12: Create Virtual and Flipped Classrooms

Understanding Creative Commons Licensing and How to Attribute Digital Content Appropriately

1. Introduction

When teachers and content creators prepare lessons, slides, videos, or assignments for virtual or flipped classrooms, they often use digital materials—images, articles, simulations, or videos—created by others. However, it is important to know what you are legally allowed to use, share, or modify.

Creative Commons (CC) licenses help solve this problem. They offer an easy and legal way for creators to share their work while letting others reuse it under clearly defined rules. Understanding these licenses ensures that teachers can use and adapt educational content without violating copyright laws (Hilton, 2016; Creative Commons, 2023).

In flipped and virtual learning, this knowledge is especially valuable because teachers frequently share and remix online resources to make lessons engaging and accessible.

2. Learning Goals

After studying this topic, you should be able to:

1. Explain what Creative Commons (CC) licensing means.
2. Identify the different types of CC licenses and their permissions.
3. Attribute content properly using the TASL method.
4. Apply CC licenses correctly when creating or adapting digital or OER materials.
5. Promote ethical and open sharing of educational content.

3. What is Creative Commons (CC)?

Definition:
Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization that provides free and standardized copyright licenses to help creators legally share their work while retaining control over how it’s used.

Purpose:
The goal is to encourage sharing, reuse, adaptation, and collaboration while giving credit to original creators.

Why It Matters for Educators:

• It supports the creation and use of Open Educational Resources (OER).
• It ensures teachers and students respect copyright while benefiting from free learning materials.
• It promotes a culture of openness and collaboration in education.

Example:
If a teacher creates an interactive quiz and licenses it under CC BY-SA, others can use and adapt it freely as long as they give credit and share it under the same license.

4. Types of Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons licenses are based on four building blocks. These can be combined in different ways to form six main license types.

Symbol	Condition	Meaning	What You Can Do
BY	Attribution	You must credit the creator.	Use, adapt, and distribute the work freely with credit.
SA	ShareAlike	Must use the same license for derivatives.	If you adapt it, share it under the same terms.
NC	NonCommercial	For non-commercial use only.	You can’t sell or profit from it.
ND	NoDerivatives	No modifications allowed.	You can share the work as-is, but not alter it.

Common License Combinations:

License	What It Means
CC BY	Free to use, share, and modify with credit.
CC BY-SA	Use, modify, and share under the same license with credit.
CC BY-NC	Use and adapt freely for non-commercial purposes with credit.
CC BY-NC-SA	Use, adapt non-commercially, and share under same terms with credit.
CC BY-ND	Use and share as-is, but no changes allowed.
CC BY-NC-ND	Only share non-commercially, no changes, with credit.

(Creative Commons, 2023)

5. How to Attribute Digital Content Correctly

Whenever you use someone else’s CC-licensed material, you must give proper credit (attribution).
The best way to do this is to follow the TASL framework:

Letter	Meaning	What to Include
T	Title	The title or name of the work
A	Author	Who created it
S	Source	Link to where it was found
L	License	Type of CC license used

Example:

“Interactive Physics Simulation” by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC BY 4.0, https://phet.colorado.edu

If you change or adapt the material, mention it:

“Adapted from ‘Solar System Animation’ by NASA, CC BY 4.0.”

6. Applying Creative Commons in Virtual and Flipped Learning

Practical Applications:

Phase	How to Use CC Materials	Tools & Platforms
Pre-Class	Assign CC-licensed videos, readings, or simulations for students to review.	YouTube, OER Commons, OpenStax, PhET
In-Class	Discuss or analyze CC materials in group activities or projects.	Padlet, Kahoot, Google Classroom
Post-Class	Encourage learners to remix or reflect using CC media.	Canva, H5P, Google Slides

Workflow Example:

1. Find a CC-licensed resource.
2. Check its license (e.g., CC BY-SA).
3. Adapt or remix it (if allowed).
4. Attribute it properly using TASL.
5. Upload or share it under an appropriate CC license.

7. Benefits of Understanding and Using CC Licensing

1. Legal Safety: Avoid plagiarism or copyright violations.
2. Cost Savings: Access free, high-quality educational materials.
3. Enhanced Collaboration: Share and co-create with other educators worldwide.
4. Pedagogical Flexibility: Modify resources to fit your teaching context or student level.
5. Support Open Education: Contribute to global knowledge-sharing movements like OER.

8. Best Practices for Educators

✅ Always check the license type before using content.
✅ Credit the creator clearly and visibly.
✅ Be transparent about any adaptations or edits.
✅ Use compatible licenses when combining multiple OER or CC materials.
✅ Teach students how to respect and apply CC principles in their own work.

9. Conclusion

Creative Commons licenses empower educators and learners to teach, learn, and share legally and ethically.
They form the foundation of Open Educational Resources (OER), which support accessible, affordable, and high-quality education globally.

By mastering CC licenses and attribution, educators in virtual and flipped classrooms can:

• Integrate diverse and rich materials into lessons,
• Encourage creativity and sharing, and
• Build a culture of respect for intellectual property.

Key Takeaway:
Understanding and applying Creative Commons licensing builds a bridge between freedom to learn and responsibility to respect creators—a vital skill in today’s digital education landscape.

10. References

• Creative Commons. (2023). About the Licenses. Retrieved from https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
• Hilton, J. (2016). Open educational resources and college textbook choices: A review of research on efficacy and perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(4), 573–590.
• UNESCO. (2019). Open Educational Resources (OER) Policy Guidelines. Paris: UNESCO.
• Wiley, D. (2014). Open Education Basics. Creative Commons. Retrieved from https://opencontent.org
• OER Commons. (2023). Global OER Repository. Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org