Digital Skills Programme

The OER Service runs a range of workshops and events as part of the University’s Digital Skills programme, covering copyright, licensing, OER, open education, and academic blogging.

To book through People & Money, go into the Learning icon and then use the search bar at the bottom of the page to search for the session you would like to book.

To book through MyEd Training & Events, go into the News and Events tab and under Events select Training and Event Booking. Then search for the session you would like to book.

If you would like the OER Service to run a tailored session of any of these events at your school or college, please contact open.ed@ed.ac.uk. For further advice and guidance on finding over 500 digital skills courses and resources, visit the University’s Digital Skills Framework.

 

Creative Commons Quick Start – A short introduction to using CC licences

Confused by Creative Commons?  At a loss about licences?  Bewildered by attribution?  

If you’re new to Creative Commons licences or simply need a quick refresher, this Quick Start 30 minute information session will provide a brief introduction to Creative Commons, covering all the main licence types, and show you how to quickly and easily apply CC licences to content in Learn, Media Hopper Create and blogs. 

Learning Outcomes: 

This session will introduce participants to: 

  • The key concepts of copyright, licensing and the public domain. 
  • The benefits and affordances of open licensing. 
  • The different Creative Commons licences and how they can be used. 
  • How to attribute open licensed content. 
  • How to add a licence to your own resources on: 
  • Learn 
  • Media Hopper Create 
  • Blogs.ed.ac.uk 
  • PowerPoint
  •  

Duration: 30 minutes

Tutor: Lorna M. Campbell

Upcoming dates

October 30th (Wednesday) 12:30-1pm. Online.

November 4th (Wednesday) 12:30-1pm. Online.

Bookings via People & Money

Copyright & Exceptions Quick Start: A Short Introduction UK Copyright & Exceptions 

Copyright and licensing awareness is essential to enable the provision of teaching (in person, online, or hybrid), research, and information services in compliance with the law, to enable the creation of sustainable learning resources, and to encourage open educational practices. This Quick Start 30 minute information session will provide an introduction to the basics of copyright and licensing in UK education. 

Learning Outcomes: 

This 30-minute course provides a brief introduction to UK copyright and exceptions including: 

  • Components and duration of UK copyright law 
  • Public domain  
  • UK copyright exceptions related to teaching 
  • Licences and how they allow specific re-use of copyright protected works 

Duration: 30 minutes

Tutor: Stephanie (Charlie) Farley

Upcoming dates

October 28th (Monday) 12-12:30pm. Online.

December 2nd (Monday) 12:12:30pm. Online. 

Bookings via People & Money.

OER Quick Start: A Short Introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER) 

This 30 minute Quick Start information session will introduce you to open education resources (OER) – free sustainable teaching and learning materials that can be used by anyone anywhere.  You’ll learn a brief history of the OER movement, why the University of Edinburgh has an OER Policy and a strategic commitment to open education, and how you can engage with OER to transform your own teaching and learning.  

Learning Outcomes: 

This session will introduce participants to: 

  • A brief history of the movement 
  • Definitions of Open Education and OER 
  • University of Edinburgh’s OER Policy 
  • Transforming the Curriculum with OER 
  • OER case studies from across the University 

Duration: 30 minutes

Tutor: Lorna M. Campbell

Upcoming dates

November 4th (Monday) 12-12:30pm. Online.

December 10th (Tuesday) 12-12:30 pm. Online.

Bookings via People and Money.

Open Textbooks Quick Start: A Short Introduction to Open Textbooks

Open Textbooks are ebooks that have been made available online free of charge, under open licence to enable free reuse, repurposing and sharing.  Open textbooks can benefit the university by reducing textbook costs, benefit staff by providing access to easily customisable open books, and benefit students by providing free, high quality digital learning materials. 

In this session we’ll provide a short 30 minute introduction to Open Textbooks, what they are, how they can be used, and where to find them. We’ll also take a brief look at the University’s own open ebook press Edinburgh Diamond.  

Learning Outcomes: 

This session will introduce participants to: 

  • A brief history of Open Textbooks 
  • How to find and use Open Textbooks 
  • How Open Textbooks are being created and used at the University 

Duration: 30 minutes

Tutor: Stephanie (Charlie) Farley

Upcoming dates

November 6th (Wednesday) 12-12:30pm. Online.

December 11th (Wednesday) 12-12:30 pm. Online.

Bookings via People and Money.

Diversifying the Curriculum with OER 

In this 1hr seminar we will look at existing practices across the university adopting open education practices and resources to diversify curriculum and encourage student co-creation and learning.

Together we will then explore and discuss the variety of ways in which creating, using, and sharing open educational practices, and or, resources (OER) can help to diversify educational materials.

Duration: 1 hour

Tutor: Stephanie (Charlie) Farley 

Upcoming dates

August 29th (Thursday) 12-1pm. Online.

Bookings via People & Money.

 

Transforming the Curriculum with OER and Open Education

Using, creating, and sharing open educational resources (OER) is an effective way to engage staff and students in the co-creation of learning experiences, encouraging interdisciplinarity and open scholarship, while developing a wide range of transferable digital skills and graduate attributes.

In this information session we will look at the ways in which open educational practices and open educational resources are being used across the university and the benefits this provides including:

  • transforming and diversifying the curriculum,
  • improving digital skills for both staff and students,
  • engaging students in the co-creation of their own learning experiences,
  • creating legacy, impact and resources that can be reused by other communities and organisations,
  • providing concrete examples of skills and knowledge that students can use towards their professional careers.

Duration: 1 hour

Tutor: Lorna M. Campbell

Upcoming dates

November 5th (Tuesday) 12-1pm. Online.

Bookings via People & Money.

How to find and use Creative Commons licensed Open Educational Resources (OER)

In this quick 30-minute session you will learn where and how to find Creative Commons licensed materials in a variety of subject areas across multiple online sources. We will then look at how to re-use and adapt those materials as open educational resource for your own use.

Learning Outcomes:

  • This session will introduce participants to:
  • The key concepts of copyright, licensing the public domain, and OER.
  • The different Creative Commons licences and how they can be used.
  • Where to find Creative Commons licensed materials
  • How to attribute open licensed content.
  • How to add a licence to your own resources on:
    • Learn
    • Media Hopper Create
    • Blogs.ed.ac.uk
    • PowerPoint.

Duration: 1 hour.

Tutor: Lorna M. Campbell and Stephanie (Charlie) Farley

Upcoming dates

November 12th (Tuesday). 12noon – 1pm. Online.

Bookings via People & Money

 

Gif It Up – Introduction to Gif making

This course is a beginner level GIF making workshop that doesn’t assume any prior experience using graphic editing software tools. 

In this introductory workshop you will be guided through the steps to create your very own GIF using images and materials from University of Edinburgh Museum, library, and archival materials. 

Over the course we will look at the variety of public domain and openly licensed materials on the web that are available for creative re-use and discuss the ethical responsibilities we as creators have towards those materials. 

Everyone will be provided with open materials and guided through the different steps available to alter, stitch together, add special effects, and turn these images into GIFs. 

Participate in open sharing and collaboration – GIFs created on the day will be openly licensed and re-shared for further creativity and re-use by others. 

Europeana.eu celebrates GIFs 

From 1 – 31 October, all GIF-makers, cultural heritage enthusiasts and lovers of the internet are invited to create brand new GIFs by remixing copyright-free and openly licensed material from four international digital libraries. 

More information on the Europeana.eu blog here: http://blog.europeana.eu/tag/gif-it-up/ 

By the end of the course you will have learned:

  1. Using Stickers 
  2. Colour changes and frames 
  3. Editing and altering 
  4. An introduction to open licences and how they allow specific re-use of copyright protected works 

 

Duration: 1.5 hour

Tutor: Stephanie (Charlie) Farley

Upcoming dates

November 14th (Thursday) 1 – 2:30pm. In Person: ARH_Irene J Young (EW.10), Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street.

Bookings via MyEd Training & Event Booking (Students) or People & Money (Staff)

Learn to create interactive digital story games using Twine and OER

Be guided through the steps to create your very own interactive digital story game on the web with the Twine tool. Discover how you can use openly licensed images and materials from the University of Edinburgh museum, library, archives, and Media Hopper’s Open Media Bank for your own creative endeavours.

By request.

Duration: 1 hour

Tutor: Stephanie (Charlie) Farley