Students read what the six main types of Creative Commons (CC) licenses allow users to do with copyrighted works creators are willing to share. Then they figure out which are the best license choices for creators who want to share their work under certain conditions.
Other Activities in this series: Activity 11A, Copyright Basics for Creators; Activity 11B , Creative Commons Basics
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Assign the correct Creative Commons license type to works, depending on what creators are willing to let users do with their work.
Relevant Threshold Concept
- Information has value.
Suggestions for Use
- This activity should be helpful in classes where students will use various types of media in multimedia or other projects.
- You may want to use this activity as a follow-up to Activity 11B, which teaches the purpose of Creative Commons with one of its videos and includes a handout on license types.
- Some students may have heard of Creative Commons, but they may not understand its purpose and how it carries out its purpose. This activity should help them understand what Creative Commons licensing is and how they might use Creative Commons-licensed work or choose a Creative Commons license for their own creations they want to share.
- Students can access Handout11C-1 and complete Handout 11C-2 electronically or in print.
- Assigning students to read Handout 11C-1 before class would save class time.
- The Creative Commons website (https://creativecommons.org) is a good resource for students and instructor.
- The website of the OSU Copyright Services at Ohio State University Libraries (https://library.osu.edu/copyright) is another good resource for students and instructor.
Pre-Class Preparation
- Review the handouts and answer key for this activity.
- Review In-Class Procedure below.
- Decide whether you want students to access Handout 11C-1 and/or complete Handout 11C-2 on paper or electronically.
- If you decided on electronic handouts, put Handouts 11C-1 and 11C-2 in your learning management system.
- If you decided on paper copies, print Handout 11C-1 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself) and Handout 11C-2 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself) and Answer Key 11C-1 (1 copy for yourself).
- Prepare for leading the discussion after students have completed Handout 11C-2.
- Consider projecting Answer Key 11C-1 during the discussion you lead.
- Download and perhaps print In-Class Procedure so you can take it with you to class.
In-Class Procedure
- If you’re having students use printed copies of Handouts 11C-1 and 11C-2, pass them out or set them where students can pick them up as they come in.
- If you’re having students use electronic Handouts 11C-1 and Handout 11C-2, tell them how to find and open them.
- Tell or remind students that Creative Commons is a non-profit organization formed in 2001 that encourages creators to share their work with users under certain conditions, all the while the creators retain the copyright. That willingness to share under certain conditions is made possible by Creative Commons licenses.
- Tell them that creators can attach such licenses to their work so everybody knows the conditions under which it is available. So students may want to attach a Creative Commons license to their own work. There are six main licenses to choose from.
- Ask students to complete Handout 11C-2, using information about the licenses on Handout 11C-1. Give them a 10-minute deadline.
- After 10 minutes, project Answer Key 11C-1 and briefly discuss the correct answers to each of the six scenarios on Handout 11C-2.
Relevant Choosing and Using Sources Chapter:
Chapter 11, Copyright Basics.
Credit: See Creative Commons citations on handouts.
