15 eLearning and Instructional Design books to add to your library

We selected our favourite books in eLearning and Instructional design and compiled the ultimate list in the topic for you. We hope you enjoy it!

Summary: In this book, you’ll discover how to use the key principles behind learning, memory, and attention to create materials that enable your audience to both gain and retain the knowledge and skills you’re sharing. Using accessible visual metaphors and concrete methods and examples, Design For How People Learn, Second Edition will teach you how to leverage the fundamental concepts of instructional design both to improve your own learning and to engage your audience.

Summary: Inspired by the surge of online courses during the COVID 19 pandemic, researcher and educational innovator Stephen M. Kosslyn offers a treasure trove of active learning principles and activities to bring online courses alive.

 Whether your course is synchronous (e.g., live with Zoom) or asynchronous (e.g., using video content on Canvas), Active Learning Online will inject your new or existing course with all the benefits of active learning: your course will be more interesting and effective, student engagement will increase, learning outcomes will be reached, and general teaching and learning experiences will be enriched.

Summary: This book shows you how to bridge the gap between the strategic importance of design and the tactical approach of design thinking. You’ll learn how to approach new product development from a fresh perspective, with a focus on systematic, targeted thinking that results in a repeatable, human-centered problem-solving process. Integrating high-level discussion with practical, actionable strategy, this book helps you re-tool your thought processes in a way that translates well beyond product development, giving you a new way to approach business strategy and more.

Summary: Gleaning insights from research, theory, and practice, authors Karl M. Kapp and Robyn A. Defelice debunk the myths around microlearning and present their universal definitions. In Microlearning: Short and Sweet, they go beyond the hypothetical and offer tips on putting microlearning into action. Recognizing what makes microlearning effective is critical to avoiding costly, wasteful investments in the latest learning trend or newest shiny object. This book guides readers through how, when, and why to design, develop, implement, and evaluate microlearning.

Summary: In this practical follow-up to Bray and McClaskey’s first book brings theory to practice, you will discover how to build a shared vision that supports personalized learning using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.

Summary: The Design Thinking Playbook is an actionable guide to the future of business. By stepping back and questioning the current mindset, the faults of the status quo stand out in stark relief—and this guide gives you the tools and frameworks you need to kick off a digital transformation. Design Thinking is about approaching things differently with a strong user orientation and fast iterations with multidisciplinary teams to solve wicked problems.

Summary: In Shock of the New: The Challenge and Promise of Emerging Learning Technologies, Chad Udell and Gary Woodill create a new framework for anticipating emerging learning technologies, outlining six key perspectives you should consider with any new technology. They examine some of the day’s most commonly discussed emerging technologies and pose the questions that will point the way to your own strategy. These insights aren’t limited to specific applications; they give you an approach you can apply to any new tech coming your way, so you’re always braced for the shock of the new.

Summary: Essentials of Online Course Design takes a fresh, thoughtfully designed, step-by-step approach to online course development. At its core is a set of standards that are based on best practices in the field of online learning and teaching. Pedagogical, organizational, and visual design principles are presented and modeled throughout the book, and users will quickly learn from the guide’s hands-on approach. The course design process begins with the elements of a classroom syllabus which, after a series of guided steps, easily evolve into an online course outline.

Summary: Based on the scientific theory of how people learn and the results from long-term research studies, this much-needed book includes guidelines on a range of e-learning issues including the best use of text, visuals, and audio; the optimal amount and type of practice interactions; the best use of communication tools such as chat and discussion boards for collaborative learning; lesson design techniques to build problem-solving skills; and uses of virtual coaches to improve learning.

Summary: E-Learning by Design offers a comprehensive look at the concepts and processes of developing, creating, and implementing a successful e-learning program. This practical, down-to-earth resource is filled with clear information and instruction without oversimplification. The book helps instructors build customized e-learning programs from scratch—building on core principles of instructional design to: develop meaningful activities and lessons; create and administer online tests and assessments; design learning games and simulations; and implement an individualized program.

Summary: Using humour and lots of examples, Map It walks you through action mapping, a visual approach to needs analysis and training design. The book teaches how to help the client identify what’s really causing the performance problem; create realistic activities that help people practice what they need to do, not just show what they know; choose the best format for each activity; provide each activity at the best time and show how your project has improved the performance of the organization.

Summary: Delivering E-Learning describes a new and better way of understanding e-learning. The author looks at overcoming objections to e-learning and acknowledging poor past practices before presenting a new strategic approach. It places the emphasis firmly on learning, not the technology, de-mystifying the jargon and de-bunking industry myths.

Summary: A classic in the field, The Systematic Design of Instruction, presents a clear introduction to the fundamentals of instructional design–and the concepts and procedures necessary for analyzing, designing, developing, and evaluating instruction for all delivery formats. This is not a textbook to be memorized, but rather a learning-by-doing resource designed to help students create their own sound, effective instruction. In it readers learn a systematic, thoughtful, inquiry-based approach to creation, which in turn helps ensure the success of students in their charge. It features an intuitive chapter organization, an integrated model that presents research carefully illustrated with academic and business applications, contemporary design examples, sample rubrics and exercises, and annotated references.

Summary: Describes a rationally consistent basis for instructional design based in cognitive psychology and information-processing theory. Prepares teachers to design and develop a course, unit, and module of instruction; outlines the nine stages of instructional design procedure; and integrates current research and practice in the movement toward performance systems technology.

Summary: A practical handbook for established and aspiring instructional designers in higher education, readers who may also be identified by such professional titles as an educational developer, instructional technologist, or online learning specialist

We hope you have enjoyed our book suggestions!