Videos do more than allow us to capture and share moments in time with friends and family. As educational tools as they allow us convey complex concepts and present ideas to a wide audience in a visually engaging way. More often than not, YouTube would be the first port of call for those of us wanting a video showing a recipe for lemon meringue pie, instructions on how to make a macramé potholder or information on how photosynthesis works. Unfortunately, the burgeoning popularity of YouTube can makes it rather tricky to navigate and find good quality content that comes from a legitimate source which we then can use as teaching aids. A cursory search of YouTube for any conceivable topic will inevitably bring up a mixed bag of results, and it can be difficult to ascertain whether or not they have been uploaded legitimately. (More information on about how to source legitimate content online can be found here.)
Fortunately, YouTube has made it this step significantly easier by allowing users to search for Creative Commons licensed content, specifically under the CC-BY licence. This licence is especially broad and allows users to adapt the video for a wide range of purposes without seeking explicit permission from the copyright owner as long as they are attributed as the original source of the content. Another popular video-sharing website, Vimeo, breaks it down even further and allows users to browse video content based on the Creative Commons licenses attached to them.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous blogpost, Creative Commons licensing represents an alternative means of managing copyright in works in the online environment. No doubt, as more individuals, organisations, and educational institutions adopt Creative Commons as a viable means of publishing in the electronic age, all internet users can benefit from the wealth of creativity it fosters.