There are many challenges -- the good news is that copyright is not a big additional area of worry!
Exception
The one activity that is not permitted is format shifting any content that has a digital lock. For instance, you cannot convert a DVD to a streaming format. Library Services has multiple streaming video platforms with films you can embed into Brightspace or use in a virtual classroom.
You can make a copy of a resource to load into Brightspace when one of the following conditions is met:
Licenced Library Resources
NSCC has lots of licenced resource options (eBooks, journals and more) and we have a guide to help you use them in Brightspace:
Links
Sharing links to content on the web (as an alternative to copying) is a recommended practice as long as the content on the website does not infringe copyright. Was the content:
Many instructors have DVDs that they show in their physical classrooms and may want to continue to use the resource in their Brightspace courses. Check NSCC Libraries streaming video collections to see if the resource is included in one of our existing collections. Streaming video can be linked to or embedded into your Brightspace course.
Educational institutions can transmit lessons to students in real time over the Internet or make a recording of a lesson and post it on-line. However, there is a requirement to remove access to the recorded lessons within 30 days of students enrolled in the course receiving their final evaluations.
When the course is finished, instructors should remove their lessons and content from Brightspace, and save the files in a private location. When the course is offered again, create a new class in Brightspace and load the saved content. You may reuse the saved versions of lessons from previous courses.
Digital Locks
A digital lock is a technological protection measure (a password, or encryption) that restricts access to the content with the objective of protecting the content from copying.
The Copyright Act prohibits breaking a digital lock. Always! The presence of a digital lock trumps all other rights
Would you like support in reviewing the content in your Brightspace course(s)?
You can place a request to have your Brightspace course reviewed.
Why do NSCC Brightspace courses have a fixed length?
The closing off of Brightspace courses 30 days after the course has been completed is necessary in order to comply with legislative requirements in the Canadian Copyright Act. The expanded users rights we have, to use copyright-protected content for educational purposes, comes with a set of legislated responsibilities including:
30.01(6)(a) destroy any fixation of the lesson within 30 days after the day on which the students who are enrolled in the course to which the lesson relates have received their final course evaluations;… (Copyright Act of Canada)
It is important to note that we don’t destroy courses, we remove access rights to the course. Students can and are encouraged to download content (from the courses they are registered in) to save for their own personal use.
Closing off the courses also provides protection for the creators/instructors. Courses often contain learning materials that are used under contracts or permissions that have fixed terms or conditions for use. The closing off of courses helps ensure that the conditions for using content are met; an important risk management tool providing protection to both faculty and the College.