The preparation and selection of learning materials is an important art of planning the entire learning process. Accessible, high-quality learning materials support the achievement of intended learning outcomes, are pedagogically sound, and promote both learning and equality among students.
The development and selection of learning materials should always be based on a pedagogical approach. This ensures that teachers have a clear understanding of how to use these materials during their course and how they contribute to achieving the learning outcomes. Expertise in content creation and material design is a key component of teaching competence. When creating learning materials, it is also worth considering how students might be involved in collaborative knowledge production.
Digital tools enable the use of highly diverse and varied materials for teaching purposes. The pedagogical quality of digital learning materials depends on several factors. It requires a balance of effective learning design and technical functionality, combined with essential content, meaningful assignments and well-designed visual elements.
Accessibility of learning materials
Accessibility means that learning materials can be used by all students, regardless of functional ability, language skills or the device they use. Higher education institutions have a legal obligation to comply with accessibility principles, which are also integrated into the best practices in teaching.
Learning materials and copyright
When teaching, teachers act in several roles: as creators of their own learning materials, as users of resources developed by others, and as instructors on copyright awareness. It is important to comply with copyright regulations when developing learning materials. Copyright protects original works and determines how they may be used, distributed and modified.
The new Finnish Copyright Act came into effect on 3 April 2023. Its key principle is that copyright typically belongs to the author of an original work unless otherwise agreed. Using materials created by others (such as images, texts, videos) requires permission, an open license (such as Creative Commons, CC) or an agreement with Kopiosto, a Finnish copyright organisation. References must always be provided when using content created by others.
Under the new Copyright Act, teaching may be illustrated using works for which no licence is available. For example, it is possible to show videos from YouTube or other similar services during classes.
Open educational resources (OER) are recommended when materials need to be more widely shared. They may be licensed under a CC license or made freely available.
When using materials created by others, you must always check whether they are protected by copyright. If necessary, request written permission from the author. Use CC licences and ensure they are clearly marked. You can also use image banks and licensed content provided by your institution.
