Available Resources
When you are designing your course, you may be concerned about the time required to create new materials. However, you will find that you can source many materials that have already been developed for use in an online environment and can quickly be incorporated into the VLE. For example, from the appropriate LTSN subject centre, the JISC or from the NLN.
Generally you will gather materials from:
Subject specific gateways and websites such as those previously mentioned.
Publisher's materials. Some of the textbooks that you recommend may provide a website or additional online materials. This may include quizzes, readings, additional notes, diagrams or links to further resources. It is also worth checking if publishers provide materials on a CD-ROM and if they would mind you transferring these materials into a VLE or if you can link to their website. You may also find that the publisher will be able to provide you with materials that can be downloaded into your VLE.
Generic websites. There are a number of websites that you might like to point to for your students. For example, Intute Virtual Training Suite materials.
You may also have your own materials that you have already developed for the course. For example, you might have a PowerPoint for a face-to-face session. This could be narrated and linked to your VLE course. Alternatively you may have some slides which can be incorporated into an image database (providing you have copyright permission). Your Word documents can be easily converted into html pages using software such as CourseGenie which allows you to add features such as a table of contents that can be used for navigation and self test questions. These web pages can then be loaded into your VLE. BbMatters published an article authored by the Learning Technical Support Service at The University of Bristol entitled CourseGenie: Observations on the journey so far . This article documents how the tool is being used and supported at the University of Bristol. Susie Beasley and colleagues at Queen Margaret University College have written a guide to using CourseGenie. Although this tool is easy to use if your word document is straightforward, there are sometimes problems with such features as tables. The following provides a list of the materials that you might include in your VLE course:
| Teaching materials | PowerPoint slides, lecture notes, additional materials for further study, extracts from case studies, guidance on how to use equipment, sample assessments and examples of previous student work (after agreement has been gained from the students) |
| Course information | Information about tutors, groups, timetable, reading lists, assessment information |
| Links to further materials | Links to the institution's library and online resources, perhaps links to the subject librarian and materials developed by the library for your students. Links to websites with brief explanations. |
These resources will usually be a combination of text, images, sound and video files.
Your resources should support the design for the delivery of your course using the VLE. For more details on designing your course see the 'Designing Sustainable and Scalable Courses' section of this infoKit.
Copyright
It is essential that all materials that you use in your course on your VLE have copyright permission. For example, if you are using an image from a website or material from a publisher's CD-ROM, always ask for permission. It is also worthwhile keeping a copy of the letter/email that has granted you permission. You will also need to check that you can use materials to which you have individual access, for example, through membership to professional bodies. This will include electronic (through online websites) or paper-based materials.
You will probably find that there is support available at your institution regarding copyright. Further online information about copyright is available at:
The JISC Legal website provides a thorough guide to copyright and intellectual property rights.
Intellectual Property Rights
This is a complex area especially in the development of materials that may be available through your VLE. JISC Legal has an introductory guide to IPR and e-learning that covers the basic aspects of IPR, especially copyright with an emphasis on reusing third party materials. It has hints and tips and provides an overview of the wider picture.
When designing your course, it is very easy to focus on resources especially since students perceive this as one of the key uses of e-learning. However, the crucial focus on your use of a VLE should be on how you are going to help the students meet the learning outcomes of the course and what are they going to do with these resources to meet the learning outcomes. A good example of this is available through the FERL website, through a case study of using BlackBoard to complement and support A Level English Literature. Further guidance on designing and developing your course is available in this infoKit.
