10 E-Learning Books That Will Change How You Teach and Learn

The way this book reshaped expert thinking about online education is striking. Stephen M. Kosslyn, drawing from decades of psychological research and leadership roles at Harvard and Stanford, centers his approach on five scientifically grounded principles: deep processing, chunking, building associations, dual coding, and deliberate practice. You’ll gain concrete techniques to transform static online courses into engaging, memorable experiences, with clear examples on crafting your own active learning activities tailored to any subject. Whether you’re an instructor designing a new course or improving an existing one, this book equips you to boost student engagement and learning retention effectively.

Douglas Fisher, a respected professor and chair of educational leadership with extensive classroom and administrative experience, brings rigorous expertise to the challenges of distance learning. Drawing on research from VISIBLE LEARNING®, this book teaches you how to design instruction that maintains equity and accelerates student progress in virtual settings. You'll find concrete strategies for building teacher credibility, fostering student self-regulation, and applying diverse instructional approaches, including direct instruction and peer learning. The book also addresses unique issues for young learners and offers reflection prompts to refine your practice. It’s particularly suited for K-12 educators aiming to move beyond crisis teaching toward intentional, impactful online education.

This personalized book provides a tailored approach to designing, implementing, and optimizing e-learning courses that fit your specific educational context and goals. It emphasizes practical strategies for course structure, learner engagement, technology integration, and assessment customization. By focusing on your unique teaching environment and target audience, it cuts through irrelevant advice common in generic guides, offering actionable insights on content delivery methods, multimedia use, and accessibility considerations. The book also addresses ongoing course evaluation and improvement, ensuring your e-learning initiatives remain effective and responsive to learner needs. Its personalized framework supports efficient course development, making this guide an invaluable resource for educators and instructional designers seeking focused, adaptable e-learning solutions.

What started as Alex Rockey's deep involvement in academic technology and education research became a focused guide on transforming mobile learning in higher education. You’ll learn how to design courses that fully leverage smartphones to enhance accessibility and engagement, with practical tools like mobile-friendliness rubrics and workshop toolkits. The book breaks down how to progressively adapt course content to fit mobile formats, addressing real concerns about student access and instructor transition. If your work involves college or university teaching and you want to meet students where they are—with their phones—this book offers clear, thoughtful strategies without overselling the technology itself.

Lindy Hockenbary’s journey as an educator deeply immersed in technology integration inspired this book, born from her firsthand experience guiding teachers through the sudden shift to online learning in 2020. You’ll find specific strategies for engaging K-12 students remotely, tackling challenges like virtual classroom management, student assessment without direct supervision, and fostering communication with families. The book doesn’t just offer generic tips; it dives into practical examples such as how to choose appropriate digital tools tailored to different teaching styles and learner needs, illustrated across its chapters. If you’re a K-12 teacher transitioning to or refining online instruction, this guide addresses your concerns with grounded solutions, though it’s less focused on higher education or advanced EdTech theory.

Drawing from decades of expertise in adult and distance education, Simone C. O. Conceição and Les Howles developed this book to rethink how online courses engage learners beyond just delivering content. You’ll discover a learner-centered framework that treats an online course as a journey of interactions involving content, instructors, and peers, emphasizing personalization and deeper engagement. The book offers evidence-based principles across eight chapters, including a practical application of Design Thinking in course design, making it especially useful if you’re aiming to create meaningful, interactive online experiences rather than simply digitizing materials. Whether you’re new or experienced in online teaching, this approach encourages adopting empathy for learners, which transforms how courses come alive virtually.

This personalized book delivers a step-by-step daily action plan designed to enhance your online teaching effectiveness over a 30-day period. It offers a tailored approach to boosting student engagement and course impact by integrating practical strategies aligned with your specific teaching context and goals. The book emphasizes targeted daily activities that promote interaction, motivation, and retention within virtual learning environments. By cutting through generic advice, it fits your unique educational setting, helping you implement concrete improvements that transform your e-learning delivery rapidly and sustainably.

When Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer first compiled their research-driven approach to multimedia learning, they challenged common e-learning assumptions by focusing on cognitive load theory to enhance instructional design. You learn how to present content effectively using text, graphics, and audio, with detailed guidance on personalization, coherence, and animation to boost learner engagement. The book also introduces evidence-based game design and methods to optimize practice and collaboration, making it especially useful for instructional designers and educators developing digital courses. For example, the chapter on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning lays out how to balance information to avoid overwhelming learners. If you create or consume e-learning content and want to understand what drives real learning improvements, this book offers solid, research-backed insights.

What if everything you knew about online teaching was wrong? Susan Ko and Steve Rossen challenge conventional views by focusing on the practical "hows" and "whys" of effective online instruction rather than abstract theory. Drawing from decades of experience in faculty development and instructional technology, they walk you through updated methods including MOOCs, mobile learning, and learning analytics, supported by real faculty interviews and case studies. You'll gain clear insights into designing engaging courses, selecting multimedia tools, and understanding learner needs in a virtual environment. This guide suits educators committed to improving their online teaching craft with concrete examples and up-to-date strategies.

When Marjorie Vai first reexamined online course design, she challenged the common notion that flashy tech alone drives engagement. Drawing on her 25 years in online education, she offers a standards-based framework that ties pedagogical, organizational, and visual elements into a cohesive process. You’ll learn to transform a traditional syllabus into a clear, interactive online course outline, supported by checklists and real examples. This book suits educators and instructional designers ready to create courses that feel structured and learner-centered without unnecessary complexity.

Unlike most e-learning guides that focus narrowly on software features, this book emerges from Jeni Long and Salleé Clark's extensive hands-on experience as education innovators. You’ll learn how to harness Microsoft Teams not just as a tool but as a platform to design lessons that foster student agency, collaboration, and accessibility. The authors break down practical ways to integrate Teams with partner apps and share over 70 lesson ideas that make technology meaningful for diverse learners. If you’re an educator aiming to create a classroom where technology truly empowers students rather than distracts, this guide offers a grounded, teacher-centered approach.

When Andrew Ramdayal realized how confusing and fragmented PMP exam preparation could be, he created this guide to streamline the process for aspiring project managers. Drawing from his extensive experience as an educator and project management expert, Ramdayal offers not just theory but a structured e-learning course featuring over 38 hours of video content and more than 1500 practice questions. You’ll gain mastery over Agile, Hybrid, and Traditional project management approaches, along with mindset strategies to navigate exam challenges confidently. This resource is tailored for professionals aiming to pass the PMP exam on their first try with a clear understanding of practical project management frameworks.