Copyright Issues
This activity can be used for one-shot sessions or credit-bearing courses
Set-Up
Because the aim of this activity is to expose what students already know about copyright from their own experience, what they think they know about copyright, and what concepts they are not yet familiar with, this activity is best served "cold."
However, if you would like students to have more preparation or get them thinking about the topic beforehand, you can assign a reading on copyright issues that they should complete before coming to class. Larry Lessig's TED Talk on Laws That Choke Creativity is especially good at cultivating interest in the issue.
If this activity is being done as part of a one-shot session, try to find out from the course instructor if he or she has gone over copyright issues with the students at all beforehand.
Significant Problem
The ethical use of information is a topic that may be covered in an information literacy course and include information about copyright issues, plagiarism, and citation. Students in information literacy or other courses may be working on projects that require them to be aware of copyright issues and apply best practices, especially if they are creating a website or other creative project that will become public.
Same Problem
Specific Choice
Ask the groups to decide whether the question shown is true or false based on their knowledge of copyright issues.
Tip #1: If you are not giving the presentation in Presentation mode, be sure to minimize or hide the "film strip" that appears at the side of the screen in PowerPoint when editing the presentation so that students won't try to see the correct answer before you get to the answer slide.
Simultaneous Reporting
Tip#3: If there are differences in the answers, ask one group that answered "True" for their reasoning and one group that answered "False" for their reasoning.
Tip #4: If there is no variation in the answers, ask one or two groups for their reasoning and then ask the remaining groups if they have anything to add.
Tip #5: Where possible, try to make sure you are not asking the same groups for their explanations every time.
Once the groups have discussed the reasoning behind their answers, reveal the answer slide and then go immediately to the explanation slide to explain why this is the correct answer.
Set-Up
Because the aim of this activity is to expose what students already know about copyright from their own experience, what they think they know about copyright, and what concepts they are not yet familiar with, this activity is best served "cold."
However, if you would like students to have more preparation or get them thinking about the topic beforehand, you can assign a reading on copyright issues that they should complete before coming to class. Larry Lessig's TED Talk on Laws That Choke Creativity is especially good at cultivating interest in the issue.
If this activity is being done as part of a one-shot session, try to find out from the course instructor if he or she has gone over copyright issues with the students at all beforehand.
Significant Problem
The ethical use of information is a topic that may be covered in an information literacy course and include information about copyright issues, plagiarism, and citation. Students in information literacy or other courses may be working on projects that require them to be aware of copyright issues and apply best practices, especially if they are creating a website or other creative project that will become public.
Same Problem
- Create a PowerPoint presentation that consists of a series of true/false questions related to copyright issues.
- Place the true/false question on one slide.
- Place the correct answer on the next slide.
- Write an explanation for the correct answer on the following slide.
- Repeat Steps 2-4 for each question you intend to ask.
- Present each question one at a time so that each group will be working on the same question at the same time.
Specific Choice
Ask the groups to decide whether the question shown is true or false based on their knowledge of copyright issues.
Tip #1: If you are not giving the presentation in Presentation mode, be sure to minimize or hide the "film strip" that appears at the side of the screen in PowerPoint when editing the presentation so that students won't try to see the correct answer before you get to the answer slide.
Simultaneous Reporting
- Give each group two placards, one representing "True" and the other representing "False."
- When the groups are done discussing, ask the groups to hold up the placard representing their choice at the same time.
- Do not give away the correct answer just yet.
Tip#3: If there are differences in the answers, ask one group that answered "True" for their reasoning and one group that answered "False" for their reasoning.
Tip #4: If there is no variation in the answers, ask one or two groups for their reasoning and then ask the remaining groups if they have anything to add.
Tip #5: Where possible, try to make sure you are not asking the same groups for their explanations every time.
Once the groups have discussed the reasoning behind their answers, reveal the answer slide and then go immediately to the explanation slide to explain why this is the correct answer.