Listen to this post Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

I am the co-editor of a book, a book myself and my co-editors are very proud of, called How to Use Digital Learning with Confidence and Creativity. In it we have brought together colleagues from the US, Canada, Ireland, the UK, Egypt, and Australia to write short, accessible chapters on Technology, Theory, and Praxis in digital learning. Our authors worked hard and we are so proud of their work (and of our work in bringing it all together).

We had a book launch in late June, it’s now out in the world, and as of this writing (in mid July 2024) there’s a coupon code (SUIL35) that will get you 35% off the price.

This is my first ever time editing a volume, I never could have done this alone, and am so grateful for the expertise, energy, and friendship of Dr. Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin and Dr. Tom Farrelly. We used spreadsheets and weekly meetings and many deadlines to get this done. And I am so grateful for our authors’ collective care and enthusiasm in writing (and rewriting) their chapters.

Right now you can also read the introduction for free. Here’s the abstract.

“How to Use Digital Learning is an accessible and practical introduction to key
topics and practices in the field of digital learning. The book is written primar-
ily for early career academics and other staff working in higher education who
are now expected to know not just about digital learning tools and platforms
but also about a range of increasingly challenging ethical, pedagogical, ideo-
logical, and strategic issues arising at the intersection of digital technology and
teaching and learning practice. The deep engagement of the book’s contribu-
tors with the field ensures that the book, while both practical and accessible,
does not gloss over any of the complexities or controversies of contemporary
digital learning. The structure of the book allows it to be read cover to cover
or used to get quickly up-to-speed with particular key topics. The editors hope
you come away from reading each chapter feeling not only more grounded
in the topic, but also feeling more confident and better-prepared to seek out
additional resources and insights independently”

I think it’s fair to say that no one asked us to pull this book together, and yet It is my hope that this book helps people with any number of things they need to think about in around digital learning. I want this to be a first stop for anyone confused about basics, and wanting to know more. I want this to be experienced as a group of experts who care about people teaching, and who want them to be supported, not bombarded with endless “guidance.”

I’m writing this blogpost in the middle of a very hot and troubling summer to remind myself as much as anyone that we did this work and it is worthwhile. It can be hard to remember, when I am between batches of work and everything feels chaotic outside of work, that I work with people who do and think good things that try to help people, inside and outside of academia.