Design for Learning

Online learning can be so dull—or not!

Enter Jenae Cohn and Michael Greer, experienced authors and
teachers, who decided it was time to take on the challenge of making online learning more interesting and compelling
for students. So, they met in a Zoom call, contacted Rosenfeld Media, and wrote this book, Design for Learning: User
Experience in Online Teaching and Learning (many Zoom calls later).

The book is structured to teach online learning in such a way that anyone can follow its practices and create a dynamic educational presentation. Chapters cover everything from
learning about your learners and setting learning goals to building connections with learners and giving them feedback. In addition, the authors dive into the nitty-gritty details of creating online courses, including takeaways at the end
of each chapter and easy-to-follow examples throughout.


“I particularly appreciate how thoughtful Jenae and Michael are about considering the experience from the learner’s point of view and the
emphasis they put on learner agency.”
—Julie Dirksen, Author, Design for How People Learn


Together, Jenae Cohn and Michael Greer have years of experience designing and producing online courses for students. They wanted the tone of their book to be friendly, supportive, engaging, empathetic, and thoughtful. With that in mind, they chose examples that reflected what an ordinary user might encounter on a day-to-day basis, highlighting everything from complex skills (accessibility) to the most minute details, such as:

Writing compelling content and instructional textDesigning interesting text and visualsPlanning and producing videosRecording sound and voice-oversCreating and facilitating live website presentationsDesigning surveys for class feedbackRating whether your presentation was successful
Who Is This Book For?

Teachers, learning development professionals, and anyone tasked with designing an online course or a one-off workshopContent creators, instructional designers, user experience designers, and others who care about the experience of online learningWhether you’re a novice or experienced online instructional designer, this book will show you how to apply industry best practices, and provide how-to examples, powerful templates, and activities to craft compelling instructional content—whether text, audio, or video.
Best of all—your course will never be called dull again.