Participate 4.1.1 Digital Rights and Responsibilities Quest

Digital Rights & Responsibilities

As Uncle Ben from the Spiderman series states, "With great power comes great responsibility."

I believe this quote to be true for our Digital Rights & Responsibilities in today's world.

Creating a positive and productive digital learning community can be a daunting task, but even more daunting can be keeping it a safe and positive place for learners to interact. Having clear rights and responsibilities are crucial to the long term success and balance of a digital learning community. I see a definite trend of educating and guiding instead of just banning sites and limiting access, unless absolutely necessary.

The following are crucial to the long term growth and success of a digital learning community:

• Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

An Acceptable Use Policy is defined as:  "a written agreement, signed by students, their parents, and teachers, outlining the terms and conditions of Internet use. It specifically sets out acceptable uses, rules of on-line behavior, and access privileges. Also covered are penalties for violations of the policy, including security violations and vandalism of the system. Anyone using a school's Internet connection should be required to sign an AUP, and know that it will be kept on file as a legal, binding document." (Classroom Connect, December 1994-January, 1995 issue). 

The AUP should:

• provide a definition for the public at large to access
• clear & concise
• internet use outlined - detailing for specific age groups or environments what is allowed/not allowed
• written with the input of all stakeholders/participants
• shared responsibility
• limits of any liability for the host
• importance of safety & privacy
• consequences of violation
• required signatures from all participants

• Copyright Laws& Fair Use - a responsible digital learner must have an understanding and awareness of copyright laws and be vigilant in ensuring that these laws are not broken when researching or using the work of others.