Copyright Conversations: Flexible approaches to engaging learning and teaching experiences

It’s important to strike a balance between fulfilling the needs of academic staff who are designing engaging lesson plans and course content, while also meeting copyright and licensing requirements of online resources. Earlier this year, Librarians, Kate Allman and Jane Humphreys, assisted CCI academics, Dr Sam Bowker (Art History/Visual Culture) and Rachel Walls (Animation and Visual Effects), in providing easy access to films for students studying online, pre- and post-COVID. In Sam’s case, he had planned to screen films both online and on campus, which required us to explore the copyright and licensing issues around broadcasting online. While we were getting in touch with copyright owners, distributors, and streaming giants, COVID hit and it was clear nothing could be offered on campus, so we had to re-orient the entire program. For Rachel, her plan was to screen personally owned, rare DVDs for her Animation students, which started a conversation on how to maintain best practice regarding copyright and flexible access for students. This podcast expands on these two instances and explores the possibilities in collaborating with the Library. Also, it may begin to demystify the processes involved with using the resources you want while maintaining copyright compliance. While Sam’s and Rachel’s experiences are in CCI subjects, we will discuss more broadly how Librarians can help to navigate different types of resources in all subject areas and advise on how to appropriately incorporate them in teaching and learning activities. This conversation doesn’t aim to explain the ins and outs of copyright regulation, but it does discuss the reality of working with licensed material and resolving tricky situations to maximise student success. Touching on the use of digital tools like Leganto ‘Readings and resources’ lists and Zoom rooms, we will talk about how copyright shouldn’t present a barrier to creating engaging learning and teaching environments. Going forward, listeners can feel confident in contacting their Library Faculty Teams to discuss the choices available for accessing learning resources and opportunities for further collaboration to create more flexible teaching spaces.