Learning in a digital age/LiDA103/Defining OER/Quiz

The questions which follow provide a basic knowledge test of selected concepts covered in this learning pathway: Defining OER.

The questions published at the end of each learning pathway are re-used for the knowledge test for learners interested in earning a digital badge or certificate of participation for the Open education, copyright and open licensing in a digital world (LiDA103) micro-course. Please consult the Certify participation page for more information.

True - false questions

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false:

• 'Open Educational Resources' means a collection of textbooks that are made available for free to students on the internet.
  • True
    • Incorrect. Although free online textbooks are one example of an open educational resource, there is much more to the definition than that. Have a look at the 'Defining OER' learning pathway in LiDA103 again.
  • False
    • Correct. Although free online textbooks are one example of an open educational resource, there is much more to the definition than that.
• The Eben Moglen video asserts that in a digital world, intellectual property law protects distributors more than it protects the creators.
  • True
    • Correct. This is what Moglen highlighted in his lecture on the ownership of ideas.
  • False
    • No, while copyright was designed to protect creators, Moglen points out that, in practice, in a digital world the distributors have more control.
• To qualify as OER, educational material must always be released under an open license that permits free use or re-purpurposing by others.
  • True
    • No, this is only partially correct. Content residing in, or dedicated to, the public domain does not have an open license, but it is still legally permissible to use and adapt these materials for free.
  • False
    • Yes, that’s right.
• OER refers to the practice of academic authors publishing their research articles in open journals which provide free access to the content without paywalls.
  • True
    • No, the concept normally associated with the practice of publishing research outputs in open journals is called ‘Open Access’.
  • False
    • Correct, this is not what we normally mean by OER.

Multiple choice questions

• Which ONE of the following is NOT one of the ‘5R’ permissions associated with OER as defined by David Wiley?
  • Retain
    • No, this is one of the 5Rs - it refers to the right to make, own and control copies of the content.
  • Remix
    • Incorrect, this is one of the 5Rs - it refers to the right to combine open content to create something new.
  • Revise
    • No, this is one of the 5Rs - it refers to the right to adapt, adjust and modify content.
  • Review
    • Correct, while it is important to review your own derivative works before publishing, this is not one of the 5R permissions.
• Which of the following statements about OER is TRUE? (Select all that apply. There are 2 TRUE statements.)
  • To qualify as OER, learners must always be able to access a digital version for free (i.e. no-cost)
    • Yes, this statement is true.
  • To qualify as OER, institutions may not charge for related services, for example, recovering the cost for printed versions
    • Incorrect, this statement is FALSE. There is nothing in the OER definition that restricts payment for value added services.
  • A textbook distributed for free under an open license that restricts derivative works is an example of OER
    • No, this statement is false. The ability to adapt and modify resources is a key requirement for the definition of OER in the context of LiDA103.
  • Free means the permission to act without restriction
    • Yes, this statement is true. Freedom (liberty) is a valid meaning of the English word ‘free” in addition to no-cost.
• Which ONE of the following statements about OER in the context of the LiDA103 course is FALSE?
  • The 5R permissions of OER can be derived from the essential freedoms of the free software movement
    • No, this statement is true.
  • Sharing OER as PDF documents for free constrains the potential utility of OER
    • No, this statement is true. PDF documents restrict the ability for users to edit and remix OER.
  • Applying a non-commercial restriction to OER is an example of a restriction of a user’s freedom
    • No, this statement is true. Limiting the rights of an individual to earn a living is a restriction of of that user’s freedom.
  • OER will not widen access to educational materials because the cost of duplication in a digital world is too high.
    • Correct, this statement is false. The marginal cost of duplicating digital content is near-zero.
• Which of the following permissions under the 5R framework BEST describes the activity of translating an OER from one language to another? (Tick one option.)
  • Revise
    • Yes, that’s right. This is an example of revising an OER.
  • Retain
    • No, retain focuses on the right to own and control your own copies of the content. While this would be true in this example for the translator this is not the best option.
  • Remix
    • No, translation would not typically involve mixing one or more OER resources to produce a derivative work.
  • Redistribute
    • No, this is not the best option. While the resultant product may be available for redistribution, this is not the best description of the activity of translation.