Designing Instruction for Technology-Enhanced Learning

Rating:
Summary: A must in the online educators library
Review: In _Designing Instruction for Technology-Enhanced Learning_, Patricia L. Rogers brings together thirteen articles on the use of technology to enhance learning. The articles are separated into five sections or topics: (1) an overview of instructional design, (2) foundations of instructional design, (3) designing for learners in primary and secondary education, (4) designing for learners in higher education, and (5) designing for learning environments. By covering each of these five topics, those interested in the integration of technology into learning or the classroom at any level will be served by this book.

Any reader of this book will welcome the ideas and information about integrating currently held technological knowledge into their pre-existing classroom practices. The book helps the reader makes the connection between intended learning outcomes, teaching strategies and instructional media.

Rating:
Summary: Written for professional educators.
Review: Patricia Rogers edited numerous articles and provides a very well rounded and common sense approach to designing instruction and integrating technology. Our students need to be very comfortable with technology and we as teachers need to get on board with using it in the classroom. This book outlines the why and how to do it. I thought the instructional design concepts were very clearly and persuasively presented, and considered all the latest research in learning theory and cognitive development. The emphasis is on effective learning, not on the latest technology. A very fine book on instructional design!

Rating:
Summary: Can One Book Do It All?
Review: Patricia Rogers' ambitious book includes valuable contributions from educators in all kinds of institutions and from all over the world. This book tries to be everything you need if you are new or fairly new to technology-enhanced learning, covering history, relevant educational theory, and how-tos for K-12, higher education, and business training. Clearly written and carefully organized, it's easy for any teacher to get something from this book. For any library with teachers as patrons, this book is essential.

If there is a fault to this book, it's that breadth of coverage means limited depth of coverage. This is a strong book for getting started, but most teachers will find sections of the book that are very helpful and others that can be skipped. Also, although each chapter is well-documented and scholarly, there is relatively little acknowledgement of objections to technology-enhanced teaching. Some of the strongest objectors are acknowledged and answered, but more subtle issues about technology and teaching could be dealt with more seriously. The book's general attitude is that technology-enhanced teaching is a realm of vast possibility as long as it is designed properly.

For teachers who want to get started exploring that realm, this is a great guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: Can One Book Do It All?
Review: Patricia Rogers' ambitious book includes valuable contributions from educators in all kinds of institutions and from all over the world. This book tries to be everything you need if you are new or fairly new to technology-enhanced learning, covering history, relevant educational theory, and how-tos for K-12, higher education, and business training. Clearly written and carefully organized, it's easy for any teacher to get something from this book. For any library with teachers as patrons, this book is essential.

If there is a fault to this book, it's that breadth of coverage means limited depth of coverage. This is a strong book for getting started, but most teachers will find sections of the book that are very helpful and others that can be skipped. Also, although each chapter is well-documented and scholarly, there is relatively little acknowledgement of objections to technology-enhanced teaching. Some of the strongest objectors are acknowledged and answered, but more subtle issues about technology and teaching could be dealt with more seriously. The book's general attitude is that technology-enhanced teaching is a realm of vast possibility as long as it is designed properly.

For teachers who want to get started exploring that realm, this is a great guidebook.

Rating:
Summary: A must in the online educators library
Review: This book is a must for the professional library of any educator teaching or planning to teach an online or web-enhanced course. It would also make an excellent choice for a current class on the 'how-tos' for future faculty. The editor has selected knowledgeable authors who, happily, are also good writers for the chapters. Each chapter is well-organized including objectives, meaningful visuals, questions for future consideration and outstanding resources used by the authors. The reference lists alone are worth the price of the book. There is an international flavor as well providing perspectives from other countries on the designing of technology-enhanced learning environments.