The Prospect of Open Online e-Learning System Based on the Free Culture Movement - Development of YouTutors as an Auto-Assignment Generator by Utilizing Creative Commons Contents Online

This paper is concerned with the educational potential of open-source contents online, such as the Creative Commons and open Application Programming Interface (API), with the Free Culture movement as backgrounds. As a case study, we propose an open online e-learning system "You Tutors", which automatically generates language-training materials by utilizing Creative Commons videos and open API of YouTube. As an introduction, we discuss the copy left licensing system and Creative Commons as a representative achievement of the Free Culture movement. To understand the affinity of the interaction between education and the Free Culture movement, we investigate the history of the movement. Furthermore, we examine the concepts structures of some licensing systems born in the context of the movement. We review related case studies especially selected from among practical open educational challenges. Then, we describe the development of an online English e-learning system "You Tutors" as an original case study. We illustrate a way to re-use the data on the web and a way to adapt the Creative Commons contents into the e-learning system by mash up techniques. We conducted a usability experiment in English classes at the University of Tsukuba and found that students evaluated the auto-generated assignment system using online resources as adequate, after their self-learning application.