Frequently Asked Questions

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eduCommons offers the following introductory answers to Frequently Asked Questions about how visitors to the site can make use of course materials, what technology we use to publish the eduCommons site, and 43 other common inquiries we receive. Click on a subject heading below to view questions and answers relating to your selection.

About UMass Boston OCW

What is UMass Boston OpenCourseWare?

The idea behind UMass Boston OCW is to make UMass Boston course materials that are used in the teaching of undergraduate and graduate subjects available on the Web, free of charge, to any user anywhere in the world. UMass Boston OCW will advance technology-enhanced education at UMass Boston, and will serve as a model for university dissemination of knowledge in the Internet age. This venture continues the tradition at UMass Boston, and in American higher education, of open dissemination of educational materials, philosophy, and modes of thought, and will help lead to fundamental changes in the way colleges and universities utilize the Web as a vehicle for education.

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Why is UMass Boston doing this?

Because technology makes it possible for us to increase the reach of educational opportunity, we have a moral obligation to do so. UMass Boston OCW supports UMass Boston's mission to serve the public through learning, discovery, and engagement, and is true to UMass Boston's guiding principle that academics come first. As UMass Boston enters the 21st century, services like OpenCourseWare enable it to more fully accomplish its land grant mission. UMass Boston OCW contributes to the "shared intellectual commons" in academia, which fosters collaboration across UMass Boston and among other scholars across disciplines and around the world.

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How does UMass Boston OCW differ from other types of Web-based education, including distance learning?

UMass Boston OCW differs from other UMass Boston Web-based education offerings in that it is free and open, does not provide university credit, and grants no access to university faculty. UMass Boston OCW is not a distance-learning initiative. Distance learning involves the active exchange of information between faculty and students, with the goal of obtaining some form of a credential. Increasingly, distance learning is also limited to those willing and able to pay for materials or course delivery. UMass Boston OCW is not meant to replace degree-granting higher education or for-credit courses. Rather, the goal is to provide the content that supports an education.

Many individual faculty members at UMass Boston and other universities already use the Web extensively to make standard course materials available to their students. Some colleges and universities now require a Web site for every class. But, to a large extent, these Web sites are designed for, and access is only provided to, the students enrolled at these institutions. UMass Boston OCW is an unprecedented effort of a much broader magnitude, as the goal is to provide the course materials free and open to the world.

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What are the long-term goals of the UMass Boston OCW initiative?

We expect UMass Boston OCW to grow to encompass the course materials of all faculty who are willing to participate. Over time, the goal is for most of the courses offered at UMass Boston to be represented in the collection. Another goal of UMass Boston OCW is to catalyze the development of groups or communities around the course materials. Individuals participating in these informal groups will coach, mentor, and support each other in their learning, adding significant value to the materials themselves.

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Will UMass Boston OCW always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?

We are committed to UMass Boston OCW remaining a free and openly available publication of the course materials that support the dynamic classroom interactions of a UMass Boston education. Even as we continue to grow and evolve, the materials will always remain free and open to all. Along with this commitment to remaining free and open, UMass Boston OCW is also committed to the idea that UMass Boston OCW is not a distance-learning, or a degree-granting, initiative, and that there will not be a registration process required for users to view course materials now or in the future. UMass Boston OCW is working hard to publish all of the UMass Boston faculty's course materials who wish to participate.

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Using UMass Boston OCW Materials

Do I need to register to use UMass Boston OCW course materials?

Because UMass Boston OCW is not a distance-learning, or a degree-granting, initiative, there is no registration process required for users to view course materials. UMass Boston OCW is a publication of the course materials that support the dynamic classroom interactions of an UMass Boston education. UMass Boston OCW is available on the Web, free of charge, to any user anywhere in the world.

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Where are the course materials?

To find what courses are available at this time, view the complete course list. Once you have accessed a particular course site, the left-hand navigation bar of each course homepage will detail what materials are available for that individual course.

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How do I find what courses are available?

You can utilize the Search function that can be found in the right-hand corner of every page on the UMass Boston OCW site. You can search for specific text within the entire site or use our Advanced Search to specify a title, description, item type, or instructor

Or, to see what courses are available is to click on Courses in the top navigation bar on every page of the UMass Boston OCW Web site. This will allow you to view the list of courses available at this time.

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How can I use UMass Boston OCW course materials?

UMass Boston OCW can be considered a large-scale, Web-based publication of the course materials that support an UMass Boston education. Educators are encouraged to utilize the materials for curriculum development, students can augment their current learning by making use of the materials offered, and self-learners are encouraged to draw upon the UMass Boston OCW for self-study or supplementary use. Course materials offered on the UMass Boston OCW Web site may be used within the license associated with the content, course or overall UMass Boston site as applicable.

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What are the prerequisites to use UMass Boston OCW materials?

Because UMass Boston OCW is not a distance-learning, or a degree-granting, initiative, there is no registration process required for users to view course materials. There are also no prerequisites for users who utilize UMass Boston OCW course materials in their own learning. However, each course site indicates the prerequisites and corequisites that are required of UMass Boston students.

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Does UMass Boston OCW offer discounts on textbooks or software applications utilized in the course materials?

UMass Boston OCW does not sell, offer vendor discounts for, or represent any vendor who may sell the software, books, or other materials that users of UMass Boston OCW may require to understand the course materials offered on the UMass Boston OCW Web site.

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How do I get a copy of the course pack for a particular UMass Boston course?

The course-pack materials that accompany most UMass Boston courses often contain proprietary information and copyrighted materials that UMass Boston Faculty only use in their classroom interactions with UMass Boston students. These materials are not available, nor will they be in the future, to UMass Boston OCW users.

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Can non UMass Boston organizations or institutions use the materials published on Boston’s OCW to teach or tutor students. Are such endeavors approved or recognized?

No, UMass Boston has no relationship with, grants no special permission to, and does not approve, endorse, or certify any organizations, teachers, tutors, or other service providers who use educational materials available on the UMass Boston OCW Web site in connection with their services. Except for students admitted to UMass Boston, UMass Boston does not authorize the granting of any kind of degree, certificate, or other recognition for participation in or completion of any course of study based on or using published UMass Boston course materials.

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Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of UMass Boston OCW course materials?

To reference UMass Boston OCW you must comply with the terms of the license associated with UMass Boston OCW and/or the specific course materials. Typically you must you must give credit to UMass Boston and the faculty author of the course materials anytime you use UMass Boston OCW materials. For your convenience, each UMass Boston OCW page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content. However, any reference to UMass Boston (including the UMass Boston name in any of its forms or UMass Boston seals or logos) that deliberately or inadvertently claims, suggests, or in UMass Boston's sole judgment gives the appearance or impression of a relationship with or endorsement by UMass Boston, is prohibited.

[See also Intellectual Property]

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Can I link to the UMass Boston OCW Web site from my Web site?

Links to UMass Boston OCW or to courses or pages within the UMass Boston OCW Web site are permitted so long as the use of the materials associated with the link is permitted under the terms of the license associated with the course materials or particlar content. Typically course materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license 2.5, however individual course materials may have a separate license. Please check the bottom of the page to view the applicable license for any particular item. For your convenience, each UMass Boston OCW page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content.

In addition to meeting the terms of the license, links to UMass Boston OCW are permitted as long as the link is freely accessible (e.g., no restrictions or fee for access); and there is no claim, appearance, or implication of an affiliation with or endorsement by UMass Boston. UMass Boston OCW cannot guarantee the persistence of any specific link other than those to the UMass Boston OCW homepage.

[See also Intellectual Property]

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Content

Why is there such variation in the breadth and depth of content presented on individual UMass Boston OCW course Web sites?

Each UMass Boston OCW course Web site is developed individually with the participating faculty and instructors. It includes as much of the UMass Boston faculty member's course materials as is available in a digital format, or can be cost-effectively prepared; and is free of Intellectual Property and copyright restrictions. UMass Boston faculty and instructors participate only voluntarily, and publish only as much content as they are comfortable having on a Web site that is freely accessible worldwide.

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Why do some UMass Boston OCW course sites lack solutions to assignments, quizzes, and exams?

In some cases, solutions to homework assignments, quizzes, and exams are only discussed and presented in the classroom, and not made available in print or electronic format to the UMass Boston students--or to the worldwide community of visitors to the UMass Boston OCW Web site. In other cases, the instructors plan to re-use in their UMass Boston classroom the assignments, quizzes, and exams, and so they do not wish to widely publish their solutions.

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Why doesn't every UMass Boston OCW course offer video lectures?

Although video lectures are useful for students, there are many reasons that UMass Boston OCW does not include video lectures in every course. First is the issue of bandwidth. We are very much focused on making UMass Boston's courses materials as accessible as possible to users all over the world, including the developing world. If we were to start depending on the video component as THE key element of every UMass Boston OCW course, we would be excluding a large portion of the UMass Boston OCW audience who are not using high-speed Internet connections. They would never be able to download the videos and we are very sensitive to that fact.

Another key concern about video is cost. The technology for compressing and storing video becomes more and more affordable by the day, but it is still not affordable, or feasible from a production standpoint, for us to be compressing 20 video lectures for all of our courses. UMass Boston OCW does not have that kind of storage capacity, at this time.

A key UMass Boston OCW audience is educators, and for them, we are hoping that by providing the syllabus, reading lists and lecture notes, we are offering a chance for them to jumpstart their own pedagogy and improve the way they teach their chosen discipline. While video lectures are very easy for people with fast Internet connections to watch, they do not really fulfill the mission of UMass Boston OCW.

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Intellectual Property

Who owns the intellectual property published on the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

Course materials published on the OCW website by UMass Boston are licensed under a Creative Commons license. Faculty members retain the copyright for their content. UMass Boston retains ownership only when significant use has been made of the Institution's resources. If student course work is placed on the UMass Boston OCW site, then copyright in the work remains with the student.At the time content is submitted, authors and copyright holders determine how their materials can be distributed and modified.

Prior to making any course materials publicly available, the UMass Boston OCW team has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material openly available on the Web. We will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others [See also What do I do if I believe a portion of UMass Boston OCW material infringes my copyright?].

The intellectual property policies created for UMass Boston OCW are clear and consistent with other policies for scholarly materials used in education.

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What are the requirements of use for UMass Boston OCW materials?

There are three requirements necessary to use the UMass Boston OCW content:
- Non-commercial: UMass Boston OCW materials cannot be used by entities who desire to charge a fee for access to these materials or who would use either original of modified materials for commercial purposes.
- Attribution: All use of materials, as created by UMass Boston Faculty Authors or as modified must include attribution of the work to both UMass Boston and the faculty member's name.
- Share alike: Any publication or distribution of the original materials or derivative works which are based on these materials, including production of electronic or printed class materials or placement of materials on a Website, must offer the works freely and openly to others under the same terms that UMass Boston OCW first made the works available to the user.
Exception: The use of certain materials, such as photos, graphics, or other objects, included in the OCW Website may be restricted by license agreements between UMass Boston and third parties. These materials are identified with following symbol and phrase: "* Restricted Use." Unless otherwise noted, you must seek permission directly from the licensor or copyright owner to reuse these materials. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that he or she uses the materials contained in OCW in accordance with U.S. copyright law and any other applicable law and in accordance with the license and terms of use in this license and any additional restrictions applicable to specific OCW Materials.

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What are the Terms of Use for UMass Boston OCW users?

See the Terms of Use for more information.

If you would like to use UMass Boston OCW course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us using the feedback page or email Eileen.mcmahon@umb.edu.

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What are the Terms of Use for the discussion software?

See the Terms of Use for more information.
How does UMass Boston define non-commercial use?

A commercial use would involve the assessment of a direct or indirect fee for use of the UMass Boston OCW materials, or any derivation or modification of the UMass Boston OCW material, or any other commercial exploitation of UMass Boston OCW materials. All uses, reuse, and distribution of UMass Boston OCW material, including works derived from UMass Boston OCW material, must be attributed to UMass Boston OCW and to the original authors where identified on the UMass Boston OCW materials you distribute. If you would like to use UMass Boston OCW course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us using the feedback link at the top of the page.

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How do I properly cite my reuse of UMass Boston OCW materials?

To use, copy, distribute, translate, remix, alter, transform, build upon, modify or repost materials from UMass Boston OCW, confirm that the license allows for the use you intend. If the license permits reuse, you must give proper attribution to the original UMass Boston faculty author(s).

For your convenience, at the bottom of each page, we provide a citation in APA format, a copyright statement and a license for that page.

Or you may chose to cite the resource in the following manner: "This material was created by or adapted from material created by UMass Boston faculty member, (Name), (Title), (Year). Copyright © (Year), (Faculty Member's Name)."

As an example, the citation for "________" taught by UMass Boston Professor ____ would read:

This material was created or adapted from material created by UMass Boston faculty member _____, Associate Professor. Copyright © 2004, _______.

If you want to use the course materials on your Web site, and the materials are licensed using a Creative Commons license, you must also include a copy of the Creative Commons license, or clear and reasonable link to its URL (for example, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/), with every copy of the materials or the derivative work(s) you create from it.

More details about the terms of the creative commons license can be found online at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/. You must also include a copy of the Creative Commons license used by UMass Boston OCW, with every copy of the UMass Boston materials whether these are as authored or as you have modified.

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How can I contribute my own educational materials to UMass Boston OCW?

The intent of UMass Boston OCW is that our Web site should reflect the course materials for what is being taught at UMass Boston. The reason for this policy is that the materials presented on the UMass Boston OCW site are authored by members of the UMass Boston Faculty, and thus, our faculty will take final responsibility for these materials. It would be difficult for UMass Boston OCW to guarantee the accuracy and originality of materials we received from outside sources. However, we encourage other universities to create their own "opencourseware" in which materials from their courses would be posted online and openly shared with the world. UMass Boston OCW is eager to link to other universities or institutions that have similar goals.

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What do I do if I believe a portion of UMass Boston OCW material infringes my copyright?

UMass Boston OCW, prior to making any UMass Boston OCW materials publicly available, has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material available on UMass Boston OCW. UMass Boston OCW will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others. If you believe that a portion of UMass Boston OCW material infringes on your copyright, please contact us using the feedback page or email Eileen.mcmahon@umb.edu.

To file the notification, you must be either the copyright owner of the work or an individual authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. Your notification must include:
1. Identification of the copyrighted work, or, in the case of multiple works at the same location, a representative list of such works at that site.
2. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity. You must include sufficient information, such as a specific URL or other specific identification, for us to locate the material.
3. Information for us to be able to contact the claimant (e.g., email address, phone number).
4. A statement that the claimant believes that the use of the material has not been authorized by the copyright owner or an authorized agent.
5. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate and that the claimant is, or is authorized to act on behalf of, the copyright owner.
If you do not include an electronic signature with your claim, you may be asked to send or fax a follow-up copy with a signature.

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UMass Boston Faculty

Are UMass Boston faculty required to participate in UMass Boston OCW?

Participation of UMass Boston faculty in UMass Boston OCW is completely voluntary.

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How do I contact a specific member of the UMass Boston Faculty?

UMass Boston OCW is intended as a publication of UMass Boston course materials on the Web, and not as an interactive experience with UMass Boston faculty. It provides the content of, but is not a substitute for, an UMass Boston education. UMass Boston OCW does not offer visitors to the Web site the opportunity for direct contact with UMass Boston faculty, though individual portal faculty may choose to list their contact information. Inquiries related to specific course materials will be forwarded to the UMass Boston faculty member associated with that course for their consideration. However, due to the tremendous volume of email inquiries received, it is unlikely he or she will answer all emails.

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Will inquiries to UMass Boston OCW be answered?

Yes inquiries will be answered. UMass Boston OCW encourages users to provide feedback on the site and the published course materials. The comments and constructive criticism of users will help the UMass Boston OCW staff improve the site and published course materials as we continue to evolve.

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Translations

Can I translate the course materials in UMass Boston OCW?

You may translate course materials in UMass Boston OCW if permitted by the license of the course materials you wish to translate. UMass Boston asks that any UMass Boston OCW materials translated into other languages from the original language must be accompanied by the proper attribution of the original materials and include the following disclaimer:

"These UMass Boston OpenCourseWare course materials have been translated into [YOUR LANGUAGE] by [YOUR INSTITUTION] and UMass Boston OpenCourseWare makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the materials, express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or the absence of errors, whether or not discoverable. UMass Boston OpenCourseWare bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies in translation. Any inaccuracies or other defects contained in this material, due to inaccuracies in language translation, are the sole responsibility of [YOUR INSTITUTION] and not UMass Boston OpenCourseWare."
[See Also How do I properly cite my reuse of UMass Boston OCW materials]
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Usability

What are the technical requirements for viewing UMass Boston OCW course materials?

The majority of UMass Boston OCW course sites work in modern Web browsers on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Although higher-speed connections are preferable, slower connections, such as modems, should allow users to view most materials on the sites (however, downloading or accessing materials may take somewhat longer).

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What is metadata and why is it important to UMass Boston OCW?

Metadata is, literally, "data about data." Metadata can be better understood as information that describes other information. For example, this Web page of FAQs for UMass Boston OCW has an author, a title, a date of creation, and a unique Internet address; this information constitutes the metadata about this page. Metadata enables sophisticated, powerful, and accurate searches across UMass Boston OCW course materials.

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How do I change the font-size on the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

The fonts and style of the UMass Boston OCW Web site have been specifically selected to meet certain design and accessibility standards. The UMass Boston OCW Team has tested the site and these standards across a wide variety of browsers and platform. However, some users may still find that their browser configurations continue to display the text too small. You can change the displayed font size using your browser's View menu. In Netscape 7, there is a "VIEW - Text-Zoom" selection (try 120%). In Netscape 4.x, there is a "VIEW - Increase Font" selection. In Internet Explorer, you can select "VIEW - Text-Size - Larger or Largest." We hope this helps you to more comfortably view the UMass Boston OCW course materials.

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Will the UMass Boston OCW Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?

All course materials published on the UMass Boston OCW site are checked to see if they are valid XHTML and meet Section 508 and WAI-AA guidelines as part of the authoring process. We require all images to contain ALT attributes and all links to contain TITLE tags.

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Why does this PDF not open correctly in copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?

A small percentage of the PDF documents offered on the UMass Boston OCW Web site may be compatible only with newer versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you would like to view such a file, we recommend downloading the latest version of the Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html.

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Privacy and Data Collection

What information does UMass Boston OCW collect from visitors to the Web site?

The information we learn from visitors helps us improve the UMass Boston OCW site, and assists our foundation sponsors in evaluation of usage, access, and impact of UMass Boston OCW on the worldwide educational community. UMass Boston OCW collects the following information from visitors:
- Information You Provide: We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. You provide most such information when you submit feedback on the site, contact us by email, or agree to participate in a visitor survey. This information may include your name and email address, your academic status, your institution, your geographic region, how you are using UMass Boston OCW, and what you think of UMass Boston OCW. In all cases, any information you provide is strictly optional and voluntary and you may choose to use the UMass Boston OCW site without ever providing this information. If you voluntarily provide your email address or other contact information, we will not share personal information with anyone without first requesting your explicit permission to do so.
- Automatic Information: We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with the UMass Boston OCW Web site. Examples of the information we collect and analyze include the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the UMass Boston OCW site; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform, and; content you viewed or searched for during your visit to UMass Boston OCW. During some visits we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, and length of visits to certain pages. However, none of this information is personally identifiable or linked back to you individually.
[See Also Privacy Policy]

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What are "cookies," and does UMass Boston OCW make use of cookies on its Web site?

UMass Boston OCW uses "cookies" in a limited way. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that this Web site transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser when you make return trips to the site. This allows us to track your use of the site (anonymously), and to analyze patterns in site use, such as repeat visits, length of visits, and breadth of content used. Cookies also allow us to conduct periodic, online, voluntary user surveys where we can gain more insight into what type of people are actually using the site, how they are using the site, and what the educational impact of the site is on these users.

UMass Boston OCW's use of cookies is designed to be unobtrusive, and we do not collect personally identifiable information through their use. However, if you do not wish to accept cookies, the "Help" portion of the toolbar on most Web browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Disabling cookies will in no way affect your access to content on the UMass Boston OCW site. If you leave cookies enabled on your Web browser, you may be asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will help us gain a better understanding of the use and impact of UMass Boston OCW.

[See Also Privacy Policy]

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Does UMass Boston OCW share the information it receives?

Information about our site visitors is an important part of understanding and extending the impact of UMass Boston OCW in the worldwide academic community. Individual personally identifiable information about users (name, email address, etc) will not be made available to third parties except as outlined below, nor will it ever be used for commercial purposes. We share user information only as described below.
- Agents: We employ companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include compiling and categorizing user feedback, analyzing survey data or data about your use of the site, and providing customer support. These agents have access to user information needed to perform their functions, for example, but may not use this information for any other purposes. These agents are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
- UMass Boston OCW Sponsors: We work closely with philanthropic organizations that provide the funding that makes UMass Boston OCW possible. These sponsors are interested in evaluating access, use, and impact of the UMass Boston OCW Web site in order to determine if UMass Boston OCW is achieving its objectives. We will provide information on a regular basis to these sponsors for evaluation purposes. We will not share any personally identifiable information such as name or email address unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.
- Institutions interested in the "opencourseware movement": Part of UMass Boston OCW's mission as an organization is to encourage other educational institutions to openly share their course materials with the world, as UMass Boston is doing. In order to accomplish this objective, we are committed to sharing what we learn in public forums, at educational conferences, and with other educational institutions. This may include aggregate data about usage of the site, feedback we have received, and the impact of UMass Boston OCW on people throughout the world. However, in no case will we share any personally identifiable information, such as name or email address, unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.
[See Also Privacy Policy]

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Technology

What technology is used to publish the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

UMass Boston OCW runs on the open source eduCommons software. The current technical solution has been in use since January 2005 with a small technical team managing all aspects of this infrastructure at the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/) at Utah State University.

The planning tools used by the UMass Boston OCW team to assist faculty in publishing their course materials include a portion of the workflow in eduCommons, and several checklists and documents. For creating and managing content, we use several desktop tools (file conversion tools) as well as eduCommons, that together fully support our publishing process. Our content delivery infrastructure includes a production cluster and a content staging cluster.

For more information on eduCommons, please contact The Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/).

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Is UMass Boston OCW an open source project?

UMass Boston OCW is firmly committed to open systems and will share its approach and the open source eduCommons software with those who may want to launch similar efforts. eduCommons has a dedicated team of developers focused on extending the platform, features and functions to meet UMass Boston OCW and other institution's needs.

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What is RSS?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and an aggregator allow you to subscribe to discussion forums, blogs and other websites in order to receive timely, organized updates of posts, news, and other information you care about.

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Sections

Personal tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Document Actions

About UMass Boston OCW

Using UMass Boston OCW Materials

Content

Intellectual Property

UMass Boston Faculty

Translations

Usability

Privacy and Data Collection

Technology

Other Questions

About UMass Boston OCW

What is UMass Boston OpenCourseWare?

Why is UMass Boston doing this?

How does UMass Boston OCW differ from other types of Web-based education, including distance learning?

What are the long-term goals of the UMass Boston OCW initiative?

Will UMass Boston OCW always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?

Using UMass Boston OCW Materials

Do I need to register to use UMass Boston OCW course materials?

Where are the course materials?

How do I find what courses are available?

How can I use UMass Boston OCW course materials?

What are the prerequisites to use UMass Boston OCW materials?

Does UMass Boston OCW offer discounts on textbooks or software applications utilized in the course materials?

How do I get a copy of the course pack for a particular UMass Boston course?

Can non UMass Boston organizations or institutions use the materials published on Boston’s OCW to teach or tutor students. Are such endeavors approved or recognized?

Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of UMass Boston OCW course materials?

Can I link to the UMass Boston OCW Web site from my Web site?

Content

Why is there such variation in the breadth and depth of content presented on individual UMass Boston OCW course Web sites?

Why do some UMass Boston OCW course sites lack solutions to assignments, quizzes, and exams?

Why doesn't every UMass Boston OCW course offer video lectures?

Intellectual Property

Who owns the intellectual property published on the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

What are the requirements of use for UMass Boston OCW materials?

What are the Terms of Use for UMass Boston OCW users?

What are the Terms of Use for the discussion software?

How does UMass Boston define non-commercial use?

How do I properly cite my reuse of UMass Boston OCW materials?

How can I contribute my own educational materials to UMass Boston OCW?

What do I do if I believe a portion of UMass Boston OCW material infringes my copyright?

UMass Boston Faculty

Are UMass Boston faculty required to participate in UMass Boston OCW?

How do I contact a specific member of the UMass Boston Faculty?

Will inquiries to UMass Boston OCW be answered?

Translations

Can I translate the course materials in UMass Boston OCW?

Usability

What are the technical requirements for viewing UMass Boston OCW course materials?

What is metadata and why is it important to UMass Boston OCW?

How do I change the font-size on the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

Will the UMass Boston OCW Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?

Why does this PDF not open correctly in copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?

Privacy and Data Collection

What information does UMass Boston OCW collect from visitors to the Web site?

What are "cookies," and does UMass Boston OCW make use of cookies on its Web site?

Does UMass Boston OCW share the information it receives?

Technology

What technology is used to publish the UMass Boston OCW Web site?

Is UMass Boston OCW an open source project?

What is RSS?

Other Questions

How can I support UMass Boston OCW with a financial donation?

How do I apply for admission to UMass Boston as a student?