Handbook of Research on Emerging Practices and Methods for K-12 Online and Blended Learning

National efforts have been made to encourage technology integration in teacher preparation with expectations for frequent and successful applications with K-12 learners. While online learning has become pervasive in many fields in education, it has been somewhat slow to catch on in K-12 settings. The Handbook of Research on Emerging Practices and Methods for K-12 Online and Blended Learning is a collection of innovative research on the applications of technology in online and blended learning environments in order to develop quality courses, explore how content is delivered across disciplines and settings, and support the formation of relationships and enrichment opportunities. While highlighting topics including learning initiatives, institutional policies, and program structures, this book is ideally designed for teachers, principals, early childhood development centers, university faculty, administrators, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

Tina L. Heafner earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.Tina is the 2018-2019 President-Elect of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Tina's teaching and research focus on effective practices in social studies education with particular emphasis in online learning, technological integration, and disciplinary literacy. Her research also examines curriculum and policy issues in social studies education. Tina’s publications include seven co-authored books and five edited books including titles such as Beginning inquiry: Short texts for inexperienced readers in U.S. History, Seeds of inquiry: Using short texts to enhance students' understanding of world history , and Exploring the Effectiveness of Online Education in K-12 Environments . She has published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals such as Teacher's College Record , Educational Researcher , Kappa Delta Phi, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education , Teacher Education and Practice , and Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education . Her scholarship has appeared in all of the prominent social studies journals including: Theory and Research in Social Education , Journal of Social Studies Research , International Journal of Social Studies Education , Social Studies Research and Practice , The Social Studies , Social Education , Social Studies and the Young Learner , Middle Level Learner , and Social Studies Journal .

Richard Hartshorne is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Central Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida. At the University of Central Florida, his teaching focuses on the integration of technology into the educational landscape, as well as instructional design and development. His research interests primarily involve the production and effective integration of instructional technology into the teaching and learning environment. The major areas of his research interest are rooted in online teaching and learning, technology and teacher education, and the integration of emerging technology into the K-Post-secondary curriculum. His articles have appeared in such publications as Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, Journal of Computing in Higher Education, Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, The Internet and Higher Education, The Journal of Educational Computing Research, and others. He has also authored numerous book chapters and serves in editorial capacities for a number of journals in the field of educational technology.

Richard Thripp is a doctoral candidate and graduate teaching associate in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. He has instructed over 200 students in EME 2040: Introduction to Technology for Educators on the use of Web technologies in K–12 teaching practice. Richard's primary research interest is in the improvement of individual financial literacy through education and behavioral approaches. He holds an M.A. in Applied Learning and Instruction and a certificate in Advanced Quantitative Methodologies in Educational and Human Sciences from the University of Central Florida.