Professors Tamara Fudge and Susan Ferebee Share Their Insights, and Guidance on Their Book

Since the Covid-19 Pandemic online learning has become paramount to the continued and uninterrupted teaching of students and has forced students and teachers alike to adjust to an online learning environment. Though some have already returned to the traditional classroom, or plan to very soon, others have begun to appreciate the value of online education – initiatives that had previously been discussed but never acted upon as they have been in the past few years. Professors Tamara Phillips Fudge and Susan Shepherd Ferebee share their valuable insights and guidance on the many applications for the research within their established IGI Global book publication, Curriculum Development and Online Instruction for the 21st Century (ISBN: 9781799876533).

Educators must understand the importance of updated curriculum and student engagement, which requires research into the role of online instruction. As online learning has become increasingly relevant, especially since the pandemic, and educators must stay up-to-date on the latest developments in online instruction to create a curriculum that will help students succeed. Below you will find Professors Fudge and Ferebee's simple guide to some of the applications of the book, as well as their personal insights into this research.

Prof. Fudge: The onset of the pandemic provided the impetus. We have been teaching online for quite some time, but saw traditional colleges struggling to understand what we already knew and had in place. It was time to get a collection of experiences together to help those who are new to online education and its intricacies.

Prof. Ferebee: I agree that the COVID19 pandemic forced many instructors and curriculum developers into online teaching, and they were not prepared. This book could provide helpful guidance and insight into the world of online education.

Both: The chapter authors are veteran online educators. Their experiences helped to shape their research and presentation of their chosen topics with excellent depth and breadth of knowledge.

Prof. Fudge: Teaching has been my primary profession despite a few forays into other fields. This teaching began with a bevy of college music courses; once my focus transitioned to technology, I found many of the same skills are needed to get organized, stay organized, listen to others, and pay attention to the smallest details. After many years in the traditional classroom and a few hybrid courses, I have taught online full time since 2007.

Prof. Ferebee: I have been a faculty member for more than twenty years and have participated in a significant amount of course development and program development at a variety of universities for both on-ground classes and online classes. It is critical to have a good understanding of instructional design concepts, learning theory, and to be a SME in the content area. This publication incorporates all of these areas in discussing how curriculum development and online instruction is evolving in the 21st century.

Prof. Ferebee: Online learning has been normalized for students and educators during the pandemic. Society has shifted from an in-person world to a virtual world in terms of communication in all elements of our lives. How to create meaningful engagement in this virtual world will drive future research.

Prof. Fudge: The book could also benefit anyone who wants to research online educational pedagogy. K-12, college/university, tech school, and training center teachers, curriculum developers, and administrators should all find many interesting topics for discussion and further exploration.

Prof. Ferebee: All educators and content developers will benefit from this book, but it might be particularly helpful for those new to the online education world.

Prof. Fudge: Educational pedagogy has and always will be constantly evolving. Employing the web and other technologies in education is a relatively new context and it provides new challenges – but also wonderful new opportunities.

Prof. Ferebee: While education shifted to an online environment during the pandemic, another form of education that increased is home schooling. I am interested in how home schooling has evolved and whether increased use of technology for home schooling has evolved.

Tamara Phillips Fudge, DMus., is a full-time professor in the graduate technology programs at Purdue University Global. She has won fellowships and awards for innovation and teaching, and has taught a wide variety of topics, including web development, human-computer interaction, systems analysis and design, and those featuring documentation, diagramming, problem-solving, and presentation. Her career started with music degrees from Indiana University and Florida State University. She sang opera, oratorio, and in recital; her compositions have been heard on Public Radio, at various universities, and a state choral convention. She taught vocal and choral music, piano, pedagogy, foreign language diction, opera production, music theory, composition, and related courses in the traditional college classroom for 20-odd years. For 7 years, she was a weekend correspondent for the Quad-City Times (Davenport, IA). Following a brief stint as an agent/registered representative selling life and health insurance and variable products, she returned to school with a keen interest in technology and has since distinguished herself in online teaching, coordination of large projects, and curriculum development.

Susan Shepherd Ferebee, earned her Ph.D. in Information Systems at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She also has an Executive Juris Doctorate from Concord Law School, and has a Masters in Educational Psychology from Purdue University Global.. She is a faculty member in the School for Business and Information Technology at Purdue University Global and has also served as a consultant with more than 25 years of experience working directly with organizations and higher education institutions. Susan has published many peer-reviewed articles. Her current research in progress includes studies on smart technology use in home schooling, personal cybersecurity behaviors, and the influence of interpretive communities on persuasion, Susan also served as a guest editor for a special issue of International Journal of Conceptual Structures and Smart Applications. Susan serves as an Editorial Review Board member for International Journal of Cognitive Informatics and Natural Intelligence. She is an active presenter at international and national conferences. Susan has received numerous teaching and outstanding contributor awards and has been awarded several research grants.

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