Creating a Vigorous Online Course: A Step-By-Step Guide

Creating a Vigorous Online Course by Berlin Fang is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for educators looking to build meaningful, engaging, and structurally sound online learning experiences. Drawing on decades of instructional design expertise and educational research, Fang bridges the gap between conceptual pedagogy and real-world teaching practices. The book is uniquely structured to walk educators through the entire course creation process--from planning and tool selection to assessment design, interaction strategies, and multimedia integration.

Unlike many overly technical or abstract resources, this book offers platform-agnostic guidance enriched with clear tasks, practical tips, checklists, and real examples. It emphasizes principles such as granularity, modular design, reusability, accessibility, and equivalence to in-person learning--all while respecting instructors' time and creativity.
Fang's conversational tone and thoughtful analogies (like course design as translation or architecture) make complex ideas approachable, and his deep respect for both teachers and students is evident throughout. Whether you're teaching fully online, hybrid, HyFlex, or simply looking to digitize parts of your course, this book provides actionable strategies to craft student-centered experiences without sacrificing academic rigor.

An invaluable companion for K-12 educators, higher ed faculty, and instructional designers alike, Creating a Vigorous Online Course transforms course design from a technical burden into an empowering, iterative, and creative endeavor.