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: Michael Geist

61 Reforms to C-61, Day 50: Education Harms - Lessons Contain Limited Definition of Students

By Michael Geist

One of the great benefits of distance education and the Internet is the power to extend our traditional notions of a "student body."  MIT's Open Courseware Project provides a great example [from column here]

Notwithstanding the possibilities, Bill C-61 adopts a very narrow definition of student.  Section 30.01(3)(a) states that it is not an infringement:

to communicate a lesson to the public by telecommunication for educational or training purposes, if that public consists only of students who are enrolled in a course of which the lesson forms a part or of other persons acting under the authority of the educational institution;

By requiring enrollment in courses run under the authority of an educational institution, the bill excludes the emergence of MIT Open Courseware-like initiatives that provide terrific educational opportunities, but do so without requiring students to enroll.  Considering an expanded definition is essential if the law is to provide real support for distance learning opportunities.

Full post as published by Michael Geist on August 29, 2008 (boomark / email).