The opportunities and affordances that online technologies bring to education are vast. They can be both empowering and intimidating for those in educational fields. There is so much content available and so many different programs, websites and management systems. There is so much potential. And it is in a constant state of flux.

Online learning and teaching is a complex process. Envisioning a model such as the one shown, based on the TPACK (technological pedagogical content knowledge) framework, helps to illustrate the multiple factors involved. It also encourages thoughtful consideration of the interactions among the factors.

Context of the online environment requires careful DESIGN that is considerate of online affordances and constraints. Technology requires one to INTEGRATE with purpose and clear intention. Additionally, one must recognize the need to IMPLEMENT specific practices of pedagogy that are of particular value in online situations. While content knowledge itself remains the same on and off line, the way this knowledge is presented necessarily is affected by the other factors. Activating those factors is the subject of this KNILT page.

This KNILT page intends to provide a learning navigator to help educators select relevant online learning and teaching mini-courses to address their needs. Whether you are a 4th grade english teacher searching for digital resources (Integrate - K-12 📚), a college science professor creating an online course (Design - HEd 🧪), or an instructional coach hoping to improve collaboration in virtual workshops (Implement - PD ✔️), there is a course for you.

Courses are arranged into categories based on their purpose and tagged based on the target users.

Guide to the Mini-Courses on Online Learning (OL)

Design OL Experiences and Environments

These courses are intended to help you design online learning environments. If you are comfortable using technology in the classroom and are looking to create content, these mini-courses are for you. Courses in this section focus on the nuts and bolts of constructing an online environment, such as accessibility considerations and using an LMS, as well as attempting to present a wholistic view of overall course design approaches.

However, these components alone are not enough to support good online learning design. Care must also be given to integrating technology and implementing pedagogy in ways that are unique to online learning. Designers should take particular note of the sections in the implement section. Many of the most crucial online pedagogy practices, such as community building, instructor presence, and self-regulation, can most easily be implemented if they have been built into the course through good design.

Designers should always seek to take the whole view of the course keeping content knowledge, technology, and pedagogy in mind when creating an online learning experience.

Integrate OL Technology

These courses are designed to help you integrate online learning technologies into the classroom. If you are new to using technology in the classroom, these mini-courses are a good place to start. Most of the tools below can be successfully integrated into many different settings and domains that may or may not be primarily online. If you are more experienced with technology or primarily dealing with online learning, you may find new tools to suit your situation.

Whether you are an in-person teacher looking to add some technology tools to your classroom or using these tools with entirely online students, it may be useful to look at courses in the implement" section before using these tools.

Implement OL Experiences

These courses are intended to help you implement online learning experiences. Online learning experiences are different than traditional learning experiences and require expertise in implementation. The mini-courses below are useful for increased understanding of interactions when using a TPACK approach to online learning as well as for integrating technology in any setting.