Overview: Open Videos

Finding OER Videos

Open Educational Resources (OER): Where to Find Videos and Images Links to an external site.
by Michigan Virtual is licensed under a Standard Youtube license. Links to an external site.

Begin by searching on established OER repositories or platforms like:

• YouTube Links to an external site.
  • Crash Course Links to an external site.
  • TedTalks Links to an external site.
  • Creative Commons Videos

    After you do a search on YouTube Links to an external site., click on the ‘Filters’ option on the results page

    Under ‘Features’ select ‘Creative Commons’.

    Now all the videos in the search will be licensed under Creative Commons. 

    *Note this will return all Creative Commons licensed videos, so you will need to be sure to check out the particular license and abide by its conditions.
• OER Commons Links to an external site.
• MERLOT Links to an external site.
• TED-Ed Links to an external site.
• Khan Academy Links to an external site.

Your specific institution may also offer OER libraries, where educators share freely licensed videos.

Finding OER videos involves using specific keywords and applying filters to ensure you get high-quality, educational, and openly licensed content. 

1. Use Specific Keywords
   Start your search by including terms that signal educational content. For example:
   • OER or Open Educational Resource
   • Educational video
   • Free to use
   • Creative Commons
   • Public domain
   • Include the subject or topic you're interested in (e.g., "OER biology video," "history public domain video").
2. Filter Results by License
   On platforms like YouTube:
   • After searching, click Filters and select Creative Commons under the Features section to find videos with open licensing.
   • Avoid videos that don't specify licensing terms, as they may be copyrighted.
3. Evaluate Educational Quality
   To filter out non-educational content:
   • Include specific educational terms in your search, such as "lecture," "tutorial," "course," or "how-to."
   • Review the source of the video to ensure it comes from a reputable educational provider, institution, or OER platform.

 By following these steps, you can effectively search for OER videos that are both high-quality and legally available for use in educational settings.

Checking for Correct Licensing  

   Once a video is found, it's crucial to verify the licensing to ensure it meets your needs:

• Look for Creative Commons (CC) licenses, which specify how the resource can be used, modified, and distributed.
• As a review, CC license types include:
  • CC BY: Allows any use, as long as credit is given to the creator.
  • CC BY-NC: Use for non-commercial purposes, with attribution.
  • CC BY-SA: Share alike, meaning derivatives must use the same license.
• Always confirm that the video allows for educational use and, if needed, modification.
• For more in-depth description of CC License types, review the Licensing & Attributions page of this course. 

Standard YouTube License:

The standard YouTube license is the default license applied to most YouTube videos. If a YouTube video is not labeled "CC," it has this default YouTube license. 

• Rights: The video content is copyrighted, meaning the creator retains full control over how their video is used.
• Usage Restrictions: You cannot legally download, redistribute, or modify the video without the creator’s permission. This includes using the video for educational purposes.
• Viewing: For educational purposes, you can share YouTube videos via links or embed them on learning platforms as long as the video remains on YouTube and proper credit is given.

Proper Attributions:

When embedding a video into your course materials, a proper attribution, especially one licensed under Creative Commons, typically includes the following elements (often remembered using the acronym TASL):

1. Title: The name of the video.
2. Author: The creator of the video (e.g., the YouTube channel or person who uploaded it).
3. Source: A link to the original video (the URL).
4. License: The type of license under which the video is shared (e.g., "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0").

Here is an example of CC Licensed Video with attribution:

What are Creative Commons Licenses? Links to an external site. by U of G Library is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site..

Here is an example of a standard YouTube licensed video with attribution:

Standard Youtube License & Creative Commons Links to an external site. by Andy Collins is licensed under a standard YouTube license. Links to an external site. 

YouTube-iamge.png Links to an external site. by JDK777, CC BY-SA 4.0 Links to an external site., via Wikimedia Commons 

Integrating into an Online Course 

   After identifying a video with the proper licensing, integrate it thoughtfully into your course:

Link: Most OER platforms allow linking directly to videos within Canvas

Use the pictured "link" icon to attach a link to specific text in your content. 

• Link: Most OER platforms allow linking directly to videos within Canvas
• Embed: Most OER platforms provide a code for the video to be embedded within the Canvas page, quiz question, etc.
• Adapt and Customize: If the license allows, you may adapt or remix the video to better suit your course objectives. Tools like H5P or video-editing software can help with adding interactive elements, subtitles, or annotations.
• Cite the Resource: Properly attribute the video in your course materials according to the licensing terms, ensuring you give credit to the creators.
• Contextualize: Explain how the video fits into your lesson plan. Add discussion prompts, quizzes, or assignments that connect to the video content.

By following these steps, you can effectively and ethically use OER videos to enrich your online course content.

Captioning

Captioning is an essential step in making educational videos accessible to all viewers, including those who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or non-native speakers. 

Ensure Captions are available for viewers

When you find YouTube videos to use in your courses, it's important to check that captions are available for accessibility.

1. Check for Captions on the Video
• Play the YouTube video and look for the CC (Closed Captions) button at the bottom-right of the video player.
• Click the CC button to see if captions are available. If captions appear, ensure they are accurate and understandable.
2. Verify Caption Quality
   • Click the gear icon (Settings) on the video player.
   • Select Subtitles/CC, then look for an option that says English (auto-generated) or similar.
   • Watch a portion of the video to assess whether the captions accurately match the spoken content.
• Some YouTube videos may use auto-generated captions, which are often inaccurate. To check:
3. Use Captioned Alternatives
• If the video does not have captions or if the auto-generated captions are inaccurate, search for an alternative video that has proper, manually created captions. Use specific keywords like "captioned" or "subtitles" when searching on YouTube.
4. Download or Transcribe the Video (if necessary and permitted)
   • Click the three dots below the video and select Show transcript.
   • If available, this will display a text transcript, which can be copied or used for reference.
• If no appropriate captioned version is available, you can use YouTube's Transcript feature:
• If permissions allow, you can use captioning tools to add captions yourself or request that the video creator add captions.
5. Provide Alternatives
• If you cannot find a properly captioned version or create captions, consider providing alternative accessible materials, such as a transcript or a summary of the video content for students who need them.

By following these steps, instructors can ensure that the videos they use in their courses are accessible to all students, enhancing the learning experience.

Add Captions to your OER Videos

• Choose Captioning Software
  Many free and paid tools allow you to create captions. Popular tools include:

1. • YouTube: Automatically generates captions, but it’s essential to review and edit them for accuracy.
   • Canvas Studio: Has an automated captioning process which transcribes and syncs the captions automatically.
   • ConferZoom: Automatically transcribe the audio of a meeting or class when you record to the Cloud.
   • 3CMedia: The DECT Captioning Grant offers funding to faculty, staff, and administrators of the CCC's for captioning of educational media.

• Follow Captioning Guidelines
  Adhere to standard captioning guidelines to ensure readability:

1. • Use proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
   • Keep captions concise, using a maximum of two lines on the screen at a time.
   • Ensure caption text contrasts with the video background for visibility (e.g., white text with a black outline).

• Captioning Best Practices 

1. 1. Include Non-Speech Information
      Captions should include non-speech elements like "[applause]", "[music]", or "[phone ringing]" to provide context for sounds important to the video’s understanding.
   2. Test Your Captions
      Once captions are complete, play the video to ensure captions are synchronized, clear, and accurate. Make adjustments where needed.
   3. Publish and Share
      When your captions are finalized, publish the video and ensure the captioning option is enabled for viewers.

For more information about captioning softwares and guidelines for captioning your videos, visit the SDCCD Accessibility Hub Links to an external site.. 

HD@DH.nrw Links to an external site. | Michelle Dahlmanns, CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site., via Wikimedia Commons 

Using Canvas Studio

Features:

Add integrated questions, check-ins, captions, etc.