The online dimension of teaching and learning

 

            The free book The Theory and Practice of Online Teaching and Learning: A guide for Academic Professionals by Taylor & Francis Group (n.d.) is a compilation of excerpts from books written by experts in the field. This book aims to present not only a brief but complete perspective of every element to be considered when teaching online.  Each one of the six chapters refers to a different book and introduces an aspect to delve into.

chapters refers to a different book and introduces an aspect to delve into.

The first chapter, Teaching Online – The Basics, is sourced from Teaching Online: A Practical Guide (Ko & Rossen, 2010, as cited in The Theory and Practice…, n.d.,) and it explains the essentials of online education design. Also, it offers practical advice, especially regarding the level of technology expertise required to design and teach online. In the following chapter, Orientation to online teaching and learning, an extract from Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide (Vai & Sosulski, 2011, as cited in The Theory and Practice…, n.d.,), there is a clear presentation of the central features of online teaching, such as format, timing and structure. Additionally, it highlights communication as the idea of teachers being familiar with the different type of students involved in online learning. However, in spite of the differentiation made by native and digital immigrants, it fails to explain how to make the connection between these two concepts. In chapter 3, E-tivities for Active Online Learning, based on E-tivities: The Key to Active Online Learning (Salmon, 2012, as cited in The Theory and Practice…, n.d.,), an exposition can be found on the so-called e-tivities: they are considered “frameworks for enabling active and participative online teaching and learning by individuals and groups'' (Salmon, 2012, as cited in The Theory and Practice …, n.d., p. 29). Matters such as context and purpose are covered and, on a positive note, it stresses the fact that e-tivities save costs as they use existing resources. The fourth chapter, The Varied Terrain of Online Learning, proposes a system to classify the different types of online learning using four dimensions: context, design, implementation, and outcomes. This taxonomy is developed in Learning Online: What Research Tells Us About Whether, When and How (Means, Bakia & Murphy, 2014, as cited in The Theory and Practice…, n.d.,). One of the last chapters, Reusing Open Resources for Learning, deals with the usage of open resources. The authors of the book Reusing Open Resources: Learning in Open Networks for Work, Life and Education, Littlejohn and Pegler (2013, as cited in The Theory and Practice…, n.d.,) examines the distinction between gratis and libre as regards their levels of openness and on a more interesting dimension they “adopt the Vygotskian (1978) idea of learning a complex social interplay of mind and practice mediated by different types of resources” (as cited in The Theory and Practice... n.d., p. 54). Finally, in chapter six, Teaching as a Design Science, an appeal is made towards the relationship between technology and education, focusing on the fact that it is imperative to have a clear concept of what educators need from technology in order to avoid being “technology-led” (as cited in The Theory and Practice... , n.d., p. 60).

All things considered, even though the book provides a comprehensive overview, it is a summary of what online teaching and learning courses involve. As stated in the title, it is a basic guide that maps online education, clearly showing in which direction to go depending on the needs and expertise of the reader. Nonetheless, it might have been more substantial if the book had contemplated different contexts around the world, not only US universities, for instance.    

Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. (n.d.). The theory and practice of online teaching and learning: A guide for academic professionals. Retrieved from https://cutt.ly/pgD99oo