Designing and Delivering Effective Online Instruction

Book excerpt: The Spring of 2020 saw educational institutions around the world abruptly convert to online teaching formats. While this transition may be unfamiliar—and even uncomfortable—the skills and techniques needed to engage and empower online learners can be learned and mastered to serve the current and ever-expanding need. This indispensable resource focuses on combining thoughtful teaching strategies with innovative technology to help learners engage more meaningfully and learn more effectively. The book distills decades of research in adult learning and education to provide evidence-based strategies that directly and practically apply to online environments. The author identifies five core areas for focus: principles of adult learning (how people learn), engagement through presence, diversity and inclusion, community, and learner empowerment; thereby demonstrating how to prepare for the online learning environment, design and develop suitable course materials, deliver instruction, and evaluate the learning experience. Book Features: A holistic approach that addresses and integrates every key dynamic to ensure the design, development, and delivery of optimal online learning experiences. Appropriate for instructors and course designers as they manage blended or fully online teaching models.Content is readily applicable across disciplines and institutional types. Grounded firmly in research, theory, and best practices related to social presence, engagement, inclusive pedagogy, Understanding by Design (UBD), Universal Design framework for Learning (UDL), reflective practice, and principles of adult learning and development. Comprehensive checklists provide overviews of key action items and associated steps involved in course design, development, and delivery. Reflection is a cornerstone of deep learning, and reflective questions are included in each chapter.