The instructor talks briefly about Creative Commons (CC), followed by a short video about why Creative Commons was created and what its purpose is. The instructor lectures briefly and show students what each license requires.
Other Activities in this series: Activity 11A, Copyright Basics for Creators; Activity 11C , Creative Commons Basics
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Explain the purpose of Creative Commons.
- Explain how Creative Commons primarily carries out its purpose.
Relevant Threshold Concepts
- 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.
- Some students may have heard of Creative Commons, but most may not understand its purpose and how it carries out that purpose.
- Copyright is a complex topic, and this activity presents it at the most basic level in a positive rather than punitive way—as what rights creators have, as opposed to how to avoid violating the copyrights of others.
- You may want to use Activity 11-C in the next class because it teaches students which Creative Commons licenses are appropriate under particular circumstances.
- The Creative Commons website is a good resource for students and instructor.
- The website of the OSU Copyright Services at Ohio State University Libraries is another good resource for students and the instructor.
Pre-Class Preparation
- View the Video
- Review Handout 11B-1 for this activity.
- Review In-Class Procedure below.
- Decide whether you want students to access Handout 11A-1 on paper or electronically.
- If you decided on electronic handouts, put Handout 11B-1 in your learning management system.
- If you decided on paper copies, print Handout 11B-1 (1 copy per student and 1 for yourself).
- Prepare for leading the discussion, using your own remarks or the material in In-Class Procedure.
- 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 Handout 11B-1, pass them out or set them where students can pick them up as they come in.
- If you’re having students use an electronic Handout 11B-1, tell them how to find and open it.
- Introduce this activity by asking who has heard of Creative Commons, sometimes called CC. Tell students that Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization formed in 2001 and that the video you’re going to show will explain why it was formed.
- Project the video.
- Point out to students that as creators of works, even while they are students, they will have opportunity to permit others to use their work, if they choose, as they retain the copyright. Creative Commons makes that easy because the license students choose to attach to their work will give permission in advance. So they won’t have to negotiate with each potential user.
- Ask them to take a look at Handout 11B-1, which shows all the Creative Commons licenses, along with what each license specifies a user of the creative work must do. Tell them that in general, the licenses differ as to whether they allow users to use the work for commercial purposes, whether users can change or remix the work, whether works derived from the original have to carry the same license, and whether users have to use the whole work or can use only part. With all licenses, users have to credit the creator of the original work.
- Ask for and answer student questions.
- Conclude the discussion by saying that sometimes instead of someone wanting to use their work, they may want to use the creative work of someone else. In that case, if the work they want to use has a Creative Commons license, it will be easy. Point out that many works that have Creative Commons licenses are available online on sites such as Flickr.com and can be used for many types of school projects. However, it is important to respect the Creative Commons license type the creator chose and to give proper attribution to the creator.
Relevant Choosing & Using Sources Chapters:
Chapter 11, Copyright Basics, “Creative Commons- An Alternative.”
Credit: See Creative Commons citation on handout.
Creative Commons. (2007). Get Creative! (Video file). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3BrAQl3so&t=335s
