As time moves forward, advancements in education, technology, and culture pose challenges regarding relevancy for teachers and learners. We struggle with determining what information is the most valuable for the coming generations to know and finding the best means of sharing that information with those generations. Online and distance learning are relatively new concepts in the world of education, and finding a balance between traditional approaches and contemporary practices can be challenging. Many educators, authors, and policy makers have worked to address these challenges for teachers by illuminating the immense opportunities available through new technologies, philosophies, and strategies. Finding ways to conceptualize online learning within the historical context of education and the advancements of the modern era is vital to ensure relevant, meaningful education for our students. The following resources offer excellent ways to understand, frame, and reframe online learning within the context of traditional and contemporary education.
Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom
Authors: Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt
ISBN: 978-0787988258
Publisher: Jossey-Bass (Second Edition)
Description: Offering many real-life examples from successful online courses, this book examines the ways in which instructors can foster a sense of community among students in an online environment. Considerations include the engagement of learners not only with content, but with one another, as well as how to encourage self-guided learning and motivation among students.
Connections to Canvas: As online learning becomes increasingly ubiquitous in higher education, one of the chief fears and criticisms is the impersonal nature of early online learning platforms. Focusing on establishing a personal, "real" presence in your virtual classroom can be achieved through a number of features offered in Canvas such as announcements, discussions, conferences, and conversations. Finding ways to build a unified group of learners who can collaborate with and rely upon one another is sure to improve your students' achievement and overall success in your course.
Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide
Authors: Marjorie Val and Kristen Sosulski
ISBN: 978-0415873000
Publisher: Routledge
Description: Presenting a methodical, standards-based approach for designing and building online courses, this book focuses on the pedagogical, organizational, and visual elements of course design that will ensure ease of use for both instructors and teachers. To help users avoid confusion and disengagement with content, following the steps in this guide will help instructors design courses that present information clearly and logically to promote maximum engagement and achievement.
Connections to Canvas: Making sure your students feel comfortable and at ease with their online learning experience is key in helping them understand the content and obtain desired outcomes. With the flexibility and customizations inherent in Canvas as an LMS, you are able to present only the most pertinent, valuable information and features, while hiding unnecessary or confusing tools. You are able to control the left-hand side menu items that students see, and you can choose from a wide range of layout designs that make it clear and simple for your students to participate in the course. The ideas within Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide can help you on your journey to creating an intuitive, clear, concise, and robust online learning experience.
Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies
Author: Michelle Pacansky-Brock
Series: Best Practices in Online Teaching and Learning
ISBN: 978-0415899390
Publisher: Routledge
Description: With the vast array of social media and Internet resources at the disposal of educators utilizing online technologies, finding ways to integrate web-based tools into educational settings while maintaining student privacy is an important goal for contemporary educators. Exploring social media, web-based tools, and mobile device options, this book presents valuable tools at a variety of prices for educators teaching in live, hybrid, or online settings.
Connections to Canvas: Connecting your Canvas account to your social media accounts, integrating apps into your Canvas course, and encouraging students to use the Canvas mobile app are just some of the ways in which you can connect to the students in your Canvas course. Considering the ideas and concepts included in Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies can further your understanding of ways in which you might connect with your students and help them integrate participation in your course into their digital lives.
Online Teaching and Learning Series Books
The Online Teaching and Learning (OTL) series from Jossey-Bass covers a tremendous range of topics regarding online learning experiences. Books in this series include step-by-step guides as well as explorations of topics including student engagement, assessment, collaboration, and inclusion.
The following books from the OTL series will prove valuable additions to your collection of resources, and each connects to topics directly covered in our exploration of Canvas as a platform for online course content:
Conquering the Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Online Course Design
Author: Robin M. Smith
ISBN: 978-0787994426
Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction, Updated Edition
Authors: Rita-Marie Conrad and J. Ana Donaldson
ISBN: 978-1118018194
Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction
Author: Clark Aldrich
ISBN: 978-0470438343
Assessing the Online Learner: Resources and Strategies for Faculty
Authors: Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt
ISBN: 978-0470283868
Using Wikis for Online Collaboration: The Power of the Read-Write Web
Authors: James A. West and Margaret L. West
ISBN: 978-0470343333
Collaborating Online: Learning Together in Community
Authors: Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt
ISBN: 978-0787976149
Making Online Teaching Accessible: Inclusive Course Design for Students with Disabilities
Author: Norman Coombs
ISBN: 978-0470499047