About the series

These modules are initially funded through the University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF), with in-kind contributions from the University of Alberta Copyright Office and School of Library and Information Studies. Subsequent funding from the University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning’s OER Grant Program has also funded module development.

Project Aim: The project aims to create a suite of instructional modules on understanding copyright for U of A staff, students, faculty, and the general public. The project hopes to develop not only a community of users but also a community of contributors.

Opening Up Copyright’s goals are:

  • Broadening access to copyright information;
  • Advancing the values associated with openness and open content;
  • Reaching multiple audiences and avoiding duplication in resource development; and
  • Producing open educational resources (OER) about copyright that can serve as an enabler for other open education projects.

Project Description: The instructional modules have the following characteristics:

  • The modules will have five levels of instruction from basic to advanced meeting the needs of a wide variety of learners.
  • The modules will be open to instructors and staff across campus, Canada, and around the globe.
  • The modules are openly licensed under a CC-BY license.
  • The modules are interactive featuring popups, links and test questions through use of H5P.
  • Underlying materials to make (and edit the modules) including scripts and PowerPoint slides are available.
  • Initial Modules: Modules will be shared iteratively as they are produced. The project publicly launched in March 2018 with the first two modules “Public Domain” and “Images”.

Module Review Process:  In an effort to improve modules, four to six months after a module’s initial release it will go through a revision to incorporate any changes and create linkages with other modules developed in the series.

For a more general overview of copyright issues relevant to university employees in Canada, see the Copyright Open Educational Resource for University Instructors and Staff created by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries.