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.
 

Berlin Fang, (Ed.D., M.S., M.A.) is a Learning Innovation Designer at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Throughout his career in online learning design, he has served as the Director of Instructional Design at Abilene Christian University, Associate Director of the North Institute of Oklahoma Christian University, and Instructional Design Specialist at Marshall University. He has also translated iconic literary works, though course design remains both his profession and his passion. He actively contributes articles to publications like Educause Review, Open Education Research, China Daily, and WISE Review and frequently lends his expertise to media outlets on topics related to online learning, educational technology, and international education. To learn more, please visit his website at berlinfang.com.

Forward

Introduction

Get Ready

Synchronous Teaching

Structure Your Course

Develop Robust Assessments

Combat Student Cheating

Create Vigorous Content

Use Vigorous Media

Create Vigorous Interactions

Supporting Students

Make Your Course Accessible

Putting it All Together

Teach a HyFlex Course

Conclusion

About the Author