LibGuides: Creative Commons Licenses Explained: Home

Creative Commons Licenses

This symbol may look familiar, especially as it grows in popularity. It is the symbol for Creative Commons, the most commonly used open license for OER (open educational resources). These licenses are easy to use, and most importantly, they are free. With the CC licenses come what are called 5R permissions which permit the user to revise, retain, reuse, remix, and redistribute the material. The goal is to strip the barriers to education by making educational materials open and therefore low-to-no cost to students.

Faculty at the University of Hartford are expressing more interest in creating their own OER for their courses. With that work comes the question of what license to give your materials.This guide has been designed to help you learn about the different types of CC licenses in order to help you choose the most effective one for your work. The image below explains the sliding scale of most open to most restrictive. The tabs in this guide will go into more detail for each. Before making a final decision, you will meet with Jillian Maynard to discuss your choice. Her contact information can be found on the right.

For more information about Creative Commons, visit https://creativecommons.org/