Running head: Book Review

Book Review
Essential of Online Course Design, A Standards-Based Guide
Elizabeth Reicher
EDCI 888 Professional Seminar 2
Kansas State University
March 26, 2016

Running head: Book Review

Synopsis
The book, Essentials of Online Course Design: A Standards-Based Guide by Marjorie

Vai and Kristen Sosulski is a reference for instructors who wish to design a class online.
Within this text the authors provide a step by step outline to use when creating online
courses. They begin by explaining the organization of the book itself in order to provide a
clear picture of what the book is about and how and why it should be used to design
online instruction.
In Chapter 1, the authors explain the difference between traditional face to face courses
and the unique elements of teaching an online course. It is pointed out that it is important
for instructors to understand who they will be teaching and why they will be delivering
instruction online. The importance of understanding the learners needs is stressed as
well.
Next, information is presented on the purpose and use of a Learning Management
System (LMS) and the many tools which can be used to deliver instruction online. A
working knowledge of the learning institutions LMS and a working knowledge of basic
computer software are required to produce online instruction as these skills will
streamline planning and delivery.
The text not only provides information on the organizational aspects of instruction, but
the importance of clear communication through the proper use of tone, writing clear
instructions, and creating quality multimedia presentations to use in instruction. Since a
great deal of the instruction will take place asynchronously, these components are
critical to the success of both the teacher and the students.
There are chapters on visual design, types of assignments to assign, student
engagement, as well as authentic assessments.
Appendix A reminds instructors of the key components used in sound instructional
design. The text expresses the need for backward design as an avenue to develop

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curriculum in order to establish and implement instruction and assessment which clearly
communicate the learning outcomes.
As the text progresses, there are a plethora of examples of best practices for the
development and delivery of online instruction. Checklists of standards for each
development area are presented at the end of each chapter as well in Appendix B. The
companion website (www.essemtialsof onlinecoursedesign.com) includes additional
examples and resources including unit planning templates with detailed instructions.
This reference lays out each step of creating and implementing instruction in a virtual
classroom and basing each learning activity and assessment on learning outcomes in
order for each learner to find success through mastery and application. This is a must
have reference for all who design online learning.
Analysis:
While reading this book, I thought it reinforced the concepts which have been taught
during my graduate studies. The book provides an outline of tried and true practices in
developing and implementing online instruction. I thought there was excellent advice and
excellent examples throughout the book.
As I am an instructional design junkie, the material on curriculum design was right on
target. I just love when it when instruction is designed in a methodical and standardsbased manner. Curriculum design is the basis for all meaningful learning. However a
strong curriculum should offer structure, but also flexibility for deeper investigation and
remediation. Designers need to be realistic and design curriculum and instruction that is
feasible to teach during the time allotted for the course without watering down or
skipping important information. The course content is driven by the identical learning
outcomes that drive the onsite course, (Vai & Sosulski, pg. 23). It is vital to mirror the
learning outcomes from the onsite version of the class in order to ensure that each

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classroom is receiving the same information and assignments although in different

formats.
One of the areas I struggle with is visual design. As an elementary teacher, I tend to use
an exorbitant amount of color. My classroom decorations are modeled after the colors of
the rainbow which correspond to many of the pitches on my classroom instruments. My
current use of color is a distraction and makes my presentations more difficult to
comprehend. Color can overwhelm the mind. Chapter 5 reinforces the need to keep
visual design simply, uncluttered and concise.
Kristen Sosulski (2011) suggests to read this chapter, then read it again. She
goes on to reflect, In my work, Ive noticed that a common oversight of online
teachers is their lack of attention to visual and aesthetic design. There are a lot of
materials in an online course. Its easy to overlook the format of those materials.
(pg.61)
The way instructors design their courses visually can affect the learners ability to
comprehend instructional resources. The proper use of white space, text justification,
text settings and other formatting tools create a clean presentation of information. When
combining these elements along with appropriately placed graphics, the design becomes
aesthetically pleasing and causes less confusing in order to create interest.
Interest is what all educators hope to cultivate by presenting attractive and engaging
lessons. Design is not the only road to engagement. Lessons and activities must be
designed to engage all learners. In an online classroom this becomes difficult as most of
the instruction is delivered asynchrously to allow the learner to complete assignments as
their schedule permits.
During my studies the activities that have been the most engaging are the projects in
which I was assigned to work with other classmates. Collaboration decreased the sense

Running head: Book Review

of learning in isolation and allowed for conversations in which meaning was clear and

other perspectives were presented. Further engagement was provide by the variety of
applications and assignments that were integrated into the online educational
experience. I especially enjoyed creating technology projects and tutorials. I was able to
practice using applications that perhaps I was not familiar with in order to gain
experience to create instructional materials to use in my own instruction. teaching
and learning requires learners to be active participants in their own learning. There are
several elements that are needed for this type of design: activities, tools, and resources
and social structures, (Vai & Sosulski, pg. 130). Assignments which allowed me to apply
what I learned, and collaborate where invaluable.
Student resources are also an integral component to online learning. Open sources texts
keep supplemental resources relevant and current. Textbooks are not updated regularly
because of the constraints of the cost of revision. Although I have purchased some
textbooks for my classes, many additional resources have deepened my understanding
of trends, strategies, and issues in the field of education. Encourage students to find
and contribute resources that further enhance the topic to promote a learning centered
approach, (Vai & Sosulski, pg. 132).
I am glad that I found this resource to add to my professional library and to present it to
my classmates. It is informative and is a standard driven resource that I will use as I
design instruction in the future. Although it is written for the development of online
learning, it has a great deal of information to apply to designing instruction in the
traditional classroom as well. This book has given me a great deal to think about. Some
of the chapters reinforced my current understanding; others made me focus on areas in
which I can improve.
I have purchased another title in this series to further enrich my practice. The title is,

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Essentials for Blended Learning: A Standards-Based Guide by Margret Foley McCabe
and Patricia Gonzalez-Flores and I plan to purchase Essentials of Online Teaching: A
Standards-Based Guide by Jared Stein and Charles R. Graham when it is published in
2016. I believe all of these resources will not only help me as I develop online
instruction, but will also be resources that I can recommend to other instructional
designers.
References:

Vai, M., & Sosulski, K. (2011). Essentials of online course design: A standards-based guide.
New York: Routledge.

Running head: Book Review