Topic 4 Possible restrictions when using or re-using digital resources (e.g. copyright, file type, technical requirements, legal provisions, accessibility)

When using digital resources, you must assure there no restrictions conflicting with your intentional use. This among other things:

• Copyright
• File type
• Technical requirements
• Legal provisions
• Accessibility

Copyright

The basic terms of copyrights will be reviewed later in this module and even more thorough in module 6. Here we will focus on the possibility to search for copyright free pictures in a Google search:

When you search, you click on Pictures and Tools. Here you can select Rights of use. By choosing Creative Commons-license you are assured that you can use the pictures in the learning setting.

File type

Certain systems don’t support certain file types. When you want to upload a file to a system, you may be confronted with an error stating the system do not support this file. More important your learner’s devices may not support your files as they don’t have the application to open it. This could for instant be an interactive white board file. You may have to convert the file into a general type – such as pdf. Here you can loose some features e.g. editing the file.

Technical requirements

In the present life most people have a wide range of different devices they use in different situations. Some have both a pc, an iPad, a smartphone and a smartwatch and use them for many purposes. But some don’t have the same possibilities and may only have access to a single device. When you assign your learners to a digital task, you have to make sure what technical requirements the task need. For instant can a task with drag and drop use the technology called Flash and not all smartphones supports this.

Legal provisions

When you or your to a service or online resource this may be restricted to a certain of users. It can be tempting to share login information so more users can login with the same profile. In most systems this is a violation of the legal provisions. By doubts you should contact your it-responsible, your manager or the system provider. 

Accessibility

Accessibility in general will be reviewed in topic 1.7. Here we will only shortly investigate the restrictions. Some services are licensed to the college’s ip address – meaning that you can only access the service when you are on the premises. Other services requires (good) internet access to function and not all learners have access to a good internet connection all places. The task: take a short video in the nature and upload it, requires for instant a proper mobile data abonnement.