Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning) [Paperback]

Rita-Marie Conrad (Author), J. Ana Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787966673 | ISBN-13: 978-0787966676 | Publication Date: January 7, 2004 | Edition: 1

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Conrad and Donaldson have definitely written a book that an inspire teachers to be creative and resourceful!"  (Authors Journal Compilation, Winter 2007)

From the Back Cover

Engaging the Online Learner includes an innovative framework–the Phases of Engagement–that helps learners 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
• Assess the learning that occurs as a result of collaborative activities
• Phase-in activities that promote engagement among online learners
• Build peer interaction through peer partnerships and team activities
• Create authentic activities and implement games and simulations

Engaging the Online Learner is the first title in the Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning. This series helps higher education professionals improve the practice of online teaching and learning by providing concise, practical resources focused on particular areas or issues they might confront in this new learning environment.

"The Phases of Engagement framework provides a road map for creating community at each phase of an online course. This book is an invaluable guide to innovative practices for online learning."
–Judith V. BOETTCHER, instructional futurist, Designing for Learning

"Engagement is the heart of online learning. The authors have developed an encyclopedia of tried-and-true learner engagement activities that are authentic and ready to use."
–Donald P. ELY, professor emeritus, Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation, Syracuse University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (January 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787966673
• ISBN-13: 978-0787966676
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rita-Marie Conrad began her online career and spent over a decade at Florida State University where she contributed to the development of two online programs: the Instructional Systems major in Performance Improvement and Human Resource Development, and the Instructional Systems major in Open and Distance Learning. She has designed and taught online courses on topics such as online collaboration, learning theories, designing online instruction, and developing eLearning strategies for training programs.

Today she is an online educator for several universities and also interacts with hundreds of faculty annually as an online instructor for courses such as Designing Online Instruction sponsored by the Learning Resources Network (LERN).

Rita co-authored two books with Judith Boettcher, Faculty Guide for Moving Teaching and Learning to the Web in 1999 and 2004, and The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips (2010). She wrote Engaging the Online Learner in 2004 with J. Ana Donaldson, and Assessing Learners Online in 2008 with Albert Oosterhof and Donald Ely.

Rita has a Ph.D. in instructional systems from Florida State University and a Master's degree in educational media and computers from Arizona State University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a useful guide for distance learning, February 8, 2006

By 

Robin G. Sowton "rsowton" (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning) (Paperback)

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.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good But Not Great, May 29, 2007

By 

Joseph G. Dudash "jgdudash" (Beavercreek, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning) (Paperback)

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.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful guide :), August 15, 2005

By 

Maritza Gudiño "Maritza Gudiño" (Valencia, Edo Carabobo Venezuela) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction (Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning) (Paperback)

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.