LibGuides: OLT-7002 v2: Module 2 Resources

Lesson 4 Required Resources

Readings

Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners
Bloomberg, L. D. (2021). Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners. Teachers College Press, Columbia University Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners.
Chapter 2 pp. 30-40; ebook pp. 48-55: This section of the chapter covers assessment instruments and methods. The discussion includes the use of rubrics, formative and summative assessment techniques, and guidelines for equitable assessment.
Chapter 3 pp. 44-51; ebook pp. 58-65: This section of the chapter addresses the multimedia principle, including synchronous and asynchronous tools and their application.
Chapter 4 pp. 90-106; ebook pp. 98-112: This section of the chapter prepares the reader for the online teaching experience by describing various engagement strategies beginning with onboarding and continuing throughout the course. Included are examples as well as tips for monitoring and addressing online students’ progress and development.
Chapter 6 pp. 122-156; ebook pp. 127-156: Included in this chapter are a number of skills and strategies that you can incorporate in your practice to enhance student engagement. In the online environment the primary instructional delivery mode includes written, audio, or video feedback, which creates the foundation for constructive and meaningful learner-instructor interaction

OER

Blog Reports

Author and adult educator Dr. Linda Dale Bloomberg was commissioned to develop a series of reports for successful online teaching for Teachers College Press. In these blog reports she addresses multimodal strategies for synchronous and asynchronous delivery of content, shows how to engage students, and discusses how to adopt an accessible and equitable instructional approach to ensure student success in the online environment:

Raising the Bar on Student Engagement: Strategies to Enhance Your Online Pedagogy… And Lock in Your Learning!
Based on the shifts that occurred in higher education during and following the pandemic, Linda Bloomberg discusses the different ways to engage students in their learning through an equity-driven and empowerment lens.
Shifting the Perspective Toward an Empowered Mindset
Linda Bloomberg takes the notion of a “growth mindset” a step further with an “empowered mindset” as the end goal which lends insights for instructors to challenge themselves in fostering growth for both themselves and their learners.
If You Build It They Will Come: Engaging and Empowering Online Learners
Research consistently recognizes engagement as one of the most significant factors impacting academic performance, supporting a clear link between instructor engagement, learner engagement, and actual learning; in this way breaking the isolation that is inherent in studying online.
Raising the Bar on Student Engagement: Monitoring & Assessment
A large part of the way an instructor engages with their students is through ongoing support and monitoring by keeping tabs on each individual student and regularly checking on their progress.

Academic Journal Articles

Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment
Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online Learning, 22(1), 205-222.
The results of the study have implications for online instructors, instructional designers, and administrators who wish to enhance engagement in their online courses.

Web-Based Material

Special report: Synchronous and asynchronous learning tools: 15 strategies for engaging online students using real-time chat, threaded discussions and blogs
Faculty Focus. (n.d.). Special report: Synchronous and asynchronous learning tools: 15 strategies for engaging online students using real-time chat, threaded discussions and blogs [PDF document].
This resource includes a valuable collection of strategies that include both synchronous and asynchronous tools to engage adult online learners and support their learning and development.

Lesson 5 Required Resources

Readings

Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners.
Bloomberg, L. D. (2021). Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners. Teachers College Press, Columbia University Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners.
Chapter 6 pp. 122-126; ebook pp. 127-130: This section of the chapter discusses inclusive online teaching practices, culturally responsive teaching, and addresses unequal access to technology, a phenomenon that confronts many online learners today, which poses a significant challenge.
Humanizing online learning: Critical reflections on classroom practices that make a difference for diverse learners
Woodley, K., & Woodley, X. (2024). Humanizing online learning: Critical reflections on classroom practices that make a difference for diverse learners. Distance Learning, 21(3), 61.
This article illustrates how culturally responsive practices create “culturally caring” online environments, and how intuitive educators can adapt their teaching to provide a “high touch” learning experience.

Textbook Chapter

Implementation of online learning: Strategies to build culturally responsive classroom community in remote settings
Escheman, A. K., & Highfill, K. (2025). Implementation of online learning: Strategies to build culturally responsive classroom community in remote settings. In C. Roseth & P. Thompson (Eds.). Teaching in online, distance, and non-traditional contexts. ‎ (Chapter 11, pp. 267-290). Information Age Publishing.
This chapter offers a deep dive into the specific challenges and opportunities presented by online education, with a focus on student engagement, cultural responsiveness and inclusion to help educators create engaging online learning experiences.

Blog Reports

Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Empowering Responsive and Reflective Educators
It is important to realize that people from different cultures may learn in different ways, and so we need to proactively create learning experiences that recognize and acknowledge the different ways that individuals think and learn. 
Sculpting an Inclusive Learning Environment: Ensuring “Techquity” in Online Spaces
We need to proactively build learning experiences that recognize and acknowledge individual differences in order to reach and inspire learners with different needs, learning preferences, and ways of knowing.

OER

Academic Journal Articles

Accessing education: Equity, diversity, and inclusion in online learning
Ikebuchi, S. (2023). Accessing education: Equity, diversity, and inclusion in online learning. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 49(1).
This study presents the findings of a survey to understand how online and/or hybrid learning both supported equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and presented EDI-related challenges.
Culturally responsive teaching in an undergraduate online general education course
Schirmer, B. R., & Lockman, A. S. (2022). Culturally responsive teaching in an undergraduate online general education course. Online Learning, 26(3), 132–148.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine whether online faculty practiced cultural responsive teaching, and to explore the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching in a fully online undergraduate course.
Culturally Responsive Teaching with adult learners: A review of the literature
Rhodes, C. M. (2018). Culturally Responsive Teaching with adult learners: A review of the literature. International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology [IJAVET], 9(4).
This article discusses the need for adult educators to explore their own cultural identities, and the importance of diverse curriculum and materials in establishing an inclusive learning environment.

Lesson 6 Required Resources

Readings

Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners
Bloomberg, L. D. (2021). Designing and delivering effective online instruction: How to engage adult learners. Teachers College Press, Columbia University
Chapter 3 pp. 58-63; ebook pp. 73-77: This section provides a brief overview of collaborative learning opportunities and some of the innovative tools that are available to create engaging learning experiences for adult students.
Chapter 6 pp. 126-130; ebook pp. 130-135: This section of the chapter discusses the value of collaborative learning and ways to develop an online learning community by way of facilitating group work with both synchronous and asynchronous tools.

Academic Journal Articles

Extracting the essence of a learning community in an online graduate program: How and why peer connections and collaboration manifest and matter in meaningful ways
Bloomberg, L. D., Muyesser, M., Garner, J., Garza, J., & PeñaVillegas, M. (2025). Extracting the essence of a learning community in an online graduate program: How and why peer connections and collaboration manifest and matter in meaningful ways. Journal of Online Graduate Education, 8(2), 4-41. https://doi.org/10.65201/001c.147364
This qualitative phenomenological study utilized in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of a sample of doctoral alumni who had studied in a one-to-one online graduate program.
Cultivating Engagement: Innovative Practices for Online Adult Education
Rodezno, S. A., & Shahjahan, R. A. (2025). Cultivating Engagement: Innovative Practices for Online Adult Education. Adult Learning, 1.
This article explores the evolving nature of online adult education, focusing on community-building and engagement strategies in higher education, and emphasizes the importance of collaborative learning opportunities outside of the online classroom.

Video

The Power of Collaboration: Integrating on Ground and Online Techniques (Sage College Publications).

Using AI and Other Tools for Classroom Collaboration

The Sage presenters discuss ways to incorporate collaborative activities and AI tools to enhance effective online student engagement as well as a rationale for the power of collaborative learning.

Curated OER

Blog Reports

Community Is at the Very Core of Successful Higher Education Learning Experiences—and Inclusivity Is Key
Building an inclusive community in the online or hybrid learning environment is as essential as providing high-quality content, and becomes the essence of successful pedagogy.
Reconceptualizing Discussion Forums as Spaces of Active Learning
Interaction within online educational environments has long been advocated as fostering engagement and learning because this creates community, combats isolation and builds a sense of connectedness and ongoing engagement.
Incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy to Elevate Discussion Forums
There are many ways to think about reimagining and redesigning discussion board forums, and to make sure that these are serving the function of encouraging dialogue and critical thinking to generate dynamic online interaction.
Promoting Community in Your Online Classroom
Instructors often fear that they will lose the interaction and sense of community they have when they teach face-to-face, but that doesn’t have to be the case!
The Ties That Bind: Creating Collaborative Connections in Online and Hybrid Classrooms
The notion of a learning community is predicated on the value of connection and collaboration among learners and instructors, where interaction and participation are ongoing, regular, and focused around common goals.

Podcast

The Educator's Guide to Inclusive Online Teaching (May, 2024)
In this episode Dr. Bloomberg brings to light the essence of instructor presence and the creation of learning communities, with a strong focus on generating impactful learning opportunities for first-generation college students.

Resources for Part 2 of this week’s assignment include 10 academic journal articles. Students are required to choose 5 from this list of 10 articles to create an annotated bibliography:

Academic Journal Articles

Avery, 2023; Brown, 2000; Chan & Ng, 2024; Donelan & Kear, 2024; Kosar, 2023; Lambrev & Kruz, 2021; Li et al., 2023; Lively et al., 2021; Prodgers et al., 2022; Scales et al., 2024.

Doctoral students’ experiences of community of practice in a hybrid cohort-based program: A case study
Avery, C. (2023). Doctoral students’ experiences of community of practice in a hybrid cohort-based program: A case study [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arkansas]. ScholarWorks UArk.
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how doctoral students experience Community of Practice while enrolled in a hybrid cohort-based education program.
Theory about the process of community-building in a distance learning class
Brown, R. E. (2000). Theory about the process of community-building in a distance learning class [Doctoral dissertation, University of Nebraska–Lincoln]. Theory about the process of community -building in distance learning class - ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global - ProQuest
The purpose of this dissertation study was to develop a theory about the process through which community formed in an adult online class.
Examining the role of human and technological factors for interactive online collaborative learning
Chan, J. K. Y. & Ng, P. M. L. (2024). Examining the role of human and technological factors for interactive online collaborative learning. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 23877-23896. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12770-4
The study, based on collaborative learning theory, offers practical ideas to achieve academic success by ensuring technology support, fostering teacher-student interactions, encouraging peer collaborations and emotional engagement.
Online Group Projects in Higher Education: Persistent Challenges and Implications for Practice
Donelan, H. & Kear, K. (2024). Online Group Projects in Higher Education: Persistent Challenges and Implications for Practice. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 36(2), 435–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-023-09360-7
This article presents the findings of a systematic literature review identifying the key challenges of online group projects, together with strategies to address them.
Online collaborative learning: Does it improve college students’ critical reading skills?
Kosar, G. (2023). Online collaborative learning: Does it improve college students’ critical reading skills? Interactive Learning Environments, 31(8), 5114-5126. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1998137
This mixed-methods case study sets out to examine the influence of OCL on college students’ CRSs. Findings indicated that participants believed their CRSs developed considerably by virtue of immersing in online collaborative learning.
Becoming scholarly practitioners: Creating community in online professional doctoral education
Lambrev, V. S., & Cruz, B. C. (2021). Becoming scholarly practitioners: Creating community in online professional doctoral education. Distance Education, 42(4), 567–581. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1986374
Using a theoretical lens guided by the community of inquiry framework, this qualitative study’s findings suggest the key role of purposeful teaching presence in establishing a community of inquiry in both large- and small-group environments.
Factors influencing college students’ learning engagement in an online learning community
Li, J.J., Zhang, B.-L., & Tan, J. H. (2023). Factors influencing college students’ learning engagement in an online learning community. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 51(12), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.12678
The aim in this study was to identify how college students' experience of the online learning community influences their community identification and learning engagement.
Building community in online professional practice doctoral programs
Lively, C. L., Blevins, B., Talbert, S., & Cooper, S. (2021). Building community in online professional practice doctoral programs. Impacting Education, Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 6(3), 21–29. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2021.187
Findings of this study indicate that a sense of community was developed through the cohort model, strong student support services, synchronous live sessions, and relationships formed with faculty.
“It’s hard to feel a part of something when you’ve never met people”: Defining “learning community” in an online era
Prodgers, L., Travis, E., & Pownall, M. (2022). “It’s hard to feel a part of something when you’ve never met people”: Defining “learning community” in an online era. Higher Education, 85, 1219–1234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00886-w
The article presents the implications for these conceptualizations of an online learning community and suggests ways forward for Higher Education pedagogy.
Building intellectual communities in online doctoral programs
Scales, T. L., Timbers, V. L., & Hollenberger, J. C. (2024). Building intellectual communities in online doctoral programs. Journal of Online Graduate https://doi.org/10.65201/001c.141610Education, 7(3), 1–26.
This article provides insights into building an intellectual community and stewarding professional development for online doctoral students.