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Indiana University Northwest Indiana University Northwest IU Northwest


IUN Virtual Library for Faculty: Media for Virtual Teaching

Accessing the John W. Anderson Library's resources and services for all online classes. A guide that provides a gateway to access library databases, e-books, interlibrary loan, virtual reference help, and video conferencing instruction.

How to Show Movies and Documentaries Over Zoom

Special thanks to San Diego State University:

How to share your screen in Zoom to show a DVD or stream a video to your class:

  • You need to enable sharing for sound as well.
    • Click the Share Screen button at the bottom of your Zoom screen.
    • Check the Share Computer Sound and Optimize Screen Sharing for Video Clip in the share screen pop up window. This will prevent any lagging.
    • Make sure your volume is an appropriate level.
  • Select the screen showing your video clip so that others can see the content.
  • It is recommended that all participants turn off their cameras for the duration of the video and that student participants mute their sound.
  • Mac users may find that their DVD Player App blocks the video when you share your screen.  If this happens, we recommend downloading and using VLC Media Player to run DVDs instead.
  •  Instructor commentary and lecture during the course of the video greatly increases the fair use defense of this activity.

Copyright and Fair Use for Showing Movies and Documentaries

Showing DVDs and Videos in class via Zoom

*Copyright advice presented below is from Kyle K. Courtney, Esq., Harvard University, transmitted March 2020 during a Virtual Copyright Office Hour session as told to Kate Holvoet.

If you have a legally purchased DVD (your personal property or checked out from the Library), playing the DVD on your computer and sharing your screen via Zoom falls within copyright Fair Use under the following conditions:

  1. Don't record the session
  2. Only allow registered students in the course to access the Zoom session. Distribute the link via Blackboard/Canvas for example, not on the open web.
  3. DVDs will work for screen sharing, but streaming services may be able to detect the screen share and disable that ability (So Netflix/Hulu may not work due to their technology). While Netflix and other services may have terms of service that disallow screen sharing, there is no market harm from this activity if there is no time or ability to negotiate public display rights with the vendor.

For more information, please watch this webinar on copyright and fair use by Scott Sandberg, Assistant Instruction, Digital Scholarship & Geographic/Adaptive Technologies Librarian

Getting Movies Through IU Libraries

If you have a personal copy of the DVD:

  1. This is highly recommended by the library. A hard copy DVD that you own is the easiest way to show a movie to your class.
  2. You are able to play the movie/video for your students under Educational Fair Use. Bonus points if you only show portions of the movie rather than the entire film. This is because you own the hard copy DVD.
  3. This also saves bandwidth and Internet connection when you play the movie for students over Zoom.

If you want to borrow the DVD from IU Libraries:

  1. Check the IU library catalog (IUCAT) to see if our library (John W. Anderson IU Northwest Library) has the DVD. If so, you can check it out there.
  2. If IU Northwest does not own the DVD, IU Libraries has a vast collection of DVDs on all campuses. Unfortunately, many libraries do not send out their DVDs to other campuses via interlibrary loan
  3. The library can order the DVD for the IU Northwest Library collection and then you can check out the DVD.

If you own the movie on VHS or other format:

  1. UITS Instructional Media Services (IMS) does format conversion for different types of media. For example, if you have a VHS tape, they can convert it to DVD.
  2. Fill out the Media Duplication and Media Production Request Form. Under Request Type, select "Conversion/Duplication" and submit.
  3. Please contact UITS for more information on this service.

If you want to stream the movie/documentary/film:

  1. We do not recommend this because of terms of use of different streaming services, the cost to purchase streaming rights for Educational Fair Use, and the amount of bandwidth it takes to stream and Share Screens over Zoom
  2. If you cannot find the movie on DVD, please contact Reference and we can try to make arrangements for you.

Or treat a movie/documentary/video like a required textbook for your students:

  1. Many students subscribe to streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, etc.) already. If there is a particular motion picture or documentary, check the website Just Watch to see if any major streaming services offer the film.
  2. The benefit of students watching the film on their own time means more teaching time for you.
  3. List the movie(s) that your students will be required to watch on your syllabus so they can plan.