List of Videos Acknowledgments Introduction A Visible Learning (R) Primer Visible Learning and Distance Learning A Question of Equity Module 1: Self-Care Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Conclusion Module 2: The First Week of Classes Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Develop a Classroom Management Plan for Distance Learning Establish Norms Link Norms to Class Agreements Identify Expectations for Synchronous Distance Learning Develop and Teach Organizational and Procedural Routines Design a Considerate Website Your First Distance Classes Learn Students' Interests Conclusion Module 3: Faculty-Student Relationships From a Distance Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Characteristics of Faculty-Student Relationships Judgment and Will, Not Just Knowledge and Ability Peer-to-Peer Relationships Are Influenced, Too A "Chilly" Classroom Reaching the Hard to Teach Increase Your Touchpoints With All Students Conclusion Module 4: Teacher Credibility at a Distance Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Teacher Credibility Defined Conclusion Module 5: Teacher Clarity at a Distance Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Start With the Standards and Competencies Create a Flow of Learning: Planning for Class Create Learning Intentions Identify Success Criteria Find the Relevance Conclusion Module 6: Engaging Tasks at a Distance Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Think Functions of Engagement, Not Just Tools Set the Conditions for Engagement and Learning Select the Tools That Meet These Functions and Conditions Design Tasks With Engagement in Mind Design a Considerate Schedule to Promote Engagement Conclusion Module 7: Planning Learning Experiences at a Distance Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Demonstrating Collaborating Coaching and Facilitating Practicing Conclusion Module 8: Feedback, Assessment, and Grading Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Feedback to Students The Socioemotional Links to Feedback Feedback at a Distance Formative Evaluation Summative Evaluations Competency-Based Grading Conclusion Module 9: Keeping the Focus on Learning, Distance or Otherwise Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Learning From Other Crises Use Crisis Learning to Make Colleges and Universities Better Make Learning Better for Students Make Learning Better for Teachers Conclusion Appendix References Index About the Authors
First, let's commend ourselves: how in the midst of a pandemic we faculty stepped up at record speed to teach in such a foreign learning environment. Try we did, adapt we did, and learn we did. But to be clear, and we already recognize this, this past spring was less about distance learning and more about crisis teaching. This time around we have the opportunity to be much more purposeful and intentional, and that's where The Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction will prove absolutely indispensable. Much more than a collection of cool tools and apps, The Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction mobilizes decades of Visible Learning (R) research to reveal those evidence-based strategies that work best in an online environment. Supplemented by video footage and opportunities to self-assess and reflect, the book addresses every dynamic that must be in place for students to learn, even at a distance: Faculty-student relationships from a distance Teacher credibility from a distance Teacher clarity from a distance Engaging tasks from a distance Planning learning experiences from a distance Feedback, assessment, and grading from a distance Keeping the focus on learning, from a distance or otherwise What does our post-COVID future hold? "We suspect," Fisher, Frey, Almarode, and Hattie write, "it will include increased amounts of distance learning. In the meantime, let's seize on what we have learned to improve post-secondary education in any format, whether face-to-face or from a distance." "We are all still active faculty members, committed to teaching, scholarship, and service. The unexpected transition to remote learning doesn't mean we no longer know how to teach. We can still impact the lives of our students and know that we made a difference. The Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction will show you how." ~Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Almarode, and John Hattie
Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is a credentialed teacher and leader in California. In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as Welcome to Teaching, PLC+, Teaching Students to Drive their Learning, and Student Assessment: Better Evidence, Better Decisions, Better Learning. Nancy Frey is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Nancy was a teacher, academic coach, and central office resource coordinator in Florida. She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California. She is a member of the International Literacy Association's Literacy Research Panel. She has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as The Artificial Intelligences Playbook, How Scaffolding Works, How Teams Work, and The Vocabulary Playbook. Dr. John Almarode is a bestselling author and an Associate Professor of Education at James Madison University. He was awarded the inaugural Sarah Miller Luck Endowed Professorship in 2015 and received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia in 2021. Before his academic career, John started as a mathematics and science teacher in Augusta County, Virginia. As an author, John has written multiple educational books focusing on science and mathematics, and he has co-created a new framework for developing, implementing, and sustaining professional learning communities called PLC+. Dr. Almarode's work has been presented to the US Congress, the Virginia Senate, and the US Department of Education. One of his recent projects includes developing the Distance Learning Playbook for College and University Instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Continuing his collaborative work with colleagues on what works best in teaching and learning, How Tutoring Works, Visible Learning in Early Childhood, and How Learning Works, all with Corwin Press, were released in 2021. John Hattie, PhD, is an award-winning education researcher and best-selling author with nearly thirty years of experience examining what works best in student learning and achievement. His research, better known as Visible Learning, is a culmination of nearly thirty years synthesizing more than 2,100 meta-analyses comprising more than one hundred thousand studies involving over 300 million students around the world. He has presented and keynoted in over three hundred international conferences and has received numerous recognitions for his contributions to education. His notable publications include Visible Learning, Visible Learning for Teachers, Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn; Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12; and 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning.