I want to show examples of symbols used throughout popular culture in my 1980’s Sociology 250 course. You know, clips from movies, pictures on the web, songs from my old cassette tapes, snippets from the TV programs I have on VHS… How can I make these objects available to both sections of my course; both the live section on campus and online learning section I volunteered to offer next semester?
Copyright law permits you to show and play media objects as part of face-to-face classroom teaching activities without getting permission. Just make sure the objects were lawfully obtained. There are guidelines regarding amounts and classroom use of materials recorded from television broadcasts. These guidelines require that the recording to be destroyed within 45 days of the broadcast. If one wants to use a recording repeatedly in the classroom, a better solution would be to buy a copy of the program. The TEACH Act details legal limits on what portions of materials can be used in the mediated or real-time distance learning environment and only for those enrolled in the online course. But remember, if your use does not meet the TEACH Act requirements, it may still be a Fair Use or you may be able to get permission from the copyright holder