: personal enrichment, to learn of any pedagogical or technological innovations these courses offered, and to better understand

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Staying Inside Copyright Law: Six Pragmatic Options

At both the beginning and end of each day, it is important to remember that there are only so many options for designing and delivering distance education courses that comply with copyright and fair use law. If I wanted to give someone the short version

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Six Ways to Avoid Crappy E-Learning

Screen after screen of text is what Kevin Gumienny refers to as “crappy” learning. Gumienny, curriculum coordinator for the Texas A & M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), says that there are some valid reasons for using this type of instructional design—it’s easy to create and

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During a recent Magna Online Seminar, Linda Enghagen, an attorney and professor in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, responded to two commonly asked questions about use of copyrighted videos in online courses. Is it ever permissible to stream a video in a distance education course that is not owned by the institution? “Based on the current state of the law, the answer is no with one possible exception. The possible exception is when the institution does not own the video but has permission from the copyright holder to stream the video. Because it is lawful to show a video not owned by the institution in a face-to-face course, many people find this frustrating or counterintuitive. Nevertheless, it is one of those rules that is in the law.” Can I embed YouTube videos in an online course? “Assuming the videos were lawfully posted by the copyright holder or someone else authorized by the copyright owner, it is usually OK. However, you have to make a judgment about that, and if it doesn't pass the smell test, don't link to it and don't send your students to it. You run the risk of having committed a type of copyright infringement called contributory copyright infringement. Essentially that refers to situations in which you do not commit the direct infringement but take advantage of it when someone else did—and you knew or should have realized that.”