There is a very handy tool that not only helps you keep track of your sources, but also automatically creates the bibliography for you. It can also keep a local copy of Web pages for later reference.

Zotero is a Firefox add-on that makes the task of citing our sources easier. As Zotero needs Firefox, we’ll first download this browser.

Installing Firefox

If you don’t already have Firefox on your computer, go to http://mozilla.org and download Firefox Browser.

(The Zotero team is currently working on a standalone version which won’t require Firefox. At the time of writing, this is still in beta.)

Installing Zotero

Next, using the Firefox browser, we will go to http://zotero.org and install the Zotero add-on. You will have to restart the Firefox browser to activate Zotero.

Using Zotero to save web pages

Zotero is activated by a small “Zotero” icon on the bottom bar of the Firefox browser.

Once you click on the “Z” icon, you will see three distinct areas. The Collections on the left, Item lists in the middle and Item details on the right.

It is a good practice to create a Collection (a Collection is similar to a Folder) to save related resources. You may be working on several projects at the same time. Use Collections to organize your research.

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To add a web page to Zotero, just navigate to the page, activate Zotero by clicking on the “Z” icon in the bottom bar and then click on the “Add Current Page” button.

Zotero will save the page in its database. You will see the item added to the column in the middle. Click on the name of the item to see its details on the right column.

One other advantage of Zotero is that it saves the webpage locally. This means that you can view the webpage even if you are not connected to the internet.

Zotero can also recognize some special items such as books, Wikipedia pages and YouTube videos. In such cases it will store additional information about that item.

Such special items are indicated with a small icon on the URL field in the browser.

Creating Bibliography

Once you have a few items, you can create a bibliography. Just right click on an ollection and select “Create Bibliography From Collection”

Zotero will let you select the citation style and output format. Usually, your assignment will specify what format the citations needs to be in. If you are not sure just use APA (American Psychology Association). Under output format choose “Copy to Clipboard”.

Paste this citation on your research document. For example my citation looks like this when I paste it on Word or any other text editor.

As Sudan Prepares to Split, Border Tensions Rise in Abyei. (2011, January 9). Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2041445,00.html

Here is an example bibliography from a collection:

As Sudan Prepares to Split, Border Tensions Rise in Abyei. (2011, January 9). Time. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2041445,00.html

Johnson, D. H. (2002). The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil Wars. James Currey, UK.

Stoves, D. (2010). Taxis in Khartoum. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/darfurstoves/5240735290/

Sudan 101: Could Sudan’s oil resources solve its problems? – CSMonitor.com. (n.d.). . Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2010/0426/Sudan-101-Could-Sudan-solve-its-problems

The Kush Empire. (2008). . Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b86XE3TbXg0

Video Resource

This video describes Zotero and shows you how to use it.

Author

Preetam Rai, Educational technologist, Teaching and Learning Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Internet users who upload their own images, sounds and text are increasingly using the Creative Commons license. A Creative Commons license allows a publisher to indicate how and under what conditions some one else can make use of their content. For example, I can put some pictures on my blog and display a CC license that says:

Creative Commons Attribution

What this means is that some one else visiting my site can use my pictures on their own web site or some other project as long as they properly attribute me as the creator of the work.

If I had displayed a license that said

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial,

then the visitor can only use my images on non-profit projects and he or she will have to attribute me wherever they are using my images.

Resource: Go here for a full list of Creative Commons Licenses and their descriptions.

Example of Creative Commons usage: Images

Images are probably the most important media we all use in our projects and we are constantly looking for interesting images to help us add value to our presentations, papers and lecture notes.

Flickr.com is currently the most popular image hosting site and many Flickr users license their images under Creative Commons. Let me demonstrate how we we can:

1. Search for Creative Commons licensed images on Flickr; and
2. Cite or attribute the images when we use them in our projects.

Part 1. Finding Creative Commons Licensed images on Flickr

You can only use images from those Flickr members who have decided to offer their work under a Creative Commons license. The images can be used as long as you follow the conditions that the particular license spells out.

The easiest license to use is the Attribution license. Images licensed under Attribution can be used anywhere as long as you attribute the publisher. Do note however that if the image features people, you might not want to use it out of context (for example in a commercial that is endorsing a product). Such use may require you to get a model release from the people appearing in the picture.

Resource: Go here for Flickr images under Attribution license.

You will see a search facility on the page. Let’s say I want to find a picture for an article I am writing about food in the Kagoshima area in Japan. I will search using the keywords “Kagoshima Food”.

Flickr will show you all the images matching your keyword.

Click on the picture you like. In my case, I clicked on the second image. This will take me to the page containing that image:

Note the name of the publisher. This is shown on the right hand side and reads like this:

“Uploaded on September 29, 2005 by naotakem”

Keep a record of this publisher information. Also include the title of the image. “Hirame Sashimi”

To download the image, look for a button called “All Sizes” above the image.

Click on that button and Flickr will give you a choice of image sizes. Choose a size and click on the download link just above the picture.

Also, some Flickr members use a user name. You can click on the user name and go to a page that displays the profile of the user. Here you can find the full name of the user. Note down this name too. If the user has not published his/her full name, note down the user name.

In this case, the user’s full name is Naotake Murayama

Part 2: Using the image and properly crediting (attributing) it

If you are using it on a print document attribute it in the following format:

publisher name, photo title, date uploaded via Flickr, Creative Commons License

This attribution appears just below the picture, wherever you are using it.

For example the Kagoshima food picture I downloaded will be attributed as:

Naotake Murayama, “Hirame Sashimi” September 29, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

If you are using the image on a website, it is preferable to put the link to the original image. My citation will then look like:

Naotake Murayama, “Hirame Sashimi” September 29, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

(via Jessica Coates, see comments below)

Other Creative Commons Media Sources

You can use this Creative Commons search facility to easily find music (from Owl), video (from Blip.tv), assorted media from SpinXpress, Flickr images and Google & Yahoo searches.

Conclusion

Educators need to respect the copyright of others. However, the Creative Commons license allows us to use images, video or audio created by others, as long as we respect the requested attribution indicated on the Creative Commons license.

Author

By Preetam Rai, technology trainer at Teaching and Learning Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

[Image at top of article: LuMaxArt Gold Guys With Creative Commons Symbol, via Wikipedia, 11Mar09]

1. Create a wiki in Blackboard
2. Allow access and editing rights to the wiki for certain students only
3. Check the participation level of each student in the wiki

This tutorial assumes that your Blackboard installation includes Teams LX by Learning Objects, Inc.

1. Log into Blackboard

2. Select your Module.

3. On the left menu, select Control Panel

4. Select the Course Documents (or whichever Content area where you wish to place the wiki)

5. On the next page on the right there is a drop down menu. Select “Wiki” from this menu.

6. Click Go

7. Inside the Wiki field, type in the name for the wiki. Type in an optional description.

8. Then you can choose who will be able to see and edit the wiki.

You can choose between:

• All course (module) members
• Specific groups and course (module) members

If you only want one tutorial group to use this wiki, you can choose that group from the box below. Select the desired tutorial group and click the right arrow so it moves into the “Selected Members” area, like this:

Alternatively, the section below that allows you to select the individual students you want participating in the wiki. Click on the name in the Course Members box on the left and click on the right arrow (>). The name will appear in the right Group Members box.

9. You can remove a member from the wiki by selecting name from the Group Members box on the right hand side and clicking on the centre delete(X) button.

10. Sometimes you may need the particular Wiki to be hidden from the other students (who are not in this team). To do this first select the dates for which the group members can edit the wiki.

After this fill in the dates for which non-group members can view the wiki. Note that non group members cannot edit the wiki, they can just view it.

11. Make the wiki visible (first question below), Do not allow the students to purge the wiki (second question below) aond set the wiki so that the wiki member and instructor both can comment.

12. The last part here deals with creating a grade book entry, set it up if you wish. Click the OK button at the bottom to finish the wiki.

13. Once done, the wiki shows up in the list under your Course Documents. Click on Modify, if wish to change any of the settings.

14. If you want to make more wikis for other students, repeat the steps from 5 through 12.

15. There is an option under the Control Panel that lets you check the participation level.

Detail:

16. You will see a list of wikis and a View Participation button next to it.

17. You will see what percentage of changes have been made by individual students. The View Detail button gives you further break down of the changes made by that particular student.

Author

By Preetam Rai, technology trainer at Teaching and Learning Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic.