Helping students to understand how to approach/read/interact with course materials can get them started down the road to success. For instructors, it is an efficient use of your time as it reaches multiple students, and still provides a level of engagement that students will appreciate.

This book is the result of a co-design project in a class in the Masters of Education program at the University of Calgary. The course, and the resulting book, focus primarily on the safe and ethical use of technology in digital learning environments. The course was organized according to four topics based on Farrow’s (2016) Framework for the Ethics of Open Education and discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) , social networking services (SNS), 3D printing, resource sharing, adaptive learning systems, STEM, assistive technologies, admissions, and communications. In each of the nine chapters, the authors discuss the connection to the value of technology in education, and practical possibilities of learning technologies for inclusive, participatory, democratic, and pluralistic educational paradigms.

This book is the result of a co-design project in a class in the Masters of Education program at the University of Calgary. The course, and the resulting book, focus primarily on the safe and ethical use of technology in digital learning environments. The course was organized according to four topics based on Farrow’s (2016) Framework for the Ethics of Open Education.

Everyday Inclusivity: Creating Accessible Digital Communications and DIY Digital Ergonomics
Learn how to use elements of Digital Accessibility, Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts to make your life easier in this special interactive lunch & Learn event. Professional Development and Education for Nursing Instructional Design Consultant (Instructional Learning Senior) Irene Knokh demonstrates how to get the most out of Windows and Microsoft accessibility tools to better engage and communicate with all your stakeholders. She shares her favorite tools, links for accessibility, and answers your questions about how to communicate clearer in daily emails and through Slack/Teams. This session will be closed-captioned.

Engagement in online courses is key for student success, teacher evaluation and the overall course experience. A great way to promote student engagement in your online course is to work on feedback. Students that receive regular feedback tend to perform better and as a result have good opinions of their time in the course.

"What is this field?" "Where have we come from as a discipline, and where are we going?" "What do I want to study?" These and other questions are typical for new students in the field of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. This textbook is designed to help answer these questions and provide the quickest route to understanding the history and current trends in the field. After surveying classic theories and writings, as well as more recent applications of theory and practice, students will be better prepared to chart their own course and careers within the discipline. This book is designed to support foundations courses common in departments, as well as seminars on current trends and issues.

This guide is designed to help educators navigate the Digital Instruction Hub on OERTX and discover how to incorporate Open Educational Resources (OER) into their courses to foster interactive and inclusive learning experiences.

A description of the Ka'ao Framework, developed by Hawai'i Community College. This model introduces a cultural focus to the course design process.

In order to increase student participation and foster a supportive learning environment, this post provides advice on how to appropriately include humor into online courses. 

This book is designed to serve as a textbook for classes exploring the nature of learning in the digital age. The genesis of this book is a desire to use OERs in all my teachings, coupled with the realization that the resources that I was looking for were not available and as such I needed to contribute in creating them. It is thus a small attempt to contribute to the vast repository of Open Educational Resources. When discussing learning in the digital age, most focus on the technology first. However, the emphasis made in this book is that it’s about the learner not just the technology. One of the things that is easy to lose track of when talking about learning in the digital age is the learner. Technology is important and it has significant impact but it is still about the person who is using the technology. Many people conflate learning in the digital age with technology in today’s age. This important misconception is common and results from our failure to examine our understanding of what “learning” really is.

In a technology-driven environment, we assume most people are comfortable learning online. The ubiquity of digital communication, automated assistance, and constant connectivity support this assumption, but many of us lack the skills needed to navigate digital resources and technologies in an academic setting. Learning in a Digital Age (LiDA) is a credit-bearing course designed to improve digital learning literacies for higher education and help learners gain more value from open educational resources (OER).

In this course, you will develop the digital and learning literacies to maximize their learning in a contemporary digital learning environment for higher education. You will develop the academic skills to discern the credibility, accuracy, and integrity of open access resources available on the Internet and corresponding digital tools to research, analyze, and present information for academic purposes.

You will also develop competence in a range of digital tools, including social media, communication and collaboration tools, and publishing tools to support learning in contemporary society. This will include knowledge of copyright, open licensing, media literacy, and digital citizenship.

This course is offered concurrently in partnership with OERu. You are more than welcome to work through all four sections at your own pace, but you may be able to interact with more students if you follow the schedule used by OERu and their community of learners.

This course includes the following sections:

Digital Skills for Online Learning (LiDA101)
Digital Citizenship (LiDA102)
Open Education, Copyright, and Open Licensing in a Digital World
Critical Media Literacy and Associated Digital Skills (LiDA104)

A beginner handout for becoming familiar with Mayer's. Learners can use as a visual/verbal reminder. A link to the original content is provided.

Introducing "Navigating the Digital Shift: An Introductory Guide to Online Teaching," a comprehensive mini eBook meticulously designed to facilitate professors in transitioning seamlessly to online or digital instruction. This invaluable resource serves as a beacon for educators venturing into the realms of virtual teaching, providing concise, practical insights coupled with actionable tools to navigate the digital education landscape effectively. Within its pages, professors will uncover a plethora of practical tables, user-friendly templates, and detailed checklists, each crafted to demystify the online teaching process and ensure a smooth transition. Whether you're a seasoned educator or a newcomer to the teaching profession, this guide offers tailored solutions, best practices, and innovative strategies to set up every new online instructor for unparalleled success. Dive into the world of online instruction with confidence, equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to create engaging, inclusive, and effective learning experiences in the virtual classroom.

A beginner guide for conducting needs assessments. Page 2 provides a definition of needs assessment and discusses the importance and process of conducting needs assessments. Page 3 visualizes the process as steps 1 through 6 which include: defining the purpose and goals, identifying stakeholders, gathering data, analyzing data, designing the course, and evaluating and adjusting content. 

Welcome to Texas Learn OER! Your learning includes a series of self-paced online learning modules. The first nine modules will serve as an introduction to open educational resources (OER) and as an opportunity for further exploration and discovery of open education practices. The tenth module serves as a final assessment of your learning. Throughout the modules there are opportunities for you to test your knowledge and further explore a concept. The modules allow you to learn at your own pace.

This infographic provides an overview of different rubrics and standards used to evaluate the quality of online programs and course design at universities. It lists 7 major rubrics/standards:Quality Matters Rubric - Widely used rubric to improve and certify quality of online courses.Anthology Exemplary Course Program Rubric - Rubric focused on student experience and outcomes.University of Illinois ION Professional Programs Rubric - Rubric tailored for evaluating professional development programs.SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric - Rubric used within SUNY system to review online courses.SHSU Online Course Design Rubrics - Custom rubrics used at Sam Houston State University.Cal State Online Course Rubrics - Custom rubrics used within California State University system.Penn State Online Course Design and Review Rubrics - Custom rubrics used at Penn State.The infographic provides a useful overview of the different standards used to evaluate online course and program quality.

The attached file serves as an exemplary template for structuring an online course into modules over a 15-week semester. The outline demonstrates effective course design principles including:- Organizing content into manageable weekly modules - Incorporating diverse learning materials - Building in recurring assignments- Scaffolding assignments to develop skills over time- Aligning objectives, activities and assessments following Bloom's taxonomy for higher order critical thinking.- Providing a clear learning arc through the sequence of modules and summative comparative assignment.

Community engagement and a sense of belonging are pivotal elements in the realm of digital instruction, serving as the bedrock for enriched learning experiences and fostering a conducive learning environment. When learners feel integrated into a community, it acts as a catalyst, enhancing motivation, encouraging persistence, and providing a buffer against the isolation often associated with digital learning platforms. To facilitate the creation and nurturing of online communities and engagement, a meticulously crafted checklist is provided, offering practical tasks and steps. This checklist serves as a beacon, guiding educators and learners through the multifaceted process of building community engagement and fostering a sense of belonging.

Sample course planning matrix that can be used to help instructors focus on designing for significant learning when planning their digital courses. Based on the research of L. Dee Fink.