This book provides an updated look at issues that comprise the online learning experience creation process. As online learning evolves, the lines and distinctions between various classifications of courses has blurred and often vanished. Classic elements of instructional design remain relevant at the same time that newer concepts of learning experience are growing in importance. However, problematic issues new and old still have to be addressed. This handbook explores many of these topics for new and experienced designers alike, whether creating traditional online courses, open learning experiences, or anything in between.

Foundational Practices of Online Writing Instruction, edited by Beth L. Hewett and Kevin Eric DePew, with associate editors Elif Guler and Robbin Zeff Warner, addresses the questions and decisions that administrators and instructors most need to consider when developing online writing programs and courses. Written by experts in the field (members of the Conference on College Composition and Communication Committee for Effective Practices in OWI and other experts and stakeholders), the contributors to this collection explain the foundations of the recently published (2013) A Position Statement of Principles and Examples Effective Practices for OWI and provide illustrative practical applications. To that end, in every chapter, the authors address issues of inclusive and accessible writing instruction (based upon physical and mental disability, linguistic ability, and socioeconomic challenges) in technology enhanced settings.

The Administrator Quick Start Guide seeks to support community college administrators in enabling the use of OER to address online learning on their campuses. The guidebook provides quick tips and starting points including:

A list of evidence-based practices and checklist considerations to support campus administrators in the transition to OER for online learning.

Resources to support campus leaders in impacting and developing OER policy supports, including example student government resolutions, district board resolutions, and academic senate resolutions.

Examples of how campus leaders and colleges across California have facilitated their transition to OER.

Learning to Learn Online helps you prepare for online learning success by introducing you to the online learning environment and your role as a learner within it. As you come to understand yourself as an self-directed learner, you will also be introduced to effective learning strategies: time management for online learners, information management, professional communication, and reading strategies. Welcome to your online learning journey!

The Faculty Quick Start Guide is an outcome of a project by ISKME, supported by a grant from the Michelson 20MM Foundation, to conduct a study and develop a set of resources to accelerate OER use for distance education, especially the urgent shift to remote learning during the pandemic in 2020. The Guide, created in collaboration with a selection of OER and online education champions across California community colleges (CCC), contains:

- Models and approaches to online learning, and to emergency remote learning in the context of COVID-19;
- How and to what extent OER fits into these models, and local and state-level supports needed for its integration and sustainability;
- Design considerations for integrating OER in online learning, including pedagogical and platform considerations;
- Curatorial practices, such as using OER curation tools and aligning curated OER to learning outcomes; and,
- Starting points and tips for colleges and faculty who want to initiate OER integration into distance education.

Tailored to faculty and campus administrators both in California and beyond, the Guide has the aim is to enable system-wide shifts to meet postsecondary institutions’ long term goals for distance learning, and faculty’s emergency plans for remote learning in response to the COVID-19 and potential future crises.

The Guide is also available as a PDF for download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17AXs30dZeLOrGeNBQ-ISc_OJXIxE9xtB/view?usp=sharing.

See the companion guide for administrators at: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/iskme-michelson-20mm-oer-campus-administrator-quick-start-guide-public/edit

Game-based learning is a teaching approach that uses different forms of games, and the strategies or mechanics associated with them, for educational purposes. It advocates a student-centred approach that allows learners to explore, fail and take up challenges in a safe environment. Game-based learning also supports students in autonomously exploring situations created by their professor. Additionally, games are likely to reinforce the students’ commitment to the learning process. In an educational context, these characteristics and qualities can greatly enhance student engagement, motivation and learning. This collection of recipes has been created to present game-based strategies to make online learning more stimulating and engaging for students. In this cookbook, an interdisciplinary panel of experts offers recipes for integrating different types of game-based learning activities in the context of remote teaching. An overview of game-based learning strategies will be provided, including trivia games, escape games, co-operative games, crossword puzzles, and more.