Book Announcement

Essentials of Online Course Design
Available at Amazon.com


Dear Friends,

We’re happy to announce our new book The Essential Guide to Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide.

The Essential Guide to Online Course Design uses a fresh, thoughtfully designed, step-by-step, hands-on approach.  At this guide’s core is a set of standards that are based on best practices in the field of online learning and teaching.  Pedagogical, organizational and visual design principles are presented and modeled throughout.

Key features include:
  • The approach is  practical, straight-forward and informed by theory. 
  • Language is clear, concise and jargon-free.
  • Online course design standards are first presented chapter by chapter and finally as a self-evaluation checklist.
  • The book itself models good design.
  • The step-by-step development process builds the online course up from syllabus to course outline to final course.
  • The purposeful use of multimedia is illustrated and supported. 
  • Examples, screen shots, “sticky notes,” and illustrations in the book clarify and support the text. 
  • Learning styles are emphasized.
  • A companion web site provides examples, adaptable templates, interactive learning features and an array of online resources.
In short, using this guide, readers will find that preparing for online teaching can be a satisfying and engaging experience. The core issue is simply good design….pedagogical, organizational, and visual.