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Language: English
This new and innovative book, Improving Your College Courses: A Guide for Engaging in Digital Learning, provides instructors from any discipline with a guide for improving course quality and engaging learners in digital learning environments. It inspires professional development and learning (PDL) by making available an indispensable resource for higher education faculty seeking to enhance their teaching practices, propel meaningful experiences, and improve student outcomes. Instructors and administrators will want to read this research-informed, practical book authored by faculty with expertise in digital learning environments. All of them have published on this topic, some earning digital certifications and online teaching awards. Faculty and administrators attracted to a blend of theoretical insights and practical applications will welcome a solid resource for instructors engaged in continuous course improvement and PDL. At the same time, administrators overseeing faculty development as well as mentoring coordinators who sponsor PDL around instructional effectiveness and ethics will benefit from the use of the volume. Professors will find strategies that can be immediately implemented in their courses, making them a valuable tool for PDL. It will be a “must have” for new instructors and faculty who are adapting their teaching for a digital world. The book covers essential topics including course introduction; content and materials; engagement activities; accessibility and usability; and support strategies; as well as practical methods such as case studies, glossary, and appendix and supplementary materials with web content. Improving Your College Courses features pictures, figures, drawings, charts, and graphs designed to clearly illustrate the steps and concepts narrated. This book is designed to be an indispensable resource for educators seeking to enhance their teaching practices and improve student outcomes.
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Köksal Banoğlu
Introduction: Guidebook in a Snap
Carol A. Mullen, Daniel W. Eadens, and Köksal Banoğlu
PART 1: QUALITY IN COURSES
Chapter 1
Quality Course Enhancements Impacting Executive-Level Student Learning and Outcomes
Daniel W. Eadens and Carol A. Mullen
Chapter 2
Artful Digital Learning: The Use of Song Parodies for a More Qualitative Experience
Natalie Norman Michaels
PART 2: SIMULATION IN COURSES
Chapter 3
Using Simulation Technology to Enhance Educators’ Skills and Knowledge: Learning Through Mixed Reality Experiences
Krista Bixler and Marjorie Ceballo
Chapter 4
Computer Simulations Toward Educational Leadership Transformation: Preparing Future Administrators for Real-World Challenges
Greg Harrison and Lee Westberry
PART 3: COGNITION IN COURSES
Chapter 5
Cognitive Vulnerability and AI Use in Digital Learning: Applying the Zone of Proximal Knowledge
Christopher Benedetti
Chapter 6
Virtual Spaces for Critical Dialogue: Promoting Social Interaction and Cognitive Engagement in Higher Education Courses
Marcus L. Johnson
Chapter 7
Conclusion
Daniel W. Eadens and Carol A. Mullen
About the Editors and Contributors
Index
NOTE: Table of Contents subject to change up until publication date.
“This timely book is the equivalent of the pedagogical Rosetta Stone, only instead of being in hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek, it translates lecture, blackboard, and technology into the emerging dynamic language of the new pedagogy with AI. Just as the real Rosetta Stone connected an ancient past to the present, Improving Your College Courses: A Guide for Engaging in Digital Learning, edited by Carol A. Mullen and Daniel W. Eadens, sweeps across past instructional concepts and languages, illustrating the arrival and application of an exciting new idiom of digital learning. We owe them and their collaborators encomium for their efforts.”
Fenwick W. English, PhD, Professor of Educational Leadership and Associate Dean, College of Education, Florida Gulf Cost University, Florida, and Co-editor, Leading & Managing journal
“Improving Your College Courses is timely, essential reading. At a moment when technology offers the promise of greater collaboration as well as the threats of decreased engagement and increased isolation, this collection reminds us that intentional, human-centered wisdom must guide learning. With chapters rooted in care, andragogy, and innovative practice, Mullen and Eadens’ edited collection offers powerful insights into fostering engagement, equity, and ethical practice in today’s technologically saturated educational environments.”
Michelle D. Young, PhD, Dean and Professor of the Berkeley School of Education, University of California, Berkeley, California
“Mullen and Eadens’ edited book Improving Your College Courses is a timely, research-informed, highly practical resource for any faculty member tasked with teaching online. The experienced faculty contributors provide a rich blend of theory, practical strategies, and insights that support inclusive, engaging, and ethically sound instruction, as well as important reflection points regarding instructional innovation and maintaining quality within various digital modalities. Whether you’re new to online teaching or looking to refine your digital pedagogy, this book is an invaluable companion for designing meaningful learning experiences that meet the evolving needs of higher education.”
J. Kenneth Young, PhD, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Lamar University, Texas, and Editor, Education Leadership Review journal
“Improving Your College Courses is an essential read for today’s higher education faculty. Mullen and Eadens curate a collection that is both visionary and practical, grounding their work in research, yet ensuring accessibility and applicability for educators navigating the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Each chapter reflects a commitment to human-centered, ethical, and innovative teaching. This book not only offers insights for improving courses, it also reimagines what quality, engagement, and equity can mean in an age of digital learning.”
Charles L. Lowery, EdD, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, Virginia Tech, Virginia
“This is a timely, practical guide for faculty seeking to enhance digital learning. Edited by Mullen and Eadens, Improving Your College Courses blends research-based strategies with actionable tools to improve course quality, foster engagement, and integrate ethical AI use. Covering quality assurance, simulation, and cognitive engagement, this book empowers educators to create inclusive, innovative, and high-impact learning experiences in today’s evolving educational landscape.”
Naim Kapucu, PhD, Pegasus Professor and Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, University of Central Florida, Florida
“Improving Your College Courses is a timely, insightful, and deeply practical guide for educators navigating the evolving landscape of digital learning. Mullen and Eadens bring together an impressive group of scholar–practitioners who translate research, creativity, and technology into strategies faculty can use immediately. This volume stands out for its clarity, humanity, and evidence-based approach, offering tools that elevate course quality while honoring the relational heart of teaching. A must-read for instructors committed to designing meaningful, equitable, and future-ready learning experiences.”
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD, Associate Professor of Adult Learning and Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and Payal Kumar, PhD, Principal Academic Advisor, Indian School of Hospitality Delhi, India