Book Description
Engaging the Online Learners includes an innovative framework—the Phases of Engagement—that helps instructors become more involved as knowledge generators and cofacilitators of a course. The book also provides specific ideas for tested activities (collected from experienced online instructors across the nation) that can go a long way to improving online learning. Engaging the Online Learner offers the tools and information needed to:
- Convert classroom activities to an online environment and use online activities in a classroom-based course
- Assess the learning that occurs as a result of collaborative activities
- Phase-in activities that promote engagement among online learners
- Help online learners use online tools
- Build peer interaction through peer partnerships and team activities
- Create authentic activities
- Implement games and simulations
Customer Reviews:
Good But Not Great.......2007-05-30
I found the book to be very easy and fast to read with lots of concrete examples of activities for the online learner. Though I understand the importance of engaging the online learner, as an instructor in the allied health field I don't feel I have the time or interest in developing games and the types of alternative learning activities suggested in the book. In allied health/science courses we need to cover an extensive amount of material, perhaps if I were teaching a course in another discipline I would feel differently.
I feel that another book "Discussion Based Online Teaching To Enhance Student Learning" by Tisha Bender is a much better book for my situation and offered more helpful ideas (but less examples) to improve my online course.
A must read for every online tutor .......2006-11-11
This book is what I have been looking for: short, concise and full of practical examples of activities.
Worth the read.......2006-07-10
I found the book to be a good read and had a lot of interesting things to say and good examples of activities for online participants.
The book focuses solely on the online learner, which is good, but if you teach students in a classroom setting and are looking to extend their learning online in the evenings and between classes you need to 'read between the lines' to pull out the pieces that you need (which are many and included in this book).
a useful guide for distance learning.......2006-02-09
This book is ideal for the professor or instructor who is providing instruction through distance learning. For online instruction to be successful, students cannot just sit and absorb content passively. The online professor/instructor must encourage an engaged learning environment, which is described by the authors as an environment based on constructivist principles and problems-based learning.
One early challenge is to get the students to feel comfortable participating in discussions. The students' level of engagement can be measured partly by looking at the frequency and the quality of the students' interactions. Another challenge is to get students to feel comfortable with the online tools. The book provides at least a dozen 'ice breaker' activities to help students feel confident with discussions and tools. It also recommends that nongraded assignments be used during this initial orientation period.
Different categories of activities are described, including team and peer, reflective, authentic, and learner-led activities. Over a dozen examples of activities are provided for each category. (The authors define reflective activities as those that require the student to share a synthesis of the learning experience and they define authentic activities as those which stimulate an actual situation.) The section on learner-led activities explains how to help learners become successful in preparing and delivering instructional activities, especially with the tasks of defining objectives, defining the type of activity, and planning. Games and simulations are also addressed (but briefly).
Overall, it's a useful book for getting started when you suddenly find yourself having to teach a distance learning course. My only gripe is that I would've liked to have seen a larger section on assessments.
Wonderful guide :).......2005-08-16
This book is appropriate to me. I am relatively new to the online learning enviroment and at last I found individual and collaborative activities focused on constructivism and problem-base learning. This activities are a wonderful guide to move learners gradually from traditional rol until they become more self directed. Many books on the topic of online instruction offer innovation and they only present lecture-based approach.
Book Description
As online courses proliferate, teachers increasingly realize that they have to connect with their students as they would in face-to-face classes. They have to provide true opportunities for inspirational and meaningful learning, rather than a sterile experience of clicking within a labyrinth of links.
With the specific purpose of switching emphasis from the technical issues of online teaching to the human implications of teaching and learning through the Internet, Tisha Bender draws on her extensive research, her training of online faculty, and her own online teaching experience, to create a fresh vision of online pedagogy. Discussion-Based Online Teaching to Enhance Student Learning consists of three parts:
Theory
Practice
Assessment
The author shows how she applies learning theories to online discussion-based courses. She presents a wealth of suggestions and techniques, illustrated by real examples, for stimulating and managing online discussion effectively, and for improving teaching practices. The book concludes with methods for assessing the efficacy of online courses.
This accessible and comprehensive book offers an engaging and practical approach to online teaching that is rooted in the author's experience and enthusiasm for creating a virtual environment that engages students and fosters their deep learning. This is a book for all educators and administrators in higher education, in any discipline, engaged in, or contemplating offering, online classes that involve discussion or collaborative learning. It is relevant both to faculty teaching a hybrid and face-to-face classes, and courses conducted entirely online.
Customer Reviews:
I only read it because I was required to........2007-06-27
This was a required reading for an online course I needed in order to teach onlne courses. The buzz-word in the course and in the book is "asynchronous collaboration" which translated means "group work when the group is never in the same place at the same time." A lot of educationists are vested in distance learning; they want to prove it is at least as good as, if not better, than classroom teaching. This book certainly falls into this mold. Every time the author sites a person or study that is critical of distance learning, he refutes it by citing his own opinion.
tips for on-line teaching.......2007-05-16
This book is really helpful with the on-line course I am currently taking. It points out the pros and cons of on-line learning and teaching, and gives information on on-line etiquette. Very helpful.
Good read for Online Instructors.......2007-05-13
I felt that this book gave concise and clear meanings and was quite a good read. I particularly like the innovative online teaching techniques and the aspects of online communications.
Best of it's subject.......2005-10-20
I am an instructional designer of online learning and in an effort to implement discussions in the courses I create, I ordered four books on discussion-based online learning. This book was by far the most comprehensive, balanced, and useful book of the four. While reading the book, I was immediately able to implement the strategies outlined in the book, and justify my reasons for implementing groups/discussions to the college instructors teaching the courses I create. I think that this book is valuable to anyone creating and supporting online learning: instructors, professors, instructional designers, trainers, and training managers. I even copied several pages of the book that justify online learning as a whole for my director.
Getting Beyond the Technology to Constructivist Learning.......2004-03-17
Dr. Bender offers a well balanced view of online discussion as a teaching tool in asynchronous education. Clear, concise, practical and well documented concepts and applications fill this easily read textbook. The last section of the book provides a wonderful overview of the hot buttons on assessment in the online environment. Regardless of whether you are already implementing online discussion or if you are just considering online discussion as a new tool to add to your arsenal, you will find helpful insight in this book.
Book Description
Did you know you could teach from home and earn a six-figure salary? Thousands of people make a great living teaching online courses from home, and the more classes they teach the more they earn! If you want into this exciting profession, this guide will show you how to get started, find great jobs, and earn more than you thought possible.
Customer Reviews:
Required Reading!.......2007-09-19
This step-by-step guide to breaking into the online teaching field is required reading for those who want to know the ground truth. Each chapter is well thought out, with nuggets of personal experience and personal preference thrown in to help guide the reader in best practices.
It is easy to read the book cover to cover, and the authors provide plenty of references to find further information you may need to get started. The information about school accreditation and about possible technology needs have been especially useful to me.
Great book.......2007-07-26
This is an excellent book that tells you how to face the real market as far as teaching online. It gives guidelines that will really help you to start your online teaching career even if you do not have much experience.
A very satisfied customer.......2007-05-16
I am an aspiring instructor of online education and found this book to be very informative and enlightening. I would recommend this book to anyone who has the desire to teach online.
~Jibreel
Written for a very narrow audience.......2007-04-22
This book is written for a very narrow audience - specifically those with Master's or Doctoral degrees under their belt. The author even goes so far as to say that people with "only a bachelor's degree will not be able to make a good living but might find some work at the high school level".
There may be a degree of truth to this, but I could not believe they just came out and stated this in their intro. There are plenty of opportunities out there for people with all ranges of experience and abilities, and to throw that wet blanket on the reader right off the bat seems foolish in the extreme - especially given the catchy "Make Money Teaching" title.
I almost bought this book based on the title, the premise, and the favourable reviews it received. After reading the first few sections, and scanning the rest, I left it on the shelf with a "phhfft".
A better title would have been "How to get into online teaching for those with a post-graduate pedigree and little to no computer knowledge". Pass (on the book) and Fail (to be of value to 99% of the readers out there)
The perfect guidebook to online teaching........2007-04-15
It's unusual for me to find a non-fiction book that I couldn't stop reading. This was it. The book came out at an especially good time for me. I was just trying to break into teaching online, and having trouble getting my first teaching gig. This book takes you through that process, in a way that is positive while making a lot of good sense of what to do, and how to do it. Best of all, it helps you understand why to do things a certain way.
I think a lot of people are fearful or hesitant to try their hand at teaching online. All through the book there are words of encouragement and confidence-building suggestions. That's great. The sample documents in the book are a nice touch; instead of just telling readers what to do, the authors show them with examples. I was not aware all these colleges want a statement of teaching philosophy, and that helped, too.
The authors include helpful rundowns on the three main systems for online teaching. The chapter on necessary equipment and technologies helped steer me in the right direction, too.
All in all, this book is quite a gem, a bargain, and a must-have guide for anyone wanting to teach online. I have found it extremely helpful: advice from the experts.
Book Description
As the best-selling introductory Spanish textbook in the United States,
Puntos de partida has long been a favorite of instructors across the country. For this new edition, the authors and editors of
Puntos have turned to those very instructors to help formulate a plan that would respond to the needs of a changing discipline. We reached out to more than 160 students and instructors across the country, and the result is a thoroughly revised edition both in appearance and content.
Puntos continues to provide the solid foundation in communicative language development that has become its hallmark. At the same time, instructor and student feedback have guided the development of the seventh edition in ways that enrich this foundation even more, and also bring to the materials a number of other important and exciting changes.
Customer Reviews:
okay book.......2007-10-05
The internet portion of this book lacks detail of how to follow for self
testing.
puntos de partida.......2007-09-21
the book is alright. I mean its not amazing. its plus side is that it comes with a website that will read you certain things and the answers to all the sections are in the back so you can check your work, but the truly big help comes from haveing a good profesor/a BUT the quia lab and workbook that are an extra 30(+) dollars EACH are the real key to learning this material....as if the book isnt expensive enough already.
Great!.......2007-09-16
I received the product quickly and it was just as described, in perfect condition. Thank you!
Required Textbook.......2007-04-11
I would like to see a spanish book with more explanation between english and spanish. Most books rely on pictures for translation and this book follows the same model. I guess it will serve the purpose, however.
Online Learning Center for Everyone--It's About Time!.......2007-02-19
I've owned this book and the 6th edition; the only difference there was modernizing photos and translations.
I found the book very useful, but I would like to see more transitions as one subject in a chapter changes to the next subject. If you have an instructor who transitions well, you won't have any problems. Going it alone, however, leaves you spending unnecessary time figuring out how to get from A to B. Still, especially if you have the workbook--you NEED the workbook no matter what--you'll learn well.
I'm thrilled to finally be able to get full access to a website with a used book--it's my favorite part of the whole thing!
Book Description
Authors Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have written a comprehensive reference for faculty to use to hone their skills as online instructors and for students to use to become more effective online learners. Filled with numerous examples from actual online courses and insights from teachers and students, Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom covers the entire online teaching process. This essential guide offers helpful suggestions for dealing with such critical issues as evaluating effective courseware, working with online classroom dynamics, addressing the needs of the online student, making the transition to online teaching, and promoting the development of the learning community.
Download Description
Authors Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt have written a comprehensive reference for faculty to use to hone their skills as online instructors and for students to use to become more effective online learners. Filled with numerous examples from actual online courses and insights from teachers and students, Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom covers the entire online teaching process. This essential guide offers helpful suggestions for dealing with such critical issues as evaluating effective courseware, working with online classroom dynamics, addressing the needs of the online student, making the transition to online teaching, and promoting the development of the learning community.
Customer Reviews:
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom.......2005-03-17
"Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The realities of Online teaching" is a great book for someone who is interested in the possibilities of online education and teaching. Palloff and Pratt offer a lot of great tips and ideas that are very concise and easy to understand. They provide commonsense guidelines in conducting online teaching in a way that is simple to digest, entertaining, and useful to teachers, administrators, or whoever else is interested in the realm of online teaching and education.
I personally liked the way the authors really tried the simplify their views on how to make a successful online teaching experience. Their "Keys to Success" seemed to be very helpful and realistic for many institutions to implement with careful planning.
Another especially helpful idea throughout the book was their tips at the end of some sections. By providing these simple tips it helps readers summarize the section and allows readers to easily review the material after they have read though the book once or twice.
I feel that this book is a "must-have" for people who have some interest in this relatively new and every changing field of online teaching.
Fosters Community Among Educators And Their Students!.......2002-02-11
Growing numbers of K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and businesses have begun offering online instruction, taking advantage of computer and Internet technologies to deliver instruction once confined to the realm of physical classrooms. Indeed, the Internet, so-to-speak, has become a virtual classroom and community where all kinds of instruction can take place - anytime day or night, anywhere around the world.
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom offers readers a broad treatment of the issues involved in planning, creating, and carrying out distance education via the Internet. In a concise manner the book introduces the issues, raises many serious questions, and provides many solutions to help meet the educational goals of instructors, their learning institutions, and their students.
The real beauty of the book lies in its effort to motivate instructors and learning institutions to think through the issues for themselves - to evaluate the unique circumstances they face and to encourage them to seek more effective ways of accomplishing their goals. Because each virtual learning experience will be unique, a number of important considerations should be weighed to determine course structure, content, and delivery, such as:
What technologies should be used?
Who will create the course?
Who will own the course material(s)?
How will the course be delivered?
How will assignments, projects, and exams be administered?
How will instructors and students be prepared?
How will student participation be controlled?
How will student behavior be controlled?
Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom does a superb job of fostering community among educators and their students. The authors express the importance of creating learning communities were serious dialogue takes place - dialogue that enhances the learning process and leads to achieving specific educational goals. This book is must reading for online educational course development.
A Reality Check for Distance Learning.......2001-06-21
If "the devil is in the details" of online learning, Paloff and Pratt have done an excellent job exploring the promise and pitfalls of distance learning programs. Anyone in the process of designing online courses or programs in higher education should read both this book and their earlier book before they launch a new course or program. Personally, this book helped me avoid several mistakes I otherwise would have made in my first distance learning adventure.
The book looks at both teacher and administrator perpsectives, and understands that both insitutional support and instructor skill are key elements for success. While the authors are genuine advocates for the medium, they understand that interactivity does not equal mouse clicks, and that building learning communities takes skill, practice, and structures. The book is full of very helpful examples, learning constructs, and realistic assessments of distance learning successes and failures.
Book Description
Sports in Society is the definitive text for the sport sociology course. Taking a global, issues-oriented approach to the study of the role of sport in society, this text encourages the discussion of current sports-related controversies and helps students develop critical thinking skills.
Book Description
The Virtual Student is an essential resource for online educators working with students in higher education and training settings. The authors offer an overview of the key issues of student online learning and provide a practical guide to working with online students. The book covers a broad range of topics including learning styles, multicultural issues, evaluation, retention, and the challenging problems of plagiarism and cheating.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for virtual teachers.......2004-06-26
Are you entering the world of virtual education? This book can give you clear information on how to design your courses, how to analyse the work of your students, how to grade forum's participation and what mistakes you must avoid. A great introduction for all teachers who are interested in active pedagogy and collaborative learning!
Book Description
Teaching Online is a practical, concise guide for instructors teaching distance learning courses or instructors supplementing a traditional classroom with online elements. This pocket-sized, portable book can be used as either a course text or a professional resource.
Written by authors who have both taught online courses and trained hundreds of faculty to teach online, the text serves as a pedagogical "how-to," addressing instructors' most commonly asked questions and concerns. Its informal style reassures readers that they do not have to be technology professionals to make the transition to the world of online teaching.
- New! The new edition features increased information on how to incorporate online resources into a traditional classroom setting.
- New! Updates on key technology issues keep the text current. Coverage of new and emerging technologies includes new hardware, new software, new operating systems, new statistical findings on the prevalence of online courses, and updates on course management systems.
- New! New and updated case studies provide more concrete examples of the various means of online instruction.
- New! Coverage of small group activities includes rubrics for grading and new examples of online simulations.
- New! Major revisions to Chapter 14—"Where Do We Go From Here?"—explore the general trends for the future of teaching online.
- New! End-of-chapter resources and web links have been updated.
- New! The text's companion web site now contains an interactive glossary, more cases and examples, and web links.
Customer Reviews:
Good companion reading for an instructor certification course.......2007-08-28
Our instructor certification course is heavy on skill building. We've used both the first and second edition of the Ko and Rossen in our course in order to build in more discussion of pedagogical issues, to provide additional depth on core topics and provide more tips on course management.
Of interest to instructors of online classes.......2007-07-09
This book is very readable. The book begins by addressing issues in preparation of an online class, including a discussion of instructor and institution resources. Also included are chapters on student preparation, student assessment and copyright.
The strength of the book, however, is in the chapters that discuss the workings of the online classroom itself. What areas should my online classroom contain? How do I go from lectures to online activities? How do I encourage participation, yet manage my workload? How do I manage the behavior of disruptive students? I would definitely recommend the book for new teachers of online classes. The book has enough depth that even experienced teachers can use it to review their current practices.
Definitely 'A Practical Guide'.......2006-06-14
I've taught humanities online for quite awhile. A couple of years ago, I began searching for a single resource that, not only included the basics, but provided an additional (or possibly affirming) perspective on the use of online tools and strategies.
Having, previously, purchased a number of books on distance education and online learning, I eventually decided to give Ko and Rossen a go and was pleasantly surprised. The book certainly covers the basics and I believe, for anyone just beginning in online, it may prove quite useful in, not only design, strategy, and structure, but in anticipating and resolving some of the problems and issues that may tend to arise in an online environment.
I continue to use it, from time to time, as a checklist in development and as a refresher or when I find a course is becoming somewhat repetitive or mechanical. I can easily see how Ko and Rossen may be adopted as a text for instruction or use in faculty development for online. Additionally, I've referred it to a number of colleagues who are inexperienced in developing for, or in converting existing materials to, online.
I think, even if one is teaching a prepackaged course, this book has many things to offer including strategies for dealing with troublesome students and working with asynchronous discussions. A great little book and well worth the cost.
Good, solid book.......2006-05-08
If you need a text to support faculty workshops for online education, then this is a very good choice. It walks beginners through the landmines of online education very nicely. The suggestions coincide with my own personal experiences, so the "practical" part of the title certainly is accurate. I like the web links - hopefully those links can stay reasonably current, perhaps through a student/instructor web site for the book?
I give the book only four stars rather than five because it lacks some of the academic depth that I need for my online program in instructional technology. I need to introduce students to the field of study in an academic as well as a practical way, and this book focuses strictly on the practical side rather than the academic side. That is certainly a great approach, but it doesn't quite fulfill my needs for an instructional technology class, and so I have had to supplement it with outside readings/articles.
This little book is great. Other great little books that I pondered before choosing this one included "Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach Your Online Course," and "The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners.
Online Class Textbook.......2005-10-02
This book covers everything that you would need to "ponder' when creating or converting online lessons. I use it for my online college course as a textbook on "How to Teach Online". Definitely a "must read" for organizing your thoughts and your process.
Book Description
"Facilitating Online Learning: Effective Strategies for Moderators" is Atwood Publishing's latest title and one of your greates resources for distance education. It will help you build an online community and fuel online dialogue to create relationships between interactants. It will also provide you with a wide repertoire of strategies for sharpening your course's content and ways to fend off and avoid technological problems and roadblocks that you will invariably face during your class.
Customer Reviews:
A fantastic help for online course moderators........2001-05-23
This book was an amazing resource for me. After seeing what Collison, Haavind, Tinker, and Elbaum do with online moderation, I recognized dozens of great strategies to add to my facilitation arsenal. Highly recommend it!
Excellent.......2001-04-03
I wish it had been a text for one of my classes. Had to discover it later. Well...a worthwhile discovery. It doesn't get 5 stars only because I hardly ever give anything 5. Probably 4.75.
Book Description
1999 Winner of the Philip E. Frandson Award for Literature in Continuing Higher Education, from the University Continuing Education Association
"A must read for anyone involved in or considering involvement in online, networked learning."
--Donald J. MacIntyre, president, The Fielding Institute
"A thorough overview of the online course process, including course selection, design, and evaluation, and many of the technical issues that affect the entire process."
--Kathleen M. Rose, distance education specialist, University of California Extension Online
Written for faculty, instructors, and trainers in any distance learning environment, Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace shows how to create a virtual classroom environment that helps students excel academically, while fostering a sense of community. This practical, hands-on guide is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include:
- Engaging students with subject matter
- Accounting for attendance and participation
- Working with students who do not participate
- Understanding the signs of when a student is in trouble
- Building online communities that accommodate personal interaction
Based on many years of work in information systems and over five years of experience in online distance education, Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of computer-mediated course design and implementation.
Customer Reviews:
Interested in VCoPs? Buy this book!.......2006-05-29
This book is methodologically sound AND useful. Suggestions and advices are backed up by literature, it's not just the usual collection of "expert opinions". By the same token, suggestions and advices are sound and practical, not just impractical "erudite hypotheses". Perfect for pracademics!
It applies to virtual communities of practice.......2003-08-28
The material in this book can be applied to increase the productivity of virtual communities of practice. It is a book I recommend to those who make a living in the world of knowledge management.
Everything you need to consider for asynchronous learning.......2001-07-22
I have found this book to be very helpful if you are REALLY interested in doing asynchronous work online. The authors are leading edge thinkers about this subject who have earned themselves a place in the world consulting to people who want to do this. The problem is that many, many people only THINK they know what asynchronous learning is and until you actually experience it you won't know. Can't know something until you learn it. Rena and Keith have done a very good job of showing you EVERYTHING you need to know to get the job done. You can use it like a menu, take what you want and leave the rest alone. They spend a good deal of time trying to get people to understand the TRUE nature of an asynchronous world. They are sincerely at the leading edge. I think I know what leading edge is, I think I'm there experiencing true asynchronous learning now at the renowned Fielding Institute. Good book for your reference. You may not need all of it NOW but you will soon!
Big Mac of a book: high calories--low nutrition.......2001-07-13
This book is indeed 'pedagogically sound'; the trouble is: it likes the sound of its own voice, far too much, and plods on around the houses for far too long. It is a Big Mac of a book: high calories--low nutrition. I wasted money buying it, don't you make the same mistake. Buy something shorter, less cack-handed, and trendy.
Learning Communities and Cyberspace.......2001-05-17
The advice given in this books should not be limited to cyberspace. The examples, experiences, and education this book provides are applicable to both the classroom and cyberspace. Learning should not be a one way avenue from master to student, but a dialogue. This book is a stepping stone for learning in the information age.
Books:
- Excel VBA Programming For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
- Financial Accounting, with Annual Report
- Financial Accounting, with Annual Report
- Financial Markets & Corporate Strategy
- Financing Large Projects: Using Project Finance Techniques and Practices
- Flipping Houses For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Food and Beverage Cost Control
- Fraud Examination, Revised
- Fundamentals of Futures and Options Markets (5th Edition) (Prentice Hall Finance)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
- Endogenous Growth Theory
- Guide to Better Card Play: Standard American Edition
- Information Systems Today: Why IS Matters
- Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
- Koba the Dread: Laughter and the Twenty Million
- Managing Finance, Resources and Stakeholders in Education
- Emerging Financial Markets in the Global Economy
- Jar City: A Thriller
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Discussion-Based Online Teaching to Enhance Student Learning: Theory, Practice and Assessment
Teaching Online: A Practical Guide, 2d Edition
Collaborating Online: Learning Together in Community (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning)
Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach Your Online Course
147 Practical Tips for Teaching Online Groups : Essentials of Web-Based Education
