Background

One of the objectives stated in Growing Esteem: The University of Melbourne Strategic Plan 2006 under Learning and Teaching is that "The design of courses and methods will make best use of online facilities so that students have 'anytime, anywhere' access to resources and each other. " (click here for more detail)

Some academic staff may be familiar with the idea of eReserve or electronic readings from their experiences with other institutions. Readings Online will provide a service where academics can request resources to be made available for use electronically by their students, while ensuring that they are abiding by the University's legislative requirements regarding copyright compliance.

The legislative requirements governing the provision of online 3rd party copyright course materials are complex. Readings Online has been developed to manage copyright compliance for the online course materials that are made available for teaching and learning via Learning Management Systems. The information is collected periodically by Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) so that renumeration can be made to copyright holders of the materials used in this institution.

The one condition is that subjects must deliver material to students through a learning management system. The primary learning management system used on campus is LMS.

Before using Readings Online academics must submit an Expression of Interest.

Once the Expression of Interest has been accepted Academics will be asked to place a request for the resources they want to use (a single item request can go via the web form, multiple items request may be entered via the spreadsheet). This request requires information very similar to that used for a readings list. For detailed information on making a readings request visit the Readings Online requests page.

Pilot program

In semester 2, 2006 Readings Online ran a pilot program with subjects from Economics and Commerce, Art History, History and Philosophy of Science and Political History. In semester 1, 2007 this pilot was expanded and made available to all interested academics in the Faculty of Arts.

Please submit an expression of interest to be involved in Readings Online for semester 2, 2007.

For more information please contact us.