In this section, you will practice uploading an openly licensed image and a custom licensed image in WikiEducator using two different upload methods. You will also complete the relevant image metadata and image descriptions for the ALT accessibility tags.

Key points

Before carrying out the tasks for this learning challenge it is important to remember that:

1. The WikiEducator community has a preference for free cultural works approved open licences. As such, you should prioritise the following licence types when searching for images:
   • Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY),
   • Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA), or
   • works dedicated to the public domain, for example CC0, or works where the copyright has expired.
2. For the purposes of this course, you may source images from Unsplash, Pexels or Pixabay noting that these images DO NOT QUALIFY as free cultural works approved open licences because they use a custom all rights reserved licence and consequently must be clearly identified in the wiki using a different attribution process (see below). While the respective licences of these sites do not require attribution, for ethical and auditing purposes we require attribution. Any images uploaded to the WikiEducator website that are in contravention of copyright or not attributed as required will be deleted without prior notification.

Step 1 – Search for two image candidates

Purpose: To search for two images for potential inclusion in the learning pathway you selected to develop for this course .

When searching for images, it is worth having a number of options to choose from because frequently the first one you find is not always the best one for the context. Keeping track of the source URLs of images you find during your online searches will save you time later in the process when it comes to uploading and attributing the image resources.

• For the purposes of demonstrating your skills for attributing images using the two different options for uploading images in the wiki (i.e. the ‘Upload Wizard‘ and the ‘Upload form‘) you must find:
  1. One image that is licensed using Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), or Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike (CC BY-SA), or an image dedicated to the Public Domain (e.g. CC0 mark).
  2. One image sourced from Unsplash, Pexels or Pixabay to demonstrate that you can attribute using these custom licences in WikiEducator.
• Record the URL of the source of the individual image because this is needed for attribution and for administrators to verify the copyright licence. For example, it is not sufficient to reference “Butterfly image on http://www.flickr.com” (pointing to the homepage of flickr rather than the specific image link) as there are millions of images on Flickr. You should reference the unique URL for the individual image, for example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adriaancoetzee/6950706381/. You will save yourself time and frustration by paying attention to referencing and recording the exact source. The wiki community may delete images which are in breach of copyright including cases where the source cannot be verified, for instance where the URL does not point to the source image.

Web resources

Sites to source openly licensed images

• Wikimedia Commons (All images use free cultural works approved licences and can be replicated on WikiEducator using the [EDT4OL/Intermediate wiki skills/Wikimedia identical file name].)
• CC Search (Use filters to find CC-BY or CC-BY-SA licensed images which can be uploaded using the Upload Wizard)
• Flickr (Use filters to find CC-BY or CC-BY-SA licensed images which can be uploaded using the Upload Wizard)

Sites to source custom licences that can be used on WikiEducator
You can source images from the following sites on condition that the copyright holder is attributed and published under the relevant site licence using WikiEducator’s Upload form.

• Unsplash
• Pexels
• Pixabay

Step 2 – Prepare image descriptions for the ‘alt’ text attribute

Definition

What are image descriptions and ‘alt’ text?

Alternative text is written text that provides meaningful description of visual media to accessibility users who are visually impaired or who require an alternative text format. Image descriptions provide much more detailed description than alt text, allowing the user to learn more about what is in the image, beyond alt text. Alt text gives the user a short condensed description, while long image descriptions provide explicit detail. Supplying text alternatives of visual media can significantly increase access to content for a wide range of users.^[1]

The ‘alt’ attribute is part of HTML markup embedded in a web page that provides alternate information for an image if a user for some reason cannot view it. The alternate text contained within the ‘alt’ attribute is read by screen readers (text to voice) enabling an image to be accessible to people with visual disabilities. When uploading images in the wiki, the image description text is used for inclusion in the ‘alt’ attribute in the HTML when the page is published.

Consequently, when searching for images it is useful to generate the image description so that you have the ‘alt’ text ready for when you upload the image, for example: “Image of middle aged Polynesian woman holding a camera to take a photo facing the photographer”. In the case of primary content, you should describe the elements and how they relate to each other. For example, it is not sufficient to describe the graphic of the water cycle simply as a “Process diagram,” you should describe each of the elements and the direction of the arrows so that the viewer can understand the graphic.

Activity

1. Open a word processor or text editor to write an image description for each of your images that will be suitable for the ‘alt’ attribute for accessibility.
2. Save this text which you will need when uploading your images.

Step 3 – Upload an openly licensed image in WikiEducator

Purpose: To upload an openly licensed image with image description for the ‘alt’ tag, correct license and attribution to demonstrate your skills using the Mediawiki ‘Upload Wizard‘ and the ‘Upload form‘ for Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay licensed images.

1. Download the openly licensed image you found. (It must be CC-BY, CC-BY-SA, GNU-GPL or dedicated to the public domain (CC)))
2. Log in to WikiEducator and go to the Tools –> Upload File link displayed in the navigation on the left-hand side of your browser. This will take you to the ‘Upload Wizard‘ page.
3. Follow the instructions on screen to upload the image on WikiEducator.
   • If you are not the copyright holder of the image, you must select the option: ‘This file is not my own work’
   • In the source field, enter the full URL that links to the source of the image (not the homepage of the site where the image is hosted)
   • Enter the author’s name (or pseudonym / username) which you will find listed at the source URL
   • Choose the option: ‘The copyright holder published this work with the right Creative Commons license’
   • In the description field, provide an image description that will meet the accessibility requirements for the ‘alt’ attribute (see above).
   • Click the ‘Next’ button.
   • Click on the filename link to visit the image page in the wiki and confirm that the image metadata is correct.
   • From the WikiEducator menu on the left, go to Special pages –> File list to see the recent images that have been uploaded.
   • Note: Your course facilitators will be monitoring the recent images page. Any images that are uploaded on WikiEducator in breach of copyright, or with incomplete metadata, for example, missing or incorrect licence, or incorrect source URL to verify the author and licence, WILL BE DELETED.

Step 4 – Upload a custom licence image permitted for use on WikiEducator

Purpose: To upload an custom licensed image with image description for the ‘alt’ tag, correct license and attribution to demonstrate your skills using the Mediawiki ‘Upload form‘ for Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay licensed images.

1. Download the image you found from Unsplash, Pexels or Pixabay (these are the only sites that use custom licences that are permitted on WikiEducator).
2. Log in to WikiEducator and go to the Tools –> Upload File link. At the top of the Upload Wizard page click on the “Back to the old form” link at the top of the page which will take you to the the special Upload page. Unlike the Upload Wizard that you used before, this allows you to enter the required information about custom licences from Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay.
3. Click on the “Browse” button to select the image file you downloaded
4. The destination filename should be identical to the image file stored on your computer and should include the file extension (eg .jpg, .png, .svg).
5. In the summary section, use wiki text markup to link to the original image source and attribute the author. To meet minimum requirements, the summary should:
   • Have an image title that links back to the source URL for the image
   • Attribute the copyright holder’s name with link to their user page on the image site
   • Include an image description that meets accessibility standards for visually impaired learners.
   • For example (you can view this image on WikiEducator):

     Gears, question marks and light bulbs by Shafin_Protic
     Decorative image showing three disconnected white gear cogs in the centre with four yellow lights, two green question marks, three red question marks and, two small dark orange and four small blue proton orbit network icons randomly distributed across a light orange background.

6. From the WikiEducator menu on the left, go to Special pages –> File list to see the recent images that have been uploaded.

References

1. ↑ SeeWriteHear (2022), Alt Text and Image Description, Retrieved 9 May 2022.