Introduction to Open Licensing
Without an open license, an educational resource can be freely accessible without being “open”. Indeed, the concept of openness goes far beyond price. As we saw in the previous module, an open educational resource can not only be used free of charge, but it can also be reproduced, revised, remixed and redistributed without asking permission from the copyright holders (see the 5Rs of OER).
It is therefore essential to understand how open licenses work, to recognize them on existing resources, and to apply them correctly on your own content to encourage sharing and reuse.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the concept of open licensing and its role in providing legal permission for using and sharing educational content.
- Differentiate between Creative Commons and Ontario Commons licenses and understand their specific terms and conditions.
- Apply appropriate open licenses to your original educational materials, allowing for widespread sharing and reuse.
