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Teaching Online: Designing for Students

This collection of resources will give you ideas and strategies to use within your instructional practice as you design and curate a classroom that welcomes and supports students in their online classes. Many of the resources can be applied to in-person courses that use a learning management system.

Course and Assignment Design
Updated July 2026
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Anne Jewett
Associate Professor, General Faculty & Degree Director of the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction
Curriculum Instruction & Special Education
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Helping Students Get Started in an Online Class

NC State University

This NC State University website provides resources and examples from other instructors with ways to provide onboarding instruction. Best practices are detailed along with example videos, emails, and discussion prompts to successfully start a course.

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Anne Jewett
I find this website helpful for getting started as there are many examples of onboarding instruction to watch or read. Other instructors share their welcome videos, introductions, and emails. The resources may give you ideas to try or to adapt your current efforts.
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First impressions make a big difference in the online classroom. How can you ensure that your online learners feel welcome in the class and that they have all the information they need to get started successfully? In this article, we will discuss strategies for introducing students to the components of your online course and creating a welcoming online environment.
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The Joyful Online Teacher

University of Oklahoma Press

This book is filled with practical tips and inspiring insights from colleagues teaching asynchronous online courses. You'll learn ways to set your students and you up for success while creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for your virtual classroom.

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Anne Jewett

I appreciate how this book shares stories and insights from higher education colleagues who teach online. It provides considerations for thinking about practical and doable ways to onboard students to your LMS while creating a warm atmosphere. It provides tips and resources for getting started with designing an online classroom.

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I wrote this book to uplift online instructors who may be feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, and depleted of joy in their work. It is not meant to be a scholarly tome packed with theoretical frameworks, reams of empirical evidence, and checklists and technical guidance. It's meant to inspire, motivate, and cultivate your online teaching joy.

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Designing and Delivering Effective Online Instruction

Linda Dale Bloomberg

This insightful and value-packed book will provide you with an understanding of the research, theory, and best practices associated with many key components of online teaching and learning. Each chapter includes an actionable checklist for consideration and planning.

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Anne Jewett
This book transformed my instructional practice for teaching online. The book considers key components of teaching online and ways to evolve them over time. I can be a reflective practitioner while learning to focus more on what matters most--supporting students and their learning.
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The Spring of 2020 saw educational institutions around the world abruptly convert to online teaching formats. While this transition may be unfamiliar—and even uncomfortable—the skills and techniques needed to engage and empower online learners can be learned and mastered to serve the current and ever-expanding need. This indispensable resource focuses on combining multimodal teaching strategies with innovative technology to help adult learners engage more meaningfully. The book distills decades of research in adult learning and education to provide evidence-based strategies that directly and practically apply to online environments. The author identifies five core areas for focus: principles of adult learning, engagement through presence, diversity and inclusion, community building, and enhancing learner empowerment; thereby demonstrating how to prepare for the online learning environment, design and deliver engaging course content, and effectively evaluate the learning experience.
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Getting Started Module Walkthrough

Anne Jewett

In this 5-minute video, Anne Jewett shows a few of the features of one of her online courses that are designed to support students.

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Anne Jewett
This resource provides practical examples of onboarding instruction that can be used by instructors to support students in learning how to navigate the online classroom or LMS.
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As a teacher, I have always learned ways to enhance my instructional practice by observing other teachers. I made this walkthrough because when I started developing online courses, I was always eager to see what others were doing. I hope this video provides you with ideas and strategies that may elevate your instructional practice and support students.

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