Ensures prospective instructors are up-to-date on all relevant developments in the field of online learning–helps them better understand, and make use of, current technologies and future advances.

Illustrates a practical means of envisioning, planning, and implementing customized instructional designs for online learning–models learning environments that serve a wide range of subjects, situations, and students.

Synthesizes the characteristics of constructivist-based pedagogical models–provides readers with a set of tools and techniques from which to choose appropriate delivery systems for a multitude of venues.

Identifies the pros and cons of each for students, instructors, and administrators–explains exactly how to use a CMS to fashion the pedagogical design of any online learning system.

Provide glimpses of real situations in K-12, higher education, and corporate training contexts in which students, instructors, and instructional designers engage in online learning–involve actions related to chapter content as well as to readers' prior knowledge.

Engages students in using a variety of tables, downloadable PDF files, and online activities–employing the same instructional ideas that the text advocates.

Organize material into a chapter-by-chapter study guide and evaluation tool–provide access to additional materials for research, discussion, and individual study.

Familiarizes readers with the nomenclature of the field–helps students learn to “talk the talk.”