Frequently Asked Questions

eduCommons offers the following introductory answers to Frequently Asked Questions about how visitors to the site can make use of course materials, what technology we use to publish the eduCommons site, and 43 other common inquiries we receive. Click on a subject heading below to view questions and answers relating to your selection.

This document provides the help for the Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare site in the form of a list of frequently asked questions and answers. If you have other questions about this site please email info@eeocw.org.

About Energy + Environment OCW

  1. What is Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare?
  2. How are Energy + Environment OCW's materials different than other materials found on the Web?
  3. What quality controls does Energy + Environment OCW employ in curriculum selection and screening?
  4. What are the long-term goals of the Energy + Environment OCW initiative?
  5. Will Energy + Environment OCW always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?

Using Energy + Environment OCW Materials

  1. Do I need to register to use Energy + Environment OCW course materials?
  2. Where are the course materials?
  3. How do I find what courses are available?
  4. Does Energy + Environment OCW offer discounts on textbooks or software applications utilized in the course materials?
  5. I have seen (or I am/represent) an individual, organization, or institution that offers to teach Energy + Environment courses or tutor students based on Energy + Environment materials. Does Energy + Environment approve or recognize such individuals or organizations?
  6. Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of Energy + Environment OCW course materials?
  7. Can I link to the Energy + Environment OCW Web site from my Web site?

Intellectual Property

  1. Who owns the intellectual property published on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?
  2. What are the Terms of Use for Energy + Environment OCW users?
  3. What are the Terms of Use for the discussion software?
  4. How does Energy + Environment OCW define non-commercial use?
  5. How do I properly cite my reuse of Energy + Environment OCW materials?
  6. How can I contribute my own educational materials to the Energy + Environment OCW?
  7. What do I do if I believe a portion of Energy + Environment OCW material infringes my copyright?

Translations

  1. Can I translate the course materials in Energy + Environment OCW?

Usability

  1. What are the technical requirements for viewing Energy + Environment OCW course materials?
  2. What is metadata and why is it important to Energy + Environment OCW?
  3. How do I change the font-size on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?
  4. Will the Energy + Environment OCW Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?
  5. Why does this PDF not open correctly in my copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?

Privacy and Data Collection

  1. What information does Energy + Environment OCW collect from visitors to the Web site?
  2. What are "cookies," and does Energy + Environment OCW make use of cookies on its Web site?
  3. Does Energy + Environment OCW share the information it receives?

Technology

  1. What technology is used to publish the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?
  2. Is Energy + Environment OCW an open source project?
  3. What is RSS?

Other Questions

  1. How can I support Energy + Environment OCW with a financial donation?

About Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare

  1. What is Energy + Environment OCW?

    The idea behind Energy + Environment OCW is to make Energy + Environment course materials that can be used by teachers and students for high school,  undergraduate and graduate subjects available on the Web, free of charge.  Energy + Environment OCW's goal is to assist developing countries in particular in strengthening their education systems in the energy and environment area.  We do this by supporting teachers and students by providing easy to understand materials that are interactive, stimulating and of the highest quality.

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  2. How are Energy + Environment OCW's materials different than other materials found on the Web?

    Our materials are designed with the user in mind.  Our goal is to provide teachers with high quality materials that explain difficult concepts and are easy to understand.  We seek to provide materials that teachers can download, adjust for their own classroom, and teach even if they have no prior experience in the subject.  Accordingly, we annotate our slides to assist teachers and students in order to have a fuller understanding of the materials.

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  3. What quality controls does Energy + Environment OCW employ in curriculum selection and screening?

    Energy + Environment OCW works with faculty and individuals from leading universities, research organizations, government, and non-governmental organizations.  Our Curriculum Advisory Panel is composed of faculty and specialists in the energy and environment subjects that we offer.  Issues about the appropriateness or quality of materials are referred to the Curriculum Advisory Panel or to a specialist in the particular field for review.

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  4. What are the long-term goals of the Energy + Environment OCW initiative?

    We expect Energy + Environment OCW to grow to encompass the course materials of all faculty who are willing to participate.  Eventually, our goal is to conduct teacher trainings in developing countries in order to support energy and environment education around the world.  We hope that by strengthening education, we promote environmental awareness and support students and teachers seeking the skills needed to solve environmental problems. 

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  5. Will Energy + Environment OCW always be free and openly available to anyone in the world?

    Yes. 

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Using Energy + Environment OCW Materials

  1. Do I need to register to use Energy + Environment OCW course materials?

    Because Energy + Environment OCW is not a distance-learning, or a degree-granting, initiative, there is no registration process required.

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  2. Where are the course materials?

    To find what courses are available at this time, view the complete course list. Once you have accessed a particular course site, the left-hand navigation bar of each course homepage will detail what materials are available for that individual course.

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  3. How do I find what courses are available?

    You can, utilize the Search function that can be found in the right-hand corner of every page on the Energy + Environment OCW site. You can search for specific text, such as certain academic discipline area, across all courses or within just one course. Or to perform a detailed search, use our Advanced Search.

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  4. Does Energy + Environment OCW offer discounts on textbooks or software applications utilized in the course materials?

    Energy + Environment OCW does not sell, offer vendor discounts for, or represent any vendor who may sell the software, books, or other materials that users of Energy + Environment OCW may require to understand the course materials offered on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site.

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  5. I have seen (or I am/represent) an individual, organization, or institution that offers to teach Energy + Environment OCW courses or tutor students based on Energy + Environment materials. Does Energy + Environment OCW approve or recognize such individuals or organizations?

    No, Energy + Environment has no relationship with, grants no special permission to, and does not approve, endorse, or certify any organizations, teachers, tutors, or other service providers who use educational materials available on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site in connection with their services.

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  6. Can I/my organization state on our Web site or in our literature that we make use of Energy + Environment OCW course materials?

    To reference Energy + Environment OCW you must comply with the terms of the license associated with Energy + Environment OCW and/or the specific course materials. Typically you must you must give credit to Energy + Environment OCW and the faculty author of the course materials anytime you use Energy + Environment OCW materials. For your convenience, each Energy + Environment OCW page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content. However, any reference to Energy + Environment OCW (including the Energy + Environment OCW name in any of its forms or Energy + Environment seals or logos) that deliberately or inadvertently claims, suggests, or in Energy + Environment OCW's sole judgment gives the appearance or impression of a relationship with or endorsement by Energy + Environment OCW, is prohibited.

    [See also Intellectual Property]

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  7. Can I link to the Energy + Environment OCW Web site from my Web site?

    Links to Energy + Environment OCW or to courses or pages within the Energy + Environment OCW Web site are permitted so long as the use of the materials associated with the link is permitted under the terms of the license associated with the course materials or particular content.  Please check the bottom of the page to view the applicable license for any particular item. For your convenience, each Energy + Environment OCW page includes a citation appropriate for the page at the bottom of the content.

    In addition to meeting the terms of the license, links to Energy + Environment OCW are permitted as long as the link is freely accessible (e.g., no restrictions or fee for access); and there is no claim, appearance, or implication of an affiliation with or endorsement by Energy + Environment OCW.  Energy + Environment OCW cannot guarantee the persistence of any specific link other than those to the Energy + Environment OCW homepage.

    [See also Intellectual Property]

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Intellectual Property

  1. Who owns the intellectual property published on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?

    Prior to making any course materials publicly available, the Energy + Environment OCW team has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material openly available on the Web. We will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others [See also What do I do if I believe a portion of Energy + Environment OCW material infringes my copyright?].

    The intellectual property policies created for Energy + Environment OCW are clear and consistent with other policies for scholarly materials used in education. Faculty retain ownership of most materials prepared for Energy + Environment OCW. Energy + Environment OCW retains ownership only when significant use has been made of its resources.

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  2. What are the Terms of Use for Energy + Environment OCW users?

    See the Terms of Use for more information.

    If you would like to use Energy + Environment OCW course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us using email info@eeocw.org.

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  3. What are the Terms of Use for the discussion software?

    See the Terms of Use for more information.

  4. How does Energy + Environment OCW define non-commercial use?

    A commercial use would involve the assessment of a direct or indirect fee for use of the Energy + Environment OCW materials, or any derivation or modification of the Energy + Environment OCW material, or any other commercial exploitation of Energy + Environment OCW materials. All uses, reuse, and distribution of Energy + Environment OCW material, including works derived from Energy + Environment OCW material, must be attributed to Energy + Environment OCW and to the original authors where identified on the Energy + Environment OCW materials you distribute. If you would like to use Energy + Environment OCW course materials, but you are unsure whether your intended use qualifies as non-commercial use, please contact us at info@eeocw.org.

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  5. How do I properly cite my reuse of Energy + Environment OCW materials?

    To reuse or repost materials from Energy + Environment OCW, confirm that the license allows for the use you intend. If the license permits reuse, you must give proper attribution to the original Energy + Environment OCW faculty author(s).

    For your convenience, at the bottom of each page, we provide a citation in APA format, a copyright statement and a license for that page.

    Or you may chose to cite the resource in the following manner: "This material was created by or adapted from material created by Energy + Environment faculty member, (Name), (Title), (Year). Copyright © (Year), (Faculty Member's Name)."

    As an example, the citation for "Sustainable Energy" taught by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professors Jefferson Tester, Elizabeth Drake and Michael Golay would read, "This material was created or adapted from material created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty members Jefferson Tester, Elizabeth Drake, and Michael Golay, Professors. Copyright © 2007, Jefferson Tester, Elizabeth Drake, and Michael Golay."

    If you want to use the course materials on your Web site, and the materials are licensed using a Creative Commons license, you must also include a copy of the Creative Commons license, or clear and reasonable link to its URL (for example, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/), with every copy of the materials or the derivative work(s) you create from it.

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  6. How can I contribute my own educational materials to Energy + Environment OCW?

    The Guidance for Contributing Authors page of this website has further information about contributing materials.

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  7. What do I do if I believe a portion of Energy + Environment OCW material infringes my copyright?

    Energy + Environment OCW, prior to making any Energy + Environment OCW materials publicly available, has reviewed all material extensively to determine the correct ownership of the material and obtain the appropriate licenses to make the material available on Energy + Environment OCW. Energy + Environment OCW will promptly remove any material that is determined to be infringing on the rights of others. If you believe that a portion of Energy + Environment OCW material infringes on your copyright, please contact us via email info@eeocw.org.

    To file the notification, you must be either the copyright owner of the work or an individual authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner. Your notification must include:

    1. Identification of the copyrighted work, or, in the case of multiple works at the same location, a representative list of such works at that site.
    2. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity. You must include sufficient information, such as a specific URL or other specific identification, for us to locate the material.
    3. Information for us to be able to contact the claimant (e.g., email address, phone number).
    4. A statement that the claimant believes that the use of the material has not been authorized by the copyright owner or an authorized agent.
    5. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate and that the claimant is, or is authorized to act on behalf of, the copyright owner.

    If you do not include an electronic signature with your claim, you may be asked to send or fax a follow-up copy with a signature.

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Translations

  1. Can I translate the course materials in Energy + Environment OCW?

    You may translate course materials in Energy + Environment OCW if permitted by the license of the course materials you wish to translate. Energy + Environment asks that any Energy + Environment OCW materials translated into other languages from the original language must be accompanied by the proper attribution of the original materials and include the following disclaimer:

    "These Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare course materials have been translated into [YOUR LANGUAGE] by [YOUR INSTITUTION] and Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare makes no representations or warranties of any kind concerning the materials, express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or the absence of errors, whether or not discoverable. Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare bears no responsibility for any inaccuracies in translation. Any inaccuracies or other defects contained in this material, due to inaccuracies in language translation, are the sole responsibility of [YOUR INSTITUTION] and not Energy + Environment OpenCourseWare."
    [See Also How do I properly cite my reuse of Energy + Environment OCW materials]

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Usability

  1. What are the technical requirements for viewing Energy + Environment OCW course materials?

    The majority of Energy + Environment OCW course sites work in modern Web browsers on both the Macintosh and Windows platforms. Although higher-speed connections are preferable, slower connections, such as modems, should allow users to view most materials on the sites (however, downloading or accessing materials may take somewhat longer).

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  2. What is metadata and why is it important to Energy + Environment OCW?

    Metadata is, literally, "data about data." Metadata can be better understood as information that describes other information. For example, this Web page of FAQs for Energy + Environment OCW has an author, a title, a date of creation, and a unique Internet address; this information constitutes the metadata about this page. Metadata enables sophisticated, powerful, and accurate searches across Energy + Environment OCW course materials.

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  3. How do I change the font-size on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?

    The fonts and style of the Energy + Environment OCW Web site have been specifically selected to meet certain design and accessibility standards. The Energy + Environment OCW Team has tested the site and these standards across a wide variety of browsers and platform. However, some users may still find that their browser configurations continue to display the text too small. You can change the displayed font size using your browser's View menu. In Netscape 7, there is a "VIEW - Text-Zoom" selection (try 120%). In Netscape 4.x, there is a "VIEW - Increase Font" selection. In Internet Explorer, you can select "VIEW - Text-Size - Larger or Largest." We hope this helps you to more comfortably view the Energy + Environment OCW course materials.

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  4. Will the Energy + Environment OCW Web site be compliant with W3C standards and accessibility requirements?

    All course materials published on the Energy + Environment OCW site are checked to see if they are valid XHTML and meet Section 508 and WAI-AA guidelines as part of the authoring process. We require all images to contain ALT attributes and all links to contain TITLE tags.

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  5. Why does this PDF not open correctly in copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader?

    A small percentage of the PDF documents offered on the Energy + Environment OCW Web site may be compatible only with newer versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you would like to view such a file, we recommend downloading the latest version of the Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html.

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Privacy and Data Collection

  1. What information does Energy + Environment OCW collect from visitors to the Web site?

    The information we learn from visitors helps us improve the Energy + Environment OCW site, and assists our foundation sponsors in evaluation of usage, access, and impact of Energy + Environment OCW on the worldwide educational community. Energy + Environment OCW collects the following information from visitors:

    • Information You Provide: We receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. You provide most such information when you submit feedback on the site, contact us by email, or agree to participate in a visitor survey. This information may include your name and email address, your academic status, your institution, your geographic region, how you are using Energy + Environment OCW, and what you think of Energy + Environment OCW. In all cases, any information you provide is strictly optional and voluntary and you may choose to use the Energy + Environment OCW site without ever providing this information. If you voluntarily provide your email address or other contact information, we will not share personal information with anyone without first requesting your explicit permission to do so.
    • Automatic Information: We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with the Energy + Environment OCW Web site. Examples of the information we collect and analyze include the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Energy + Environment OCW site; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform, and; content you viewed or searched for during your visit to Energy + Environment OCW. During some visits we may use software tools to measure and collect session information, including page response times, download errors, and length of visits to certain pages. However, none of this information is personally identifiable or linked back to you individually.

    [See Also Privacy Policy]

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  2. What are "cookies," and does Energy + Environment OCW make use of cookies on its Web site?

    Energy + Environment OCW uses "cookies" in a limited way. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that this Web site transfers to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser when you make return trips to the site. This allows us to track your use of the site (anonymously), and to analyze patterns in site use, such as repeat visits, length of visits, and breadth of content used, for example). Cookies also allow us to conduct periodic, online, voluntary user surveys where we can gain more insight into what type of people are actually using the site, how they are using the site, and what the educational impact of the site is on these users.

    Energy + Environment OCW's use of cookies is designed to be unobtrusive, and we do not collect personally identifiable information through their use. However, if you do not wish to accept cookies, the "Help" portion of the toolbar on most Web browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Disabling cookies will in no way affect your access to content on the Energy + Environment OCW site. If you leave cookies enabled on your Web browser, you may be asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will help us gain a better understanding of the use and impact of Energy + Environment OCW.

    [See Also Privacy Policy]

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  3. Does Energy + Environment OCW share the information it receives?

    Information about our site visitors is an important part of understanding and extending the impact of Energy + Environment OCW in the worldwide academic community. Individual personally identifiable information about users (name, email address, etc) will not be made available to third parties except as outlined below, nor will it ever be used for commercial purposes. We share user information only as described below.

    • Agents: We employ companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include compiling and categorizing user feedback, analyzing survey data or data about your use of the site, and providing customer support. These agents have access to user information needed to perform their functions, for example, but may not use this information for any other purposes. These agents are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
    • Energy + Environment OCW Sponsors: We work closely with philanthropic organizations that provide the funding that makes Energy + Environment OCW possible. These sponsors are interested in evaluating access, use, and impact of the Energy + Environment OCW Web site in order to determine if Energy + Environment OCW is achieving its objectives. We will provide information on a regular basis to these sponsors for evaluation purposes. We will not share any personally identifiable information such as name or email address unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.
    • Institutions interested in the "opencourseware movement": Part of Energy + Environment OCW's mission as an organization is to encourage other educational institutions to openly share their course materials with the world, as Energy + Environment OCW is doing. In order to accomplish this objective, we are committed to sharing what we learn in public forums, at educational conferences, and with other educational institutions. This may include aggregate data about usage of the site, feedback we have received, and the impact of Energy + Environment OCW on people throughout the world. However, in no case will we share any personally identifiable information, such as name or email address, unless you have given us explicit permission to do so.

    [See Also Privacy Policy]

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Technology

  1. What technology is used to publish the Energy + Environment OCW Web site?

    Energy + Environment OCW runs on the open source eduCommons software. The current technical solution has been in use since January 2005 with a small technical team managing all aspects of this infrastructure at the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/) at Utah State University.

    The planning tools used by the Energy + Environment OCW team to assist faculty in publishing their course materials include a portion of the workflow in eduCommons, and several checklists and documents. For creating and managing content, we use several desktop tools (file conversion tools) as well as eduCommons, that together fully support our publishing process. Our content delivery infrastructure includes a production cluster and a content staging cluster.

    For more information on eduCommons, please contact The Center for Open and Sustainable Learning (http://cosl.usu.edu/).

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  2. Is Energy + Environment OCW an open source project?

    Energy + Environment OCW is firmly committed to open systems and will share its approach and the open source eduCommons software with those who may want to launch similar efforts. eduCommons has a dedicated team of developers focused on extending the platform, features and functions to meet Energy + Environment OCW and other institution's needs.

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  3. What is RSS?

    RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and an aggregator allow you to subscribe to discussion forums, blogs and other websites in order to receive timely, organized updates of posts, news, and other information you care about.

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Other Questions

  1. How can I support Energy + Environment OCW with a financial donation?

    It is particularly generous of you to offer a financial contribution to support Energy + Environment OCW. This is a wonderful endorsement of what we hope to achieve. If you wish to make such a donation, please make your check payable to "The Energy + Environment Foundation" and enclose a note indicating that the contribution is for the Energy + Environment OCW Fund. You can mail your check to:
    The Energy + Environment Foundation
    4707 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 408
    Washington, DC 20008
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This material was created or adapted from material created by MIT OCW, Copyright © 2005 MIT in accordance with the MIT OCW Terms of Use, http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Global/terms-of-use.htm.
Citation: admin. (2007, August 24). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from Energy + Environment Web site: http://eeocw.org/help/help_text.
Copyright 2008, by the Contributing Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Creative Commons License