Top Ten Books on Digitally-Supported Learning for 2019

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In 2019, publishers released a collection of new books with excellent offerings on open and distance education. While a particular focus was on the emergence of technologies to enable learning, there was a strong focus on pedagogy and the need to rethink both what and how we teach, given the emerging changes in society and challenges to the future of work.

We examined ten books that stand out from 2019 (and a few published in 2018), which continue to resonate. We make no pretense to be scientific about this selection nor do we suggest it is representative of all books published in this calendar year. Rather, these are the books we identified as having an impact and may be worth looking at again.

We explore books under three themes: The Technologies of Learning, Teaching, Learning and Design, and the Business of Online Learning.

Technologies of Learning
	*Noble, S.U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression – How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York: New York University Press.* This book was published in February 2018, but had a big impact throughout 2019. It explores the ways in which search engine bias discriminates against those of colour, certain races and women. An insightful book – it reminds us that simple technologies like search engines or social media, are rarely “neutral” devices. Their design and use has consequences. Given the age in which we live – an age of “alternative facts”, “questionable truths”, abandonment of science – the way in which we ask students to use technology has consequences for their understanding of the world. This is a very important book which has implications for what we ask students to do.
	*Vansielehem, N., Vlieghe, J. & Zahn, M. (2019). Education in the Age of the Screen: Possibilities and Transformations in Technology. London: Routledge.* There are a lot of books championing the power or certain technologies – artificial intelligence (AI), simulation, immersive learning, analytics – but not a lot of books that engage in a critical reflective exploration of what all these developments might mean for the practice of teaching and the experience of learning. This is one of these critical reflective books – a collection of chapters exploring specific themes, such as digital literacies, artistic practice, scholarship, and media education. A strong focus on primary and secondary schools, but don’t let that put you off. The book makes us think about who learning is for and whether technology is helpful or not.
	*Zoellner, B.P. (2019). Learning Simulations in Education. London: Routledge.* Simulations in education are not new. They were in use before the Internet, with case simulations and branching simulations using paper-based materials. What is new is the power of technology – especially augmented and virtual reality – to make simulations so realistic that participants feel immersed in real-life challenges. Interestingly, this book asks us to take a step back before embracing these technologies (which are developing rapidly) and ask some fundamental design questions: (a) How does the simulation you are considering leverage our understanding of learning processes and theories of pedagogy?; (b) Which specific cognitive and metacognitive processes do we want to trigger in this simulation and why?; and (c) What capabilities will the learner need to demonstrate to successfully navigate the simulation? Reading this makes you stop, think and do a better job of design-thinking.
	*Habib, M.K. (Ed.) (2019). Revolutionizing Education in the Age of AI and Machine Learning. Hershey PA: IGI Global.* Scheduled for publication in January 2020, this book is available now. It is a collection of chapters from around the world – United States, Germany, Egypt, Mexico, Australia, Philippines, India – looking at AI, robotics and related developments and their impact on teaching and learning. Covering topics such as chatbots and intelligent tutoring systems, analytics, virtual labs and simulations, robots in learning and the role of AI support systems in changing student behaviour, the book provides critical reflective case studies of current specific developments. In doing so, it helps make the talk about these technologies real. While there are still some “ra-ra” elements in some chapters, the book helps readers think about possibilities while also recognizing challenges.

Teaching, Learning and Design
	*Zhadko, O. & Ko, S (2019). Best Practices in Designing Courses with Open Educational Resources. New York: Routledge.* We all like a very practical book that can help us do something better we intend to do anyway. This is one of those books – practical, insightful and helpful. Full of examples, vignettes and checklists. Written by two academics who design courses based on OER, the book captures the challenges and opportunities of OER and helps identify risks and ways of mitigating these. Just ten practical chapters, including a helpful one exploring student reactions to OER and how the student voice can be helpful in refining the use of OER. The book does not disappoint.
	*Beethan, H. & Sharpe, R. (2019). Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and Practices of Design. (3rd Edition). London: Routledge.* This valuable collection of materials from a variety of authors provides real insights that are helpful in designing a new course – it is a book you can dip into over and over again. Chris Jones, for examples, challenges all of us to think about the foundational issues that should inform our design using social science and psychology, while Marti Cleveland-Innes explores the whole idea behind building a community of inquiry as the basis for peer-to-peer learning. There are also some helpful chapters which explore the ways in which educators can leverage our experience and practice as the basis for new designs. It’s a great collection, very much improved in this third edition – new cases, new resources, new connections. Full of examples, the book challenges us to refresh our understanding of pedagogy for a generation of students who both want to succeed and are time-starved. It’s a book you need to have close if you want to engage in serious reflection about teaching and design.
	*Bates, T. (2019). Teaching in A Digital Age - Guidelines for Designing Teaching and Learning. [2nd Edition]. Vancouver: BC Campus / Contact North \| Contact Nord.* The first edition of this book was a classic. It engaged, inspired and informed. This significantly and substantially updated second edition does the same, but also challenges all engaged in teaching online to “up our game” through designs aimed to increase engagement, promote peer engagement and enable deep learning. Downloadable for free from here, the book is also available in print form. It is a must have, and Tony did a masterful job at capturing recent technological advances. He makes the strong point that all of us need to connect to our professional peers – we’re not “superheroes!”.

Business of Online Learning
	*Zorn, A., Haywood, J. & Glanchant, J-M. (Eds). (2018). Higher Education in the Digital Age – Moving Academia Online. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar.* It is not an easy job to facilitate a shift in a conventional college or university to online learning – just ask anyone who has tried. This collection of ten insightful chapters recognizes this challenge and provides helpful supports and advice based on specific experiences on how to do this. While some of the focus in this book is shifting from classroom-based learning to fully online, other chapters focus on blended learning and the potential of using this transition to help faculty rethink pedagogy and purpose. There is also a very insightful chapter on open and digital scholarship, which opens the eyes of many who work in research intensive institutions. A good book and published very late in 2018 hence its inclusion here. An open access copy can be found here.
	*Vivolo, J. (2019). Managing Online Learning – The Life-Cycle of Successful Programs. London: Routledge.* This edited collection focuses on the issues college and university administrators face with online learning – getting to scale, funding, supporting the technology needed for engaged learning and overcoming faculty issues. It also has helpful information and resources related to analytics and offering STEM-based online learning and the special challenges such courses can create. It is very readable, which is of help to those just starting to work on the management of online learning. It also contains analytic tools and examples, which make those in this field for some time stop and reflect.
	*Gallacher, J. & Reeve, F. (Eds.). (2018). New Frontiers of College Education – International Perspectives. London: Routledge.* Colleges are on the frontline of the “skills agenda” actively pursued by many governments, priding themselves on being nimble and able to innovate quickly in response to community needs. This book captures developments around the world, including a look at applied degrees in Ontario, showcasing real challenges, developments, opportunities and issues the college sector faces. Arranged in sections, including one dealing with the relationship between colleges and universities and other education sectors, each chapter offers a glimpse into issues of policy and practice to help reflect on where the system beyond school is going. This book challenges the many perceptions of what a college is and what it can become.

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