Best Practices of Online Education

A Guide for Christian Higher Education

Edited by:
Mark A. Maddix, Northwest Nazarene University
James R. Estep, Lincoln Christian University
Mary E. Lowe, Erskine Theological Seminary

Published 2012

The book provides best practices from online educators who are engaged in online teaching and program development in Christian higher education. It also explores the distinct aspects of teaching and developing online courses and programs from a Christian perspective and within Christian higher education institutions. As such it is can serve as a ready resource for academic administrators and professors, novices and veterans at online program development and instruction.

CONTENTS
Foreword. Preface. SECTION I: THEORETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ONLINE EDUCATION. Educational Theory and Online Education, Mark H. Heinemann and James Riley Estep Jr. Adult Learning Theory and Online Learning, Steve D. Lowe. Developing Online Learning Communities, Mark A. Maddix. Social Presence in Online Learning, Stephen Kemp. Spiritual Formation as Whole-Person Development in Online Education, Mary E. Lowe. Challenges and Opportunities for Online Theological Education, James Riley Estep Jr. and Steven Yates. SECTION II: GENERATING AND FACILITATING EFFECTIVE LEARNING IN ONLINE EDUCATION. Best Practices in Online Teaching, C. Damon Osborne. Visualize More: Effective Online Teaching Methods, Jay Richard Akkerman. Characteristics of Successful Online Students, Jason D. Baker. Generating and Facilitating Effective Online Discussion, Mark A. Maddix. Online Faculty Development, Dale Hale. SECTION III: DEVELOPING AND ASSESSING ONLINE COURSES AND PROGRAMS. Evaluating Course Management Systems, Eric Kellerer. Developing Effective Infrastructures for Online Programs, Gregory W. Bourgond. Developing Online Programs, David M. Phillips. Online Program and Curriculum Mapping, Christine Bauer and Mary Jones. Online Course Design Considerations, Christine Bauer and Mary Jones. Assessing Online Learning, Meri MacLeod.