"Engaging Learners through Zoom is like a banquet of ideas for polls, chats, breakout rooms, using the main session as a central hub, and far more. What's terrific about this book is that it gives concrete, innovative examples for practically every discipline--any instructor can benefit! I never knew I needed this book, but now, I couldn't do without it!"
--Dr. Barbara Oakley, Coursera "Innovation Instructor" of the world's most popular MOOC; Ramón y Cajal Distinguished Scholar of Global Digital Learning, McMaster University; Engineering Professor, Oakland University; and author of A Mind For Numbers, Learning How to Learn, and Mindshift.
"In this amazing resource, Dr. Brennan examines all the Zoom course delivery
tools--polls, chats, breakout rooms, whiteboards, integrated apps, and so on. For each tool, he outlines a broad variety of learning structures (10 for polls alone), with numerous examples in different disciplines. His engaging writing style gives you the impression that you're sitting with a knowledgeable and friendly colleague who can help you do anything with Zoom you want to do, and deal with any problem that may arise. An indispensable "how-to" book in a field is often dubbed the bible of that field. I am certain that this book will quickly become the bible for Zoom users, and possibly for all online instructors."
--Dr. Richard Felder, Hoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University; coauthor of Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide and Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes
"Dr. Brennan has insightfully applied principles from the learning sciences, motivation research, On Course and emotional intelligence to demonstrate how Zoom sessions can be fun and exciting for instructors as well as students. While this book is invaluable for instructors teaching remotely, it is also vital for face-to-face teaching because of the treasure trove of examples, from a multitude of disciplines, that are applicable to both environments."
--Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire, Author of Teach Students How to Learn; Director Emerita, Center for Academic Success; (Ret) Assistant Vice Chancellor & Professor of Chemistry, Louisiana State University
"Faculty have been waiting for this book! Engaging Learners through Zoom is filled with practical strategies (and clear, detailed directions) that educators at any level can use to engage students in online classes. The book also offers multiple research-based strategies to address physical, cognitive, and emotional Zoom fatigue."
--Dr. Teresa Ward, Professional Development Faculty Coordinator, Butte College
"As a someone who has had to quickly master a variety of new, online tools, reading this book felt like having an experienced, supportive mentor at my fingertips. Engaging Learners Through Zoom offers a wealth of innovative solutions for many of the challenges confronting student-centered educators who now find themselves in online classrooms. Grounded in research on learning, this practical guide translates best practices in student engagement into strategies that can be implemented in my teaching right away. It provides concise, well-designed activities in a variety of disciplines and step-by-step guidance for implementing them with online tools."
--Dr. Kristie Daniel-DiGregorio, Professor, Human Development, El Camino College
"This book is a must-have and will change how you view and teach online with Zoom. The level of detail is thoughtful, providing examples for various subjects with attention paid to diversity and inclusion, and it has a "preventing issues and troubleshooting" section in each chapter. There are so many ideas-my favorites are the "Obstacle Race" and "Dance Party."
--Dr. Lea Beth Lewis, Assistant Director (Emeriti), The University Learning Center, California State University, Fullerton
"As students transition to the virtual world, faculty are finding Zoom an exhausting and unfulfilling prospect. Lacking the tools to engage students in the synchronous environment, they are getting tired of searching for instructional suggestions on the Web. Dr. Brennan's book to the rescue. It's easy to use this book as an essential guide that will ensure greater learning for students and less fatigue for instructors."
--Michelle Francis, Professional Development Coordinator, West Valley College
"There is no better educator, researcher and overall student success champion than Dr. Jonathan Brennan to share his years of wisdom in the classroom (and now on ZOOM). Dr. Brennan weaves his mastery and passion for engaging college students into the virtual world with this outstanding book, that could not be more timely."
--Andrea Shaw, Assistant Dean, Marketing and Communication, Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business
"Professor Brennan's strategies are immediately attractive to anyone striving to engage students. The book's explanations and directions are simple and practical, and easy to imagine and implement. This collection is a very welcome resource in this challenging time. Within ten minutes of starting through the book, I had several apps open and was upping my game for classes and meetings alike!"
--Chris Weidenbach, English Department Chair, Professional Development Committee, Laney College
"The world has turned upside down, and ready or not, we're all online. Now what? Dr. Brennan's oh-so-timely offering provides the step-by-step answer to that question. It's a gift to faculty longing to keep students and active learning at the heart of instruction, even in a Zoom-centric world."
--Katie O'Brien, EOPS Counselor/Professor, Staff Development Coordinator, Rio Hondo College
"Brennan's guide to active learning on Zoom will be useful as our colleagues around the nation (and the world) seek to better leverage tech tools to make the online environment active, and virtual interactions more genuine. He is dedicated to student success and is extraordinarily skilled as a facilitator."
--William Patrick Barlow, Emeritus Faculty/Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Madison College
"If you are an online educator in any discipline, you absolutely NEED this book; it's phenomenal! Keeping our students engaged is now more critical than ever, and this book delivers. It provides educators with step-by-step instructions to effectively utilize Zoom to promote learning and minimize Zoom fatigue. Using this book, I have seen a significant increase in student participation and engagement, which gives me hope."
--Ann Brandon, English/Reading Instructor and Professional Development Coordinator, Clovis Community College
