Review
” . . .the authors’ central premise is that a collaborative learning community is the best vehicle for distance education.” (Journal of Continuing Higher Education, Fall 2007) “There will be a range of ‘ah ha’ moments for the reader working with students in building online learning communities.” (NACADA, Nov 20, 2007)
Review
“The focus on community makes this volume distinctive in the literature about online teaching and learning. The authors’ expertise spans the nitty-gritty, practical aspects of the virtual classroom with the larger questions and context of twenty-first century education. This book goes way beyond the how-to’s of online education to a sophisticated consideration of the major challenges of teaching and learning.” —Anna DiStefano, provost, Fielding Graduate University “This book captures the essence of a successful virtual learning experience for both students and teachers. Palloff and Pratt share valuable insi…
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This is quite simply one the best books on distance learning that I have read. Palloff and Pratt provide a well researched investigation into developing communities online.
The first part of the book goes to great length in defining distance learning and community. The authors provide both empirical and anecdotal evidence to support their claim that community building online is critical to distance learning success. They do a wonderful job stepping the reader through the psychological process of developing an online community and detailing the impact it can have on learning.
Their approach to instructional design moves the instructor into a collaborative and transformative learning model that places students at the center. Instructors become facilitators guiding student discussion and exploration. This stands in stark contrast to the chalk and talk lecture model that many instructors attempt to replicate in distance learning.
Part two of the book is a hands-on guide to best practices for building online learning communities. It covers everything from initial course design and maintaining a collaborative environment to student and course evaluation.
If you are involved in distance learning and online training… I would strongly recommend this book. It was published in July 2007 and is very up-to-date with references to blogging, wikis and social networks like Facebook and My Space. It’s a great read a wonderful reference.
The book was listed with you as being in ‘Good’ condition. It is not. Every page has ink pen (lines) underlining sentences unevenly. At some points the lines go into the words of the sentence above or below it, making them hard to discipher.