Re: Use of Pre-Recorded Videos in Interactive Television Courses

Glen McKay <gmckay[_at_]nmjc.cc.nm.us> wrote:
>
> The last time I broached the idea of using pre-recorded (i.e.,
> commercially-produced) video recordings (e.g., VHS, laserdisc, or even
>
> DVD) in a dist-ed environment I got *totally* shot down. But I'm
> willing to expose my flank again... regarding the following thread.
>
> Laura N. Gasaway <unclng[_at_]email.unc.edu> wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Oct 1997, Ronald Loneker <loneker[_at_]liza.st-elizabeth.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > Has anyone tackled the issue of using pre-recorded video tapes in
> > > interactive television classes. In traditional classes I know
> > > that the faculty member can legally show video tapes as part of
> > > the face-to-face teaching exemption. Is a distance learning
> > > environment, where the home site connects over a private
> > > telephone company educational network to another college or
> > > institution with class members, an extension of this exemption?
> > >
> > > I have heard people say yes and people say no - any thoughts on
> > > this (or do you have alternative listserv suggestions for this
> > > topic)...
> >
> > The answer is no, according to the statute. Should the
> > answer be yes for the greater good of society, yes!
> >
> > Section 110(1)... (stuff deleted)
>
> Given today's technological capability to warp and compress video,
> couldn't there be a way to get a video's content out in a dist-ed
> environment without economic harm to the copyright holder?
>
> Consider the following scenario (as briefly stated as I can make it).
>
> Use a computer with many megs of RAM and many, many gigs of hard drive
>
> storage and all appropriate software.
>
> Digitize the commercially produced video, let's say at quarter-screen
> size, and save it. Now you have a video file.
>
> Integrate that video file into a multimedia or hypermedia program,
> assuming it meets systematic instructional objectives (to satisfy the
> 110 crowd). The result is a quarter-screen picture surrounded by
> graphics, text, icons, or what have you. Some of that "stuff" would
> identify the sending institution and intent.
>
> Send that out through your dist-ed system-- be it cable TV, microwave,
>
> satellite, ISDN or whatever, protected or unprotected by security
> measures.
>
> For the student, instructional content is received and goals are met.
> The hardware and software tools are definitely here and capable of
> being
> used to implement this scenario.
>
> For the copyright holder? My question is *who in their right mind is
> going to (illegally) copy and disseminate a commercial video that's a
> quarter screen size and surrounded by all sorts of graphics, text and
> icons that closely identify the product with the sending institution?*
>
> How can the market possibly be harmed?
>
> I would further suggest that somebody test this scenario with accepted
>
> educational research protocols to answer the above question. My
> hypothesis is *nobody would (or even could)*.

Why not provide students with a "viewing list" equivalent to a reading list, suggesting that if it is important to view the whole video, the students should buy their own copy just as they should buy their own copy of a whole text book.

Now go back and do the economic analysis for your scenario again.....

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