T5: Reflective Summary: Open Access to Online Materials

I’ve always found the topics intertesting but I think perhaps because this is the last topic with UOSM2008 before moving to the next part of the module, I’ve carried out the most research about Open Access Materials and it’s uses. The number of articles and material I read made me further research into who acturally produced the research that I was reading to be used for my blog. I began to understand the importance- in being able to find relevant hits that I got from my search engines were quality work produced by someone for someone like me to use immidiately- more than I had in the past.

When reading Olivia’s blog this week, I was surpised to see how important it is for students to have free access to OER material. I think a lot of us take it for granted as how we are able to research and access almost anything that we desire online today. I know I used to. Never really considering giving credit where it’s due or how to reference so it links back to the original content producer are not things that’s widely thought about.

It was a different take on Nicole’s blog however with regards to content ownership as it’s focus was away from OERs – on online platforms such as YouTube. In the digital world that we live in today, its easily forgotten to reward, recognise and credit the content producers who provide us with thier material. Artists and thier group of management that spend months working on songs, cannot simply be pleased with having thier songs converted into mp3 versions illegally..

I think those who dedicate thier time creating material for everyone else’s benefit need to develop ways in which they too benefit from providing such service. The fact that many photography companies do not allow thier photos to be used without thier permission and take legal action against those who do; I’d say that’s one way to make a start. But I think more than the whole making money concept, the content producers appreciate being credited and recognised for thier work because when you look at it from another point of view, that’s a way of advertising thier skills and abilities to further markets – in which they can even be assigned paid work.

Comment 1: Olivia’s Blog

Comment 2: Nicole’s Blog