Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Digital Learning Commons? 

The Digital Learning Commons (DLC) is a repository for content created by University of Guelph library employees. There is a variety of help guides, videos, tutorials and handouts on a wide range of topics to help students, instructors, and researchers develop academic and professional skills, such as time management, research and writing strategies, data and digital literacy skills, and more.

Content on the DLC is reviewed by content creators and subject matter experts at the library every few years. However, if you find content that looks out of date, please feel free to contact the library.

Content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.

What content does the search box at the top of the page search?

The search box at the top of the page searches content across the University of Guelph website. While DLC content is indexed in this search, it may not be found in the top results.  

If you are looking for specific content and you have the title, you will have more luck using the search. However, if you are looking for content on a topic, please review the search strategies below.  

What is the best way to find content?

Browsing

Content on the homepage is organized into categories. To browse content within the categories, scroll through the gallery by clicking the "Next" and "Previous" buttons, or click on the "More" content button on the right. 

You can also view a full list of content on the All Resources page. 

Recommended Content

On each content item page, there are also recommended resources which you can use to find more content on a specific topic.  

Additional help

Can't find what you're looking for? Feel free to contact the library for more help identifying resources. 

How do I share resources with my students?

Instructors can link to individual resources in CourseLink, share resources with individual students during your office hours, and/or circulate these resources in advance of relevant assessments.

OpenEd can help instructors embed content into their course pages. For more information on why to embed and instructions on how to do it, please see the Embedding Items support page.

Can I share and/or adapt content?

Content on the Digital Learning Commons is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated. Content with this license, can be shared and adapted as long as  

• Attribution is provided
• It is for non-commercial purposes
• Whatever you create must be distributed with the same licenses.

In addition, you may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Learn more about CC licenses and their permissions on the Creative Commons website.

If you have any questions or would like access to files, please contact the library.

How do I request additional support for my students?

If instructors are interested in in-class workshops or guest lectures on most of the topics on the Digital Learning Commons, we can help. Please contact the library or book an in-class instruction session.

Is Digital Learning Commons content accessible (AODA compliant)?

The content on the Digital Learning Commons (DLC) has been created and tested with accessibility in mind and meets WCAG 2.2 AA compliance. Using a combination of automated checkers and manual testing, we do periodic reviews of existing content to maintain usability and accessibility. Please contact the library if you encounter any barriers.

What features have been added to enhance accessibility?  

Multimedia files are accompanied by transcripts to provide users with a choice of format. Transcripts are descriptive to ensure all relevant information is available.

Are there any issues related to accessibility I should be aware of?

The following issues have been identified that may affect user experience:

• Third-party vendors: DLC content can be authored, hosted, or viewed with software and applications provided by third-party vendors. Challenges related to accessibility can arise when software and applications are updated and may negatively impact the accessibility of content on the DLC.
• Qualtrics: older content created in Qualtrics may use themes that provide low contrast for focusable content. Additionally, some question types and text input fields can provide challenges for users of assistive technology.
• LibWizard Tutorials: interactive tutorials are best experienced in a desktop environment. Mobile users may experience some challenges navigating content on smaller screens.
• Linked third-party content: while any content that links to third-party content has been vetted for accessibility, please keep in mind that issues may arise when content is updated without our knowledge.

I found an issue in some content, who can I reach out to?

If you experience any issues with Digital Learning Commons content, please contact the library.

License