Distance learning is becoming increasingly prevalent in educational settings around the world as it provides more flexibility and access to classes for students and educators alike. While online classrooms are proving to be popular, there is a significant gap in the personalization and humanization of these courses. The Handbook of Research on Humanizing the Distance Learning Experience features empirical research on promoting the personalization of online learning courses through presence, emotionality, and interactivity within digital classrooms. Highlighting best practices and evaluating student perceptions on distance learning, this handbook will appeal to researchers, educators, course designers, professionals, and administrators.

"In some ways, shouldn′t we always be teaching from a distance?" Paul France asks this not as pitch for distance learning. But because part of the reason distance learning has been so challenging, Paul asserts, is that we’re replicating long-standing practices that promote dependent learning in our students. Why not use this unique moment of time to reconnect with the true purpose of teaching: to help our students become liberated learners and free thinkers? The next logical step in teachers’ months-long distance learning "journey," Humanizing Distance Learning describes how to center humanity and equity in our process of reimagining learning. Even while teaching and learning miles apart through screens, you’ll discover how to Build independence within your students so they’re better equipped to tackle challenges with persistence and learn how to learn Make collaboration and human connection essential components of your pedagogy, offering students the chance to socialize and learn from one another Center and unpack students’ identities, helping them develop a conscious knowledge of themselves, all the while using their self-identified strengths to overcome any obstacles Plan, prepare, and implement humanized instruction while teaching for student liberation—both digitally and in person. Investigate technology integration, including the Digital Divide, as well as ways to minimize EdTech integration so that our collective sense of humanity can continue to be front and center "The future," Paul writes, "may be unclear, the road may be rocky, and the story may continue to be long and winding as we push forward through this global crisis. But the answer will always be simple: We must teach and learn in pursuit of a deeper sense of collective humanity—and for no other reason." "This book is equal parts visionary and practical, courageous and invitational. It addresses foundational needs and wrenching challenges teachers faced during the recent time when U.S. teachers abruptly found themselves teaching remotely. . . . It is a deeply humanizing book." ~Carol Ann Tomlinson, William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia "Humanizing Distance Learning is a book for our times not only because it addresses how to build a culture of thinking and teach for understanding at a distance, but also because it challenges the status quo of education by offering a more liberated and humane vision." ~Ron Ritchhart, Senior Research Associate, Harvard Graduate School of Education "Paul France has produced a timely and necessary book that will help educators humanize distance learning. Recognizing incredible dimensions of complexity, this book will surely help educators traverse times of uncertainty in distance learning." ~H. Richard Milner IV, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Education, Vanderbilt University

The surge in enrollment for online courses is continually increasing. However, beneath the convenience lies a challenge that demands a resolution. Educators, administrators, and instructional designers must ensure that the human element is not lost in the virtual corridors of learning. Students with diverse backgrounds and learning needs require more than a simple virtual classroom. Research reveals a concerning trend: high attrition rates in online courses, often attributed to a lack of engagement and insufficient human interaction. To reverse this trend, deliberate measures must be taken to humanize the online learning environment. This book provides several solutions, offering an array of tools and strategies to promote engagement and infuse the human touch into online spaces. To confront this multi-layered challenge, it becomes paramount to undertake deliberate measures aimed at humanizing the online learning environment. Humanizing Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education steps forward as a guide, offering an extensive array of tools and strategies meticulously crafted to foster student engagement and infuse the essential human touch into the digital educational landscape.

Educators are continuously seeking ways to engage their students in active learning processes and are faced with challenges that include engaging students in learning activities, promoting meaningful learning experiences, and providing effective experiences for every student. Studies that investigate instructors’ experiences are limited since more focus is given to students. Future research calls for teachers’ innovative contributions in introducing new strategies and teaching approaches to further involve students, increase student attendance in online sessions, and employ a variety of technological tools. Fostering Meaningful Learning Experiences Through Student Engagement is an essential reference source for the latest scholarly information on curriculum development, instructional design, and pedagogical methods for fostering student engagement learning initiatives. The book examines engagement and meaningful learning techniques in both face-to-face and online instruction. Covering topics that include active learning, language learning, teacher experiences, and teacher-student relationships, this book is ideally designed for teachers, instructional designers, curriculum developers, academicians, researchers, professionals, and students that believe that stronger or improved student engagement should be their instructional objectives and wish to engage students in learning activities that promote meaningful learning experiences.

Technology is constantly evolving and can now aid society with the quest for knowledge in education systems. It is important to integrate the most recent technological advances into curriculums and classrooms, so the learning process can evolve just as technology has done. The Handbook of Research on Transformative Digital Content and Learning Technologies provides fresh insight into the most recent advancements and issues regarding educational technologies in contemporary classroom environments. Featuring detailed coverage on a variety of topics, such as mobile technology integration, ICT literacy integration, digital wellness, online group counseling, and distance learning, this publication will appeal to researchers and practitioners who are interested in discovering more about technological integration in education.

While online courses are said to be beneficial and many reputable brick and mortar higher education institutions are now offering undergraduate and graduate programs online, there is still ongoing debate on issues related to credibility and acceptability. There is some reluctance to teach online and to admit and hire students who have enrolled in online programs. Given these concerns, it is essential that educators in online communities continue to share the significant learning experiences and outcomes that occur in online classrooms and highlight pedagogical practices used by online instructors to make their courses and programs comparable to those offered face-to-face. The Handbook of Research on Creating Meaningful Experiences in Online Courses is a comprehensive research book that examines the quality of courses in higher education that are offered exclusively online and details strategies and practices used by online instructors to create meaningful teaching and learning experiences in online courses. Featuring a range of topics such as gamification, professional development, and learning outcomes, this book is ideal for academicians, researchers, educators, administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, higher education faculty, and students.

Active blended learning (ABL) is a pedagogical approach that combines sensemaking activities with focused interactions in appropriate learning settings. ABL has become a great learning tool as it is easily accessible online, with digitally rich environments, close peer and tutor interactions, and accommodations per individual learner needs. It encompasses a variety of concepts, methods, and techniques, such as collaborative learning, experiential learning, problem-based learning, team-based learning, and flipped classrooms. ABL is a tool used by educators to develop learner autonomy, engaging students in knowledge construction, reflection, and critique. In the current educational climate, there is a strong case for the implementation of ABL. Cases on Active Blended Learning in Higher Education explores strategies and methods to implement ABL in higher education. It will provide insights into teaching practice by describing the experiences and reflections of academics from around the world. The chapters analyze enablers, barriers to engagement, outcomes, implications, and recommendations to benefit from ABL in different contexts, as well as associated concepts and models. While highlighting topics such as personalized university courses, remote service learning, team-based learning, and universal design, this book is ideal for in-service and preservice teachers, administrators, instructional designers, teacher educators, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in pedagogical approaches aligned to ABL and how this works in higher education institutions.