Every year, more online or technology-enhanced learning experiences are added to the landscape of education, and the number of students taking online courses on residential campuses continues to grow. In addition, new instructional tools are creating environments that are mobile, interactive, and collaborative. These trends present challenges to the online classroom, and this book will help instructors meet those challenges.Jump-Start Your Online Classroom prepares a first-time online instructor to successfully manage the first few weeks of a course, including activities to help instructors plan, manage, and facilitate online instruction; and provides resources helpful during the beginning weeks of class. Each chapter is developed around the immediate challenges instructors face when teaching online. The authors address everyday problems and suggest solutions informed by their extensive research and experience. The five challenges, which are designed to be addressed in five days, are to:• Make the transition to online teaching• Build online spaces for learning• Prepare students for online learning• Manage and facilitating the online classroom• Assess learner outcomes in an online classroomThe book is based on the authors’ design and facilitation model that identifies five elements comprising an online learning environment: digital tools, participants, social practices, learning community, and outcomes. The book shows how each of those aspects influences instructional practices and interacts to create an environment for a meaningful online educational experience. “Have you been tasked with conducting an online class and have no idea where to start? Or have you taught online courses before, but felt they were not effective? If so, then Jump-Start Your Online Classroom offers plenty of practical advice and resources to help you build an effective virtual classroom environment. [the authors] define five challenges―‘making the transition to online learning, building online spaces for learning, preparing students for online learning, managing and facilitat[ing] the online classroom, and assessing learner outcomes’―of online classroom development, and offer detailed plans for conquering each challenge. The authors organize the book to effectively discuss these challenges. Overall, this book could serve as a master class in establishing an online learning environment.” Technical Communication "The brevity of Jump-Start Your Online Classroom should not be underestimated. Based on practical application of the content and concepts, its organization contains helpful hints on various aspects of successfully constructing a learner-centered, virtual classroom experience. The organization of the book is its greatest strength. Its five-day approach is based on five challenges: (1) Making the transition to online teaching, (2) Building online spaces for learning, (3) Preparing students for online learning, (4) Managing and facilitating the online classroom, and (5) Assessing learner outcomes. Although this book is marketed toward the novice online instructor, its approach, organization, and content make it a foundational tool that could have long-term value in troubleshooting and future course design.” Reflective Teaching "Jump-Start Your Online Classroom is created for the novice online instructor. Stein and Wanstreet have created a must-read that is filled with practical strategies and resources to meet the challenges of teaching online." Simone C. O. Conceicao, Professor, Department of Administrative Leadership University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "This book does a remarkable job of both challenging faulty assumptions related to the online classroom and providing practical advice based on sound pedagogical research. I highly recommend this text for any novice to online instruction." Meghan B. Raehll, Director of Instructor Quality and Lead Faculty Franklin University "Overall, this is a good general book for instructors who are new to online teaching. It will expose them to some key best practices, stimulate their thought processes, and encourage reflection. For those who appreciate a linear, step-by-step guide to thinking about and planning how to teach online, this book will be useful, and will also come in handy as a reference resource." Teachers College Record . “Have you been tasked with conducting an online class and have no idea where to start? Or have you taught online courses before, but felt they were not effective? If so, then Jump-Start Your Online Classroom offers plenty of practical advice and resources to help you build an effective virtual classroom environment. [the authors] define five challenges―‘making the transition to online learning, building online spaces for learning, preparing students for online learning, managing and facilitat[ing] the online classroom, and assessing learner outcomes’―of online classroom development, and offer detailed plans for conquering each challenge. The authors organize th