Online education is becoming the norm in higher education. Effective instructional design methods are required to ensure that "ever-connected" students' needs are being met. One potential method is design thinking: an agile methodology that stresses the importance of empathy with the student. The #OpenTeach fully online course was…

Online education is growing, but retaining students is still a challenge. However, student engagement is one of the factors contributing to student retention in online education. Online instructors and instructional designers should value student engagement in online courses. The first two weeks of an online course are critical; students start to…

The present project is a research-based and practice-tested online synchronous curriculum for English language learners with the Russian language mother tongue. The curriculum's theoretical component is grounded in Vygotsky's, Leont'ev', and Engestrom's "Cultural Historical Activity Theory" as well as in scholarly papers on the influence…

As a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, college and university faculty have been tasked with moving their courses toward online modalities with minimal notice. This environment challenged faculty in unique ways, but the need for transparency and communication became more important than ever. To improve the student…

The COVID-19 epidemic had caused one of the most significant disruptions to the global education system. Many educational institutions faced sudden pressure to switch from face-to-face to online delivery of courses. The conventional classes are no longer the primary means of delivery; instead, online education and resources have become the…

Course: Online or mediated communication courses. Objectives: The purpose of this activity is to provide students with a more engaging way of immersing themselves in the course material through an interactive "Easter egg" syllabus. An Easter egg is an "undocumented function hidden in software … [they are] secret 'goodies' … used in…

Online open course has a significant impact on college English teaching, which brings about huge changes in college English teaching concepts, teaching modes, and teaching evaluations. This paper introduces and discusses the construction and application of college English online open course in a vocational college in China. And it also points out…

Higher education institutions utilize faculty who possess subject-matter expertise and terminal degrees in specific disciplines. Often, faculty are not formally trained in educational theory, pedagogy, or best practices related to student learning. Best practices in course design standards are available to faculty who seek them out. However, with…

Today, as educators are transitioning into a new phase of planning for an uncertain summer and fall, they can be more thoughtful about how to deliver high quality online learning. On the positive side, online delivery as an instructional modality is not new. In fact, many colleges and universities have been developing and delivering successful…

Many learners who have not chosen to identify as having physical, sensory, and learning disabilities still may struggle to learn in the online learning environment due to diverse abilities and backgrounds, differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and other factors that affect perception, learning ability, and engagement. Given the apparent…

Under the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the philosophy of "Ideological and Political Theories Education in all Courses (IPTEC)" by China's Ministry of Education, college curriculum reform has become a pressing issue in both form and content. Oral English course is characterized with flexible organization and a…

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive account on case-based instructional practices. Semester-long participant observation records in torts, marketing, and online instructional design classes, instructor interviews, course syllabi and teaching materials were used to describe the within-class complexity of the practices in terms…

"Online Teaching in the Digital Age" provides educators with the essential knowledge needed to successfully develop and teach an online course. Throughout this practical hands-on guide, the authors offer 15 years of personal online teaching experience in language accessible to both the novice and advanced online educator. Developed through theory…

This Facilitator's Guide is based on What Education Leaders Should Know about Virtual Education, an online course designed by the Center on Instruction and the New England Comprehensive Center. The Facilitator's Guide demonstrates step-by-step how to build the course on a learning management system (LMS) and provides instructions on all phases of…

The information age has presented unprecedented opportunities for educators to digitize traditional classrooms, an evolution that can empower instructors to extend the channels of knowledge dissemination and unleash the learning power of students from the manacles of physical classrooms. Since the early adoption of the Internet technology by…