What’s new?

In addition to providing the reader with a refreshed toolkit and enhanced showcases and tips, the book also includes a new chapter. Chapter 6, Unlocking Learning, looks at an emerging trend in higher education. As the faculty use of of easy-to-use, low cost tools has increased, more instructors are questioning the efficacy of learning management systems. The majority of higher education institutions had adopted an LMS just five years after the emergence of the LMS higher ed market. Today, LMSs are ubiquitous in higher education. What is the story behind this lightning-speed adoption? How might LMS usage impact how faculty teach and how students learn? Does using an LMS influence how we think about teaching online and blended courses? What would an online class look like without an LMS? How would students respond? This new chapter explores these questions and features the teaching innovations of Laura Gibbs from University of Oklahoma, who teaches online in the public web using open educational resources in place of an expensive textbook.