What Should Students Pay for University Course Readings?: An Empirical, Economic, and Legal Analysis

The digital transformation of knowledge dissemination and academic publishing have sparked copyright disputes in the educational sector related to the scope of fair dealing. This study contributes (a) an empirical basis for such discussions by analyzing 3,391 course syllabuses (2015–2020) from 34 Canadian universities, and (b) a potential resolution to the disputes to which this analysis is applied. Among the reading types, 26.6% of the syllabuses had readings from academic sources, while 8.3% of the syllabuses had media articles and trade book chapters (with some overlap). The syllabus data are used to calculate a per-page royalty charge, which is used to demonstrate a proposed three-step syllabus rule to avoid double-chargingstudents for academic materials (amounting to 90.1% of readings by pages), while fairly compensating professional authors and their publishers (9.9% of readings by pages). The three-step syllabus rule provides a sound rationale for charging each student $1.40 per year to cover royalty charges for readings assigned in Canadian university courses.

Using visual curriculum materials to “bear witness”

PurposeThe purpose of this notable trade book lesson plan is to utilize the novel, Ghost Boys, in an upper elementary/middle school education application. This lesson plan utilizes visual curriculum materials to engage students in a powerful exploration of “bearing witness.” Through the exploration of text, photographs, music and dance, students will be given opportunities to engage with the visual materials, think critically about relevant societal issues and participate in affective learning. The students will interpret visual historical evidence to develop “a sense of otherness” or empathy, and engage with the inquiry process (Barton and Levstik, 2004, pp. 210–211). Historical empathy proves an important aspect to students' historical thinking because affective learning allows students to connect with historical figures and gain new perspectives understanding difficult situations (Endacott, 2010, p. 6).Design/methodology/approachThe approach of this notable trade book lesson plan is a multimodal analysis of art forms (photography, music and dance choreography) which culminates in the students taking informed action to create a personal mural to “bear witness” to an issue of their selection.FindingsThis is a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) notable trade book lesson plan. After engaging with this lesson, students will gain skills in visual decoding, empathy, critical thinking and collaboration. The students will use higher-order thinking to take informed action by creating a mural to “bear witness” to injustice.Originality/valueThe value of this lesson plan is the ability to integrate written themes from the text, visual learning and hands-on learning in a meaningful and authentic way to students. Allowing the students to take informed action using the knowledge gained about “bearing witness” proves crucial for young students learning how to actively participate in America's multi-cultural democracy.

Dealing with the Competition of English-language Export Editions: Voices from the Dutch Trade Book Market

This project explores the responses of the Dutch trade book market to the ever-increasing influx of Anglophone publications. Based on in-depth interviews (n = 42) carried out between 2015 and 2017 with Dutch publishing professionals, this research identifies the approaches and strategies they adopt to defend their market from the competition of English-language editions. Findings show that the main defence strategy used is to release translations simultaneously with English-language originals, but that this creates significant pressures on both publishers and translators. Concomitantly, there has been an increasing focus on Dutch originals and non-Anglophone books. The strategies and approaches documented in this study may be of interest for scholars and practitioners in relation to other book markets and linguistic areas facing similar circumstances.

NCSS notable trade book lesson plan Before She Was Harriet

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to allow students to explore the accomplishments of Harriet Tubman at various stages of her life through a guided research investigation. Students will be able to identify Harriet Tubman as a human hero by creating biographical story boards to display first in the classroom and later moved to a local cultural museum. The lesson plan is based on the trade book Before She Was Harriet. This short biography of Harriet Tubman is written in a free verse style to introduce young readers to the several roles she held throughout her impressive life span. Design/methodology/approach Social constructivist principles are integrated throughout the lesson; that is, meaningful interactions with peers and the teacher influence student learning. Students participate in a scaffolded research project with the support of teacher modeling and graphic organizers. They expand their knowledge by creating an original interdisciplinary project, a story board biography. Throughout all phases of the learning experience, students engage in critical thinking and challenging activities that include drawing connections among ideas, evaluating group work, arguing positions and applying research skills. Additionally, a variety of resources, including technology, are incorporated to promote active student engagement. Findings This is a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Notable Tradebook Lesson Plan. Originality/value Young learners need the opportunity to engage in scaffolded research activities in a social studies classroom. This innovative instructional plan provides PreK-3 teachers a guide to introducing students to Harriet Tubman by reading aloud Before She Was Harriet, a 2018 Notable Trade book, and allowing students to gather a deep understanding of this historical figure through guided research over the course of two to three sessions.