Context and Course Information
2 Student Author Agreement
Beth Lewis Samuelson and Sarah Hare
The following is the full-text of the agreement that student authors were required to sign in order to participate in the Pressbook. This opt-in model is unique. Other open pedagogy projects or redesigns (or projects where students are asked to create OER) are usually built on an opt-out model where assignments are designed around an open assignment and students need to opt-out to receive an alternative assignment. While there are pros and cons to each model (see Figure 1), an opt-in model worked best for this course.
Using an Opt-In Author Agreement Model (Figure 1)
Benefits
- Prioritizes student agency
- Asks students to read and understand a contract, honing their skills with understanding and negotiating intellectual property agreements
- Creates an educational opportunity for students to explore Creative Commons
Challenges
- Co-authors might not agree, resulting in the object not being shared
- More work and record keeping for the instructor(s)
- Even when participation is explicitly voluntary, students still might feel pressured to contribute
This agreement could be extended for courses where there is additional time and interest in students learning about Creative Commons. For example, students could select their own license. The agreement could also discuss copyright licenses and transfers in more detail, and class time could be devoted to negotiating the agreement in order to allow students to practice this skillset.
Regardless of the design, student should feel agency in making their work openly available (or not). They should have the autonomy to decide how that work is shared. While agreements can note that participation will not impact grades, instructors should also emphasize this throughout the creation process.
AGREEMENT TO CONTRIBUTE TO OPEN COLLECTION
I, _______________________________, agree to participate in the creation of (project name), an open textbook, in collaboration with (instructor name). This guide will comprise part of the work I completed for (course name). I understand that my assessment in this course is not influenced in any way by my decisions regarding the open resource.
I understand that inclusion of my work in the final text is conditional upon my willingness to license my contributions under a (license type) license. I have read the Guide to Creative Commons Licenses and understand that a (license type) license allows others to share, use and adapt my work so long as they attribute me as an original author. Anyone is free to share the work for any non-commercial use, as long as they give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made to the original material.
I have also read the Terms of Service agreement for Pressbooks and understand that the finished research guides will be exported to PDF and HTML formats for distribution.
I understand that I have the right to request that my name and/or work be removed from the original text, or change the license on my contributions at any stage prior to publication.
Signed: _______________________________
Date: _________________
(Page Two)
I, (instructor name), agree to work with my student _______________________________ on the creation of [working title], an open textbook created from work completed for (project name/course name).
I commit to supporting ____________________ throughout this project, and ensuring they have the knowledge and resources they need to be an informed contributor.
I agree that the student may request that their name and/or work be removed from the original text or change the license on their contributions to this work at any stage prior to publication of the work.
I confirm that the student’s decision to change the license they place on their work or to not participate in the project will not impact on their course assessment.
Signed: _______________________________
Date: ____________________
