Instructional Design Foundations of Online Education

Abstract

It is becoming a common practice today for educational leaders to check job applicants’ experience with online teaching as they consider names for a new faculty position. Conversely, less attention is placed on what type of online teaching training these job applicants received. Rarely are job applicants asked to present a demonstration of at least one online course that they have designed or taught. This deficit is probably due to the fact that there are not yet any fundamental principles to define what online education is and the principles that should guide its implementation. This paper introduces fundamental principles for online instruction. It synthesizes some important considerations to take into account in planning and implementing online education programs in Christian institutions.