The Ultimate List of Free eLearning Books

The hallmark of a successful eLearning professional is a constant thirst for

knowledge, and always wanting to learn more about how and why learners acquire
information. However, this constant pursuit of knowledge can often come with a
hefty price tag, thanks to rising book costs. The good news is that there is a variety
of online books that can help you design and develop successful online learning
experiences.

If you have read any of the following books I will highly appreciate if you share your
opinion with the eLearning community. In addition, if you know a free eLearning
book that is not included in the list please I will highly appreciate if you write a
comment with a link to that book.

1. How To Become An Instructional Designer published in May 2015

Is there a single path to become an Instructional Designer? What kind of
previous experience do you need? Is Instructional Design an art or a science?
In the Free eBook "How To Become an Instructional Designer" 24 Highly-skilled
Instructional Designers share their success stories. Enjoy your reading!

2. How Gamification Reshapes Learning published in February 2014

In this free eBook 23 gamification experts offer tips and advice on the
applications of games in eLearning, as well as a discussion of how
gamification has impacted the eLearning Industry. This eBook will help you to
create a gamification strategy that boosts learner engagement and
motivation in your eLearning deliverables.

3. The Free eLearning Professionals Book: How to become an eLearning

Professional published in November 2013
Written for those who want a straightforward and practical guide to becoming
an eLearning professional. This free eLearning eBook offers insight and advice
from 23 eLearning experts, including tips and insider secrets that can help
you to build a thriving and successful eLearning career.

4. 84 Tips on New Instructional Design for New Instructional

Technology published in June 2014
In this free eBook 21 learning professionals who have successfully melded
new instructional design with new instructional technologies give their best
tips. The 84 tips cover topics including: putting learning goals and needs
before technology, planning for and managing new instructional technology,
developing with and blending instructional technologies, using MOOCs, and
making learning mobile, just to mention a few.

5. 72 Tips for Using Media to Engage and Teach published in May 2014
This free eBook features 72 helpful tips from 17 eLearning professionals that
will help you to design graphics and animations, choose the right fonts and
 colors, and utilize media tools effectively to create engaging learning
experiences for your learners.

6. eLearning 101: Concepts, Trends, Applications published in January 2014

This free eBook is a great introductory guide for those who are new to the
world of eLearning, as well as a reference tool for more experienced eLearning
professionals. It features tips, trends, and apps that can help instructional
designers and online educators, as well as relevant concepts that every
eLearning pro should know.

7. 129 Tips on Using Technology in Virtual and Physical Classrooms published in

April 2013
This free eBook is designed for online educators and instructional designers
who want to take full advantage of eLearning technologies. Delves into how to
benefits and drawbacks of virtual classrooms, games in online learning
environments, mobile and social learning, and how to effective utilize virtual
classroom features.

8. Michael Allen's 2012 e-LEARNING Annual published 2012

This Annual offers a revealing discussion and debate, consisting of 27 papers
from 30 authors, on the appropriate selection and implementation of
technology for learning solutions. By placing so many viewpoints together,
Allen has made it possible to do the classic compare and contrast that helps
develop insights and identify possibilities and strategies that fit our particular
circumstances, explains Bill Brandon, editor of Learning Solutions Magazine
for The eLearning Guild, in his book review. The authors support all of the
content with decision aids, tables, and figures that you will find useful not only
for your own understanding, but also for explaining new concepts and ideas to
others, including decision-makers.

9. Game Changers - Education and Information Technologies published in 2012

This free eBook is in fact a collection of case studies and concepts which
delves into how technology can be used to enhance the learning experience
in higher education settings. It offers new and innovate approaches to online
learning. You can choose to either download the entire book or individual
chapters/case studies for quick reference.

10.52 Tips on Best Practices for eLearning Development and

Implementation published in August 2012.
This free eBook provides 52 ideas to help you create and deliver high-quality
eLearning. After reading it, you will get a valuable insight in the following
areas: guidelines and protocol, how to make tools work for you, how to
engage your team, and how to reach (and teach) your audience.

11.62 Tips on Graphic Design, UI/UX Design, and Visualization for

eLearning published in July 2012
 This eBook offers 62 tips on how to effectively use graphic design, interface
design, and user experience design in order to provide meaningful learning
experiences for the learners. It also includes visualization tips for how to
incorporate graphics and images into your eLearning deliverables.

12.65 Tips on Managing Projects and SMEs for eLearning published in June 2012
This free eBoook draws on the experience of top professionals who are
leading sessions in The eLearning Guilds July 2012 Online Forum, Managing
Projects and SMEs for eLearning: Proven and Practical Solutions. It includes
guidance concerning: dealing with stakeholders and planning your project,
choosing and managing your team, effective communication, challenges and
constraints, and quality control.

13.53 Tips on Using the Cloud for eLearning published in May 2012
11 eLearning experts offer their tips and insight on how to take full advantage
of the Cloud when designing and developing online learning deliverables.
Topics include: planning, cost, content and the user experience, and support.

14.58 Tips for Breakthrough eLearning Instructional Design published in April

2012
It includes insight and tips from 14 different instructional design experts,
covering 4 categories: research, development, design, and project
management. It is designed for eLearning professionals who want to design
more effective and innovate courses by expanding their knowledge of
instructional design.

15.CU Online Handbook 2011 published in 2011

The CU Online Handbook was conceived as an opportunity to let faculty of CU
Online, University of Colorado Denver, share some of the great things that
they are doing in their online courses across their university. Whether you
have been teaching online for years or are just beginning, in this edition of
The CU Online Handbook, you can pick up some new ideas to help improve
the quality of the online courses you design, develop, and teach.

16.Web 2.0 Tools in Education: A Quick Guide published in 2011

This book includes 20 2.0 Tools that you can use in Education.

17.Learning Perspectives 2011 published in November 2011

This is a free eLearning eBook that features 25 articles written by emerging
talents in the industry, all of whom are under the age of 30. It also includes a
number of helpful eLearning checklists, and insights into organizational
learning and K-12 learning techniques.

18.Learning Strategies published in August 2011

This free eBook is focused on how organizations are clarifying, refining,
expanding and updating their strategies to deal with: changing workplaces,
 changing workforces, changing business realities, changing learning
technologies, changing learning governance, changing assumptions, changing
career paths, changing competency & talent models, and changing agility

19.Successful e-LEARNING Interface published in July 2011

Making Learning Technology Polite, Effective & Fun by Michael Allen (Only
Chapter 2: Introducing the CEO of LID). This free eBook will help you use your
time and resources effectively to build the best e-learning experiences
possible within your constraints. As with the other books in this series, this
book is geared toward pragmatic application. It's direct and to the point:
here's how to connect with your learners, how to empower learning to make
the most of e-learning's capabilities, and how to orchestrate learning events
for maximum impact: CEOconnect, empower and orchestrate.

20.75 Tips to Reduce eLearning Costs published in June 2011

Looking for a free eBook that can help you reduce the cost of your eLearning
development? This book offers a variety of innovative and creative ways to
cut down on spending and make the most of your available resources, so that
you can produce high quality deliverables that are effective and cost efficient.

21.Emerging Technologies in Distance Education published in 2010

Features the research and writings of scholars and experienced distanced
education professionals, who share how emerging technologies can be
applied in online learning environments. The free eBook includes the
foundations of emerging technologies in distance education, social media
usage in online learning, web analytics in eLearning design, video
conferencing and online communication tools, and much more.

22.Learning Perspectives 2010 published in 2010

Learning Perspectives 2010 is an open source book in both digital and print
format written by colleagues of The MASIE Center and The Learning
CONSORTIUM. A diverse cross-section of learning leaders, including the
members 30 Under 30 program for Learning 2010, wrote their perspectives
about changes in the learning field.

23.Learning 2.0 for Associations 2nd edition published in Fall 2010

This report considers how approaches to learning have evolved and what
impact the newer generation of Internet and communication technologies are
having. In it you will find examples of ways in which associations are using
these new technologies and what possibilities they may represent for your
organizations professional development and other learning initiatives.

24.e-Learning Survival Guide published in 2009

This free eBook covers a wide range of eLearning topics, including mobile, K-
12, hybrid learning design. It also features tips and information on technical
 writing, research, Web 2.0, eLearning challenges, and assessing eLearner
profiles.

25.Facilitating Online published in 2009

The guide contains the course model, week-by-week learning activities,
general guidance to the course leader on how to implement and customize
the course and specific guidelines on each learning activity.

26.Learning Leaders Field book published in June 2009

The Learning Leader Fieldbook is designed to bring you insight into the worlds
and daily realities of a prestigious group of learning leaders. This free eBook
has captured their thoughts and some guiding principles and actions that they
believe have aided their success.

27.98 Tips for Selecting and Working with e-Learning Service Providers published
in June 2009
In this free eBook you will find 54 Tips for selecting e-Learning service
providers, 44 Tips for working successfully with e-Learning service providers,
and how to improve outsourced e-Learning quality with consistent standards
by Evelyn Jackson (re-print from Learning Solutions eMagazine).

28.65 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your e-Learning Budget in May 2009
This free eBook includes information about making the most of your eLearning
development budget. It features tips that will help you to utilize social media,
open source tools, and subject matter experts in order to stretch your budget.
It also offers advice on where to find free online resources and how to start
developing your eLearning program.

29.In Search of Learning Agility published in June 2008

This publication deviates from the typical eLearning Guild eBook. The authors,
Clark and Gottfredson, sketch three distinct stages of learning agility: 1.0, 2.0,
and 3.0, and illustrate a clear path forward for the meaningful use of learning
technologies in organizations. This is a must read for managers and
executives who are interested in aligning learning and training efforts and
investments with larger business objectives.

30.144 Tips on Synchronous e-Learning Strategy and Research published in May

2008
In this free eBook you will find tips in the following categories: blending
synchronous learning with other learning modalities, designers of
synchronous presentations, courses, and webinars, managers who lead
synchronous learning efforts, synchronous speakers and instructors, and
technical production, planning, and preparation.

31.Theory and Practice of Online Learning published in May 2008

This free eLearning book was awarded the Charles A. Wedemeyer Award by
 the University of Continuing Education, and features a myriad of eLearning
concepts and insights. Developing an online course, creating an
infrastructure, dealing with copyright issues, and teaching in an online
learning environment are just a handful of the topics covered.

32.239 Tips for Producing and Managing Flash-based e-Learning

Content published in April 2008 In February and March, 2008.
The eLearning Guild conducted a survey of its members, asking for their
favorite tips for producing and managing Flash-based e-Learning. A total of
147 members responded to the survey, contributing 239 usable tips on 28
products (17 of which were not included in the original list). The tips range in
length from one-sentence ideas all the way up to multi-page discourses. Some
are very basic in nature, and others are quite advanced. These tips were
different from past surveys in one significant way: Many of them contain
detailed ActionScript code that will help you solve common problems. The tips
are not edited in any way, other than to correct spelling everything you see
in this book is in the tipsters' own words. As a result, these tips will be useful
to any designer or developer looking for best practices to incorporate into
their own production process.

33.The Strategic Management of e-Learning Support published in 2007

This book includes the research of three innovative American Universities with
more than 50 interviews with key persons reflecting a wide variety of
perspectives. In this research project the strategic management of eLearning
support at American research universities was studied.

34.162 Tips and Tricks for Working with eLearning Tools published December
2007
This free eBook features 162 useful tips collected from a survey of 122
eLearning Guild members, broken down into five key categories: course
authoring and eLearning tools, rapid eLearning, simulation tools, combining
and deploying authoring tools, and media tools.

35.The eLearning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy published September

2007
This e-Book will help you make a broad, fundamental connection between
learning, e-Learning, and your organization's mission, business objectives,
and the bottom line. Chapters address everything from crafting a focused
strategy, to keeping your strategy focused, to change management. Refocus
on e-Learning strategy and insure that your e-Learning technology and
methodology investments pay off and so you can achieve your e-Learning
goals!

36.The eLearning Guilds Handbook on Synchronous e-Learning published in

January 2007
 The eLearning Guilds Handbook on Synchronous e-Learning is intended for
anyone who wants to produce, lead, or promote live, interactive learning
events on the Web. Novices will find information on what other people are
doing in this medium, which kinds of training and education are best suited to
it, how to convert existing classroom content for delivery online, how to lead
effective and compelling live learning events on the Web, and how to promote
these events to obtain maximum participation. More experienced
practitioners will find a wealth of ideas that they can use to improve or
enhance their current processes. All readers will find job aids, references,
examples, and information to significantly reduce the amount of time required
to produce online learning events.

37.Designing Successful e-Learning published in May 8, 2007

"While its target audience is instructional designers, this book should also be
required reading for all training managers seeking guidelines on implementing
world-class training. Allen bridges the gap from theory to practice on both
training and educational programs. His guidance is as applicable to
classroom-based as it is to e-learning based training." - Patty Crowell, director,
Global Education Services, LSI Logic 20 webtools applied to teaching by Ana
Maria Menezes.

38.E-Learning: A Guidebook of Principles, Procedures and Practices 2nd revised

edition published in 2006
This guidebook was developed from materials that were developed for a
series of workshops on e-learning sponsored and organized by the
Commonwealth Educational Media Center for Asia (CEMCA). This guidebook
has not been designed to serve as another textbook on eLearning, for there
are many such books that are readily available on the market. Instead, the
aim of this guidebook is to clarify, simplify and demystify eLearning.

39.E-Learning Concepts and Techniques published in 2006

This free eBook, which was created as a result of a group project, is a great
reference for those who want to know the basics of online learning. The
subjects discussed include: benefits of eLearning, eLearning tools,
instructional strategies, development, delivering eLearning, and managing
data, just to name a few.

40.Learning Spaces published in 2006

Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning.
Learning Spaces focuses on how learner expectations influence such spaces,
the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology
from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty,
learning technologists, librarians, and administrators. Information technology
has brought unique capabilities to learning spaces, whether stimulating
greater interaction through the use of collaborative tools, videoconferencing
 with international experts, or opening virtual worlds for exploration. This e-
book represents an ongoing exploration as we bring together space,
technology, and pedagogy to ensure learner success.

41.382 Tips on the SELECTION of an LMS or LCMS published in December 2006

This free eBook is an awesome collection of tips from hundreds of your
professional colleagues. These tips will help you navigate the LMS minefield,
streamline your selection process, and help you save money! Nowhere will
you find a more comprehensive set of tips that you can use to improve your
LMS and LCMS selection efforts.

42.311 Tips on the MANAGEMENT of an LMS or LCMS published in December

2006
This free eBook is an incredible collection of tips from hundreds of your
professional colleagues. Why reinvent the wheel when you can learn from
these tips on the management of your LMS or LCMS system! Nowhere will you
find a more comprehensive set of tips that you can use to improve your LMS
and LCMS management efforts.

43.339 Tips on the IMPLEMENTATION of an LMS or LCMS published in November

2006
This free eBook is an amazing collection of tips from hundreds of your
professional colleagues. Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive set of
tips that you can use to improve your LMS and LCMS implementation efforts.
This eBook is available for everyone regardless of their affiliation with The
eLearning Guild - so don't hesitate to tell all your colleagues about it.

44.Educating the Net Generation published in 2005

The Net Generation has grown up with information technology. The aptitudes,
attitudes, expectations, and learning styles of Net Gen students reflect the
environment in which they were raisedone that is decidedly different from
that which existed when faculty and administrators were growing up This
collection explores the Net Gen and the implications for institutions in areas
such as teaching, service, learning space design, faculty development, and
curriculum. Contributions by educators and students are included.

45.834 Tips for Successful Online Instruction published in December 2005

This free digital book is an amazing collection of tips from 336 of your
professional colleagues. Nowhere will you find a more comprehensive set of
tips that you can use to improve your knowledge and skills in online
instruction. This eBook is available for everyone regardless of their affiliation
with The eLearning Guild - so don't hesitate to tell all your colleagues about it!

46.My Most Memorable Teacher published in Summer 2005

In this free eBook, almost 800 people share in-depth stories about their
 teachers. As people recall their most memorable teachers, strong
recollections and even stronger opinions about teaching start flowing.

47.What Keeps You Up At Night 672 of Your Issues and Challenges published in
March 2005
In this free eBook, learning and training professionals ask to the question
What Keeps You Up At Night. Their responses have been categorized in
relevant sections such as: content, standards, LMS, company culture/
structure, metrics, and marketing just to mention a few.

48.701 e-Learning Tips Summer 2004

The MASIE Center collected over 1000 eLearning tips from readers and
consortium members, and then compiled the best selections to create this
free eLearning eBook. It features 701 helpful tips and ideas, which have been
broken up into 14 categories for easy reference. It covers a variety of
eLearning topics, including the basics of online learning development,
strategic planning, learning tools, pedagogy and webagogy, and global
implementation.

49.Web Teaching published in 2000

This free eBook consists of 20 chapters focused on subjects like encouraging
discussion, interactive strategies, students and web use expectations, etc.

50.Down-and-dirty Guidelines for Effective Discussions in Online Courses no date

This free eBook is ideal for new eLearning professionals who want to boost the
effectiveness of online discussions. Includes tips and guidelines for how to
manage, design, and facilitate discussions for virtual learners in order to
achieve more meaningful learning experiences.

51.Improving the Odds of Effective Collaborative Work in Online Courses no date

In this free guide you will find valuable information concerning basic
guidelines for online collaborative student work and suggestions on assessing
online collaborative work

52.Protocols for Online Discussions no date

The protocols that are being discussed in this guide were modified from
protocols described in the following two books: Brookfield, S. D., & Preskill, S.
(1999). Discussion as a way of teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, and
McDonald, J., Mohr, N., Dichter, A., & McDonald, E. (2003). The power of
protocols: An educator's guide to better practice. New York: Teachers College
Press. These revised protocols help students process readings, podcasts,
videos, etc. during online discussions.

53.The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro no date

This 46 page free eBook is ideal for eLearning professionals designing or
developing deliverables that involve fast turnaround times or those intended
 for rapid knowledge acquisition. It includes a variety of tips and techniques
that can help to make rapid eLearning more effective for learners and easier
to develop for instructional designers.

54.The Instructional Use of Learning Objects no date

This is the online version of The Instructional Use of Learning Objects, a new
book that tries to go beyond the technological hype and connect learning
objects to instruction and learning. The free eBook is divided into five major
sections: learning objects explained, learning objects and constructivist
thought, learning objects and people, learning objects implementation war
stories, learning objects and the future.

With this list of free eLearning books on-hand, you can tap into the invaluable
experience and expertise offered by top eLearning experts. Best of all, they are all
free and can be downloaded quickly and conveniently.

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FREE ELEARNING EBOOKS FREE ELEARNING RESOURCES

Free eLearning And Instructional Design Books

In this post you will find a list of 52 (updated 06/2015) FREE eBooks for instructional
designers and eLearning professionals. If you have read any of the following books I
will highly appreciate if you share your opinion