Online Teaching (LMS)

Learning Management Systems (LMS) Copyright Guidelines

Dalhousie University considers its learning management system (OWL is transitioning to Blackboard Learn) an extension of the classroom. BbLearn is available via secure access to currently enrolled students. Course pages are available while a course is being taught and are deactivated once an appropriate period has passed after the course has ended. The following guidelines apply to a learning management system designed to restrict access in this way. Please exercise caution when adding content to course-related websites for which access is unrestricted. Copyright regulations must be observed in all cases where copyright protected material is being used.

Material may be posted to the LMS when:

• The instructor owns the copyright. NOTE: Authors of academic papers are often required to transfer copyright to publishers, and therefore retain no rights in the work. In this case, permission to post a digital copy must be obtained from the publisher.
• The University has a license in place that permits posting to an LMS.  Check status of licensing by publisher/title.
• A publisher has provided digital supplements (ePacks, course packs, course cartridges) with a textbook and the license permits posting to an LMS, or permission has been obtained from the publisher.
  
• If material is obtained under a Creative Commons license or from Open Access sources. 
  
• Material is in the public domain.  NOTE: Material enters the Public Domain 50 years from the death of the author(s) (or translator).

Access to audio/video recordings that are in the public domain, licensed accordingly, or which represent fair dealing, should be provided using a streaming service rather than as a file uploaded to the LMS. 

Providing a link is always preferable to uploading an item into the LMS, especially in cases where doubts exist regarding the item's copyright status. Published material that is not covered by a suitable license, not public domain, and not available through a Creative Commons or Open Source provider, should not be uploaded. 

Copies of published worksheets or other materials intended as “consumables” by students (e.g. workbooks), or any copyrighted book or video in its entirety, should not be included in the LMS without obtaining appropriate permissions.

Remember:

• All materials included in the LMS must include a citation to the original source and a copyright notice.
• Instructors who use materials in a course, once or consecutively or separated by intervening semesters, should obtain permission from copyright holders each time the material is going to be used.