Content Ownership for Online Materials, Creating Community for Online Education In Nursing

Nursing and Content Ownership for Online Materials, Creating Community for Online Education

Content Ownership for Online Teaching Materials In Nursing Education, Creating Community for Online Education In Nursing

Content Ownership for Online Teaching Materials In Nursing Education

    Technology has made the duplication, distribution, and display of copyrighted material quick and easy. But precisely because it is possible does not make it legal. Stakeholders including faculty, librarians, and developers need to understand the laws governing the inclusion of copyrighted material in online courses ( Baeslack et al., 2013). 

    There are four types of intellectual property: copyright, trademark, patent, and trade secret. Online courses are most influenced by copyright law because it covers the rights to duplicate, distribute, derive, display, and perform content directly, digitally, or through telecommunications (Tillman, 2008). A copyright applies only to the expression of an idea, such as a video or written work, and not the idea itself. 

    One way to avoid copyright infringement is to transform the presentation of an idea. Education enjoys a Fair Use Exemption for the reasonable use of copyrighted materials. Four factors are considered when determining whether an exemption applies (Tillman, 2008). Market effect favors an exemption for nonprofit educational institutions because for profit colleges and universities may be viewed as selling online courses for financial gain. 

   The Face-to-face Teaching Exemption and TEACH Act allows for nonprofit educational institutions to digitally transmit copyrighted work provided the amount is comparable to that typically displayed in class, and other conditions are met. It is imperative that faculty and students be made aware of copyright laws and violations so that they can be avoided (Tillman, 2008). 

    A copyright does not mean that a work cannot be inserted into a course. Permission to use copyrighted material may be obtained from the copyright holder. Some agreements will include requirements such as posting the owner's name and copyright status. 

    Others will want payment for the use of the content. Some institutions may be willing to remit a one-time fee, but avoid paying royalties because of the tracking, accounting, and ongoing costs involved. 

    The “last mile” problem in telecommunications describes the difficulty in hooking up homes and businesses to technology that enables them to connect to the rest of the world. This has been mostly solved for online learners who can visit a local library or workplace and access the Internet when their homes do not have Internet service (Suber, 2008). 

    There is also a “last mile” problem with knowledge that online learners face, but it is not related to technology. Libraries have made the transition from warehouses of print material to distribution centers of electronic information. Online education has become a catalyst for the mass transfer of hard copy, geographically bound books and journals to electronic databases and books. 

    It has never been easier to access research-based evidence from a technological standpoint. But technology does not eliminate the financial costs that come with toll access to most quality resources. All students, not just those in online classes, need access to resources to research their papers, plan their projects, and locate evidence on which to base their evidence (Suber, 2008). 

    Libraries subscribe to online resources and make them available to enrolled students, but the cost can be considerable. The federal government has approached this issue by expanding public access, or open access, to the results of federally funded research (Stebbins, 2013). 

    The published results are to be made available to users, without charge, within 1 year of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The reasoning is that the public pays for the research through their tax dollars. Some argue that this can have a detrimental effect on scholarly publishing because it decreases the amount of money that the publisher can invest in supporting these endeavors. 

    Online courses combine content developed by faculty, third parties, and educational institutions. Copyright or ownership of the contents depends on contracts and licensing agreements among the parties involved, as well as on laws that govern intellectual property and educational use. 

    Traditionally, online courses are offered by the college or university to defined groups of students who have been registered, authenticated, and are affiliated with the institution. Students in these online courses own the intellectual property that they contribute in the form of papers and discussion posts. 

    An exception may be for a MOOC, which typically includes a disclaimer that submission to the course waives all rights to the content and it may be hosted, displayed, reproduced, modified, distributed, and relicensed ( Baeslack et al., 2013). Coursera, edX, and Udacity and others who host MOOCs have created a fourth stakeholder in the issue of who owns the rights to content ( Baeslack et al., 2013).

Creating Community for Online Education In Nursing

    The absence of face-to-face communication in the online community has led to faculty needing to use specific strategies to overcome the sense of distance and create a learning environment in which students feel connected and have a sense of the presence of each member. 

    At the beginning of each course, the educator can establish a learning community through activities that promote personal student interaction and allow the class to get acquainted with each other as individuals. Sharing pictures, using “icebreaker” activities, and posting brief introductory messages during the first week of the course are just a few examples of some activities that can promote interaction among the students before discussion of course content begins. 

    It is equally important for faculty members to share information about themselves; Faculty can use a photograph or a short video introduction to help students learn more about the faculty. Establishing a discussion forum that can be used by students to ask course questions and promote student dialogue without faculty presence can also be helpful in promoting a learning community. 

    Some faculty choose to schedule periodic face-to-face interactions to promote a sense of community, but this is not always possible or even necessary. A learning community can be successfully built online without the participants ever meeting each other .