OCW F.A.Q.

WHAT KINDS OF MATERIALS ARE PUBLISHED IN OPENCOURSEWARE? Planning materials: calendar, pedagogical statement, faculty introductions. Subject matter content: Lectur reading lists, full-text readings, video/audio lectures. Learning activities: Problem sets, assignments, quizzes, exams labs or projects.

WHAT ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY? All content published in an OpenCourseWare site should be IP-cleared, meaning that the OpenCourseWare publisher has the rights, either through ownership or by license (permission), to make the materials available under open terms and that nothing in the materials infringes the copyrights of others. The publisher may retain the right to publish the materials in other forums.

WHAT ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY? Through OpenCourseWare, anyone can use the materials, as they are or in any modified form. However, an OpenCourseWare user must meet these requirements to use the materials:
Non-commercial: OpenCourseWare materials can only be used for non-commercial purposes.
Attribution: Materials must be attributed to the publishing institution and, if a faculty member's name is associated with the material, to that person as well. Share alike: If the works are altered, transformed, or built upon, the resulting work must be offered freely and openly to others under the same terms.

DO USERS NEED TO REGISTER TO USE OPENCOURSEWARE MATERIALS, AND CAN THEY RECEIVE CREDIT? No registration is required for use, and users do not receive university credit. OpenCourseWare projects aren't intended to be distance learning or degree-granting initiatives.

HOW IS OPENCOURSEWARE DIFFERENT FROM DISTANCE EDUCATION? OpenCourseWare is not meant to replace degree-granting higher education or for-credit courses. Rather, the goal is to provide content freely and openly to the world. Distance education provides an active exchange between faculty and students where OpenCourseWare provides access to educational materials only. Distance education offers credit for enrollment in a course, and OpenCourseWare does not. Access to distance education courses is limited to enrolled (and paying) students, and OpenCourseWare provides free and open access to anyone with an internet connection.

WHAT INFLUENCES THE COST OF AN OPENCOURSEWARE PROJECT? PRE-EXISTING AVAILABILITY Of course materials in publishable, digital format. THE TIME/RESOURCES REQUIRED to "scrub clean" courses produced under "fair use" of any content that is not globally shareable due to copyright/intellectual property concerns. AVAILABILITY OF IN-HOUSE SERVICES to reduce the need for a separate OpenCourseWare publishing organization. TRADITIONAL SERVER/HOSTING/ADMINISTRATION COSTS for the OpenCourseWare web server, and content management system.

HOW DOES MY INSTITUTION GET STARTED? Have a conversation. In fact, have several conversations. Talk to faculty members, online education designers, and administrators who will support the initiative. COSL team members will support you in every way possible to help you get the initiative started. That support includes software (eduCommons) to help you manage your OpenCourseWare content, training on the software and on intellectual property issues, and anything else we can do to help you get started.