Course Websites

Publishing to course websites

Some of your Media School courses may require you to publish work to a class website. This page details best practices and your responsibilities when using these sites.

Longevity

Your course website will be live online for two years. After two years, the site will be archived.

If you think you may want to use the work created for that class as a portfolio piece, you should always make and save your own copies of the work so you'll have access to it when the site is archived.

Ethics

Always be clear with sources and interview subjects that the projects will be online, available to anyone with an internet connection and a browser.

File sizes

You may not upload files larger than 2MB to course websites.

Optimizing your multimedia content for the web will enable you to post it to the site.

Resize your images using a tool such as the “Save for Web” feature in Adobe Photoshop. This can be found under File > Export > Save for Web.

There, a user should then set the file type to .jpeg, and the longest edge to 2,000 pixels in the “Image Size” option.

This will allow you to save high-quality images (up to 100 percent quality) within the 2MB limit.

Uncompressed files such as .wav and .aiff are too large for our system. Instead, please convert your files to .mp3s, which are compressed audio files. iTunes and VLC player have .mp3 converters built into their interfaces.

Read an iTunes tutorial

For longer audio files that are still over 2MB after conversion, you can upload the file to either Box or Kaltura — both available for free to IU students — and embed the file.

Box
  1. Upload the audio file to Box.
  2. Click on the three dots next to the file and then Share > Get Shared Link.
  3. Change the Access Type from “People in this file” to “People with the link” and click “Close.”
  4. Click on the three dots next to the file and then More Actions > Embed Widget.
  5. Copy everything between the two quotation marks after src= and use it in the following shortcode:

    [box_audio]COPIED SRC[/box_audio]

    Example:

    [box_audio]https://iu.app.box.com/embed/s/mlc6pfyp9wpi8r4rw65lcwkwsjsmj59e?sortColumn=date&view=list[/box_audio]
Kaltura
  1. Upload the audio file to Kaltura.
  2. After uploading the audio file, the file can be embedded in a WordPress post using the following shortcode:

[kaltura_audio]URL TO KALTURA ITEM[/kaltura_audio]

Video files can be huge, especially when dealing with high-resolution. Please use one of two IU-supported systems to host and embed videos: YouTube and Kaltura. Anyone with an IU account has access to unlimited hosting of videos on both of these services. 

Kaltura is the preferred UITS tool.

After uploading a video file, the video can be embedded in a WordPress post using the following shortcode:

[kaltura]FULL URL TO VIDEO ON KALTURA[/kaltura]

Example:

[kaltura]https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_2216g8ey[/kaltura]

Copyright

Only post content that you legally own of have permission to use.

Learn more about copyright laws and resources

Using copyrighted works legally

If a work is in copyright, in order to use it (e.g., copy, record, make a derivative work, distribute, perform or display) legally, your use must be licensed (legal permission from the copyright owner) or fair use.

Fair use is determined by purpose and character of the use, nature of copyrighted work, amount of the work used in proportion to the whole and effect on the potential market of the copyrighted work.

Fair use for educational purposes is generally, but not entirely, limited to face-to-face classroom instruction or, with certain conditions, online distance education.

Uses of a copyrighted work that exceed fair use require a license or permission. For example, a student using a musical recording as the soundtrack for a video completed for a course could likely rely on fair use for the student assignment shown only in class. But the student would need a license to show the work publicly outside the class (including online) or to publicize or promote themselves or their work.

Simply giving credit is not enough. You need written permission from the copyright holder.

How to obtain copyright permission

The first step in clearing works in copyright is to identify the rights holders and their contact information. Possible sources for this information include:

Most publishers and media companies maintain websites with licensing information. You can request permission either by online form or email. Identify your intended uses precisely. Publishers will often indicate the information they need for permissions.

Upon approval and receipt of a permission or licensing agreement, review its terms to make sure they cover your intended uses. If it is in order, sign it, then return it with the required fee by the due date or upon publication. Include the copyright owner’s required copyright notification on any copies or derivative works.

Universal Production Music

The easiest way to add music to your projects is to use Universal Production Music, a robust database of thousands of songs. The school subscribes to this service, which offers an alternative to Creative Commons and other copyright-free options.

To use this service, create an account here. You must enter "Indiana University Media School" in "Company Name or Account Number" to gain access to the library. 

Email mschtune@indiana.edu with questions. 

Alternatives

You also may use some web-based services such as Creative Commons to find art or music for the projects. You must identify the usage requirements, such as link-backs to the original material or other credit, and incorporate that into your projects.

Never include copyrighted music in your videos, embed videos you did not produce, use images you did not create or otherwise present protected materials in your work on the website. 

Questions?

Contact Ross Hughes, web developer.