Introduction

Since the 1990s, online education has steadily expanded—even amid economic downturns, technological disruption, and global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic—highlighting both the immense potential and persistent complexity of teaching and learning in digital contexts (Manzoor & Bart, 2021; Seaman et al., 2018; Tate & Warschauer, 2022). This growth has not only changed where learning happens, but how knowledge is constructed, relationships are built, and communities are sustained (Allaire et al., 2023). Despite this expansion, educators across sectors continue to report feeling underprepared for the pedagogical, technological, and relational demands of online instruction (Bolliger & Halupa, 2022; Hathaway et al., 2024; J., 2022). Many navigate shifting expectations without adequate training, time, or institutional support.

At the same time, learners and instructors are increasingly redefining the possibilities of education—using online spaces as laboratories for experimentation, creativity, and reimagined connection (Barbour & Hodges, 2024; Kokkinos, 2022). From asynchronous discussions that deepen reflection to real-time simulations that engage students in authentic problem-solving, digital environments have become more than stopgaps for in-person instruction; they are dynamic, evolving ecosystems of practice (Allaire, 2024; Allaire & Killham, 2022, 2023). As the field continues to grow, so too does the need for critical, cross-disciplinary scholarship that interrogates, celebrates, and co-constructs the future of teaching and learning online.

This series recognizes this tension: between the unfamiliar and the innovative, between institutional inertia and instructional ingenuity. It brings together voices across disciplines, geographies, and educational levels to explore the evolving nature of online learning in an increasingly interconnected and tech-driven world.

Series Description

Teaching and Learning Online is an interdisciplinary book series that spotlights research, theory, and practice in digital education across diverse educational settings. From the use of artificial intelligence and immersive virtual platforms to culturally responsive design and global collaboration, each volume explores how educators and learners are navigating—and shaping— the future of learning online.

Volumes in the series are grounded in both scholarly inquiry and practical application. Whether focused on early literacy in virtual classrooms, STEM instruction in international online programs, or equity-driven teacher preparation in digital spaces, each volume seeks to illuminate how technology intersects with pedagogy, culture, and human connection. Whether exploring equity in digital spaces, adapting traditional pedagogies for online platforms, or designing responsive content for multilingual or marginalized learners, TaLO volumes are grounded in both rigor and relevance.

We invite single-author works, collaborative volumes, and edited collections organized around a cohesive theme in online learning. Contributions may explore PreK–12, higher education, community-based learning, teacher education, or informal educational contexts. All volumes should address both the why and how of online teaching—offering theoretical insight, innovative strategies, and, where relevant, lesson plans, tools, or case studies that readers can use in their own settings.

Topics of Interest

The Teaching and Learning Online (TaLO) series welcomes proposals that reflect the rich diversity of learners, contexts, and technologies shaping online education today. We invite volumes that are broad or focused, practical or theoretical, discipline-specific or interdisciplinary. Volumes may center PreK–12, higher education, teacher preparation, informal learning, or professional development.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Grade-Level and Discipline-Specific Approaches
  • Online teaching strategies in specific subjects (e.g., mathematics, literacy, science, social studies) across elementary, secondary, and postsecondary settings.
• Integrating Emerging Technologies
  • Innovative uses of digital tools and platforms—such as learning management systems, virtual reality, gamification, and mobile apps—in online classrooms.
• Adapting Traditional Pedagogies for Online Spaces
  • Translating and transforming face-to-face instructional methods and frameworks (e.g., inquiry-based learning, project-based learning, culturally responsive teaching) into online modalities.
• Meeting Diverse Learner Needs
  • Designing inclusive digital environments for students with varying needs, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and gifted and talented students.
• Social Justice and Technology
  • Examining the role of digital education in advancing (or hindering) equity, activism, and systemic change.
• Urban and Rural Perspectives in Online Learning
  • Addressing place-based challenges, infrastructure gaps, and community-specific strategies for digital access and engagement.
• Supporting Historically Marginalized Groups
  • Exploring strategies for affirming and supporting Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented communities in virtual learning spaces.
• Social-Emotional Learning in Online Environments
  • Approaches for fostering connection, emotional well-being, and relational trust in digital classrooms.
• AI-Powered Learning and Ethical Implications
  • Investigating how artificial intelligence and machine learning are shaping instruction, assessment, and personalization—and the ethical questions they raise.
• Culturally Sustaining and Multilingual Pedagogies
  • Leveraging language, culture, and identity in online environments through translanguaging, Indigenous frameworks, and global learning models.
• Global Virtual Collaborations and Cross-Cultural Learning
  • Designing and studying international partnerships, virtual exchanges, and globally networked classrooms.
• Reimagining Assessment in Digital Spaces
  • Innovative approaches to online feedback, formative and summative assessment, and authentic demonstrations of learning.
• Designing for Neurodiverse Learners
  • Supporting students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodivergent identities through inclusive online practices.
• Digital Wellness, Burnout, and Mental Health
  • Addressing screen fatigue, isolation, and mental health concerns for both students and educators in online contexts.
• Professional Learning and Faculty Development
  • Preparing and supporting educators to design, facilitate, and reflect on high-quality digital instruction and professional growth.
• Learning Analytics and Data Ethics
  • Exploring the role of data in online learning—its benefits, biases, and implications for surveillance, privacy, and power.
• Microlearning, Badging, and Future Credentials
  • Investigating modular learning, digital certifications, and alternative credentialing pathways in higher education and workforce development.
• Family and Community Engagement in Online Learning
  • Reframing the role of families, caregivers, and community partners in supporting online student success.

Proposal Information

Proposal Instructions

Interested authors/editors should contact the series Commissioning Editor, Grace Harley, for the volume proposal form. Please submit the completed form along with a 2-page CV for each contributing editor or author to the Teaching and Learning Online series editors at:

📧 [email protected]

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis and shared with Emerald’s editorial team following and internal review. If you have questions about the series, proposal process, or would like to discuss a potential volume, please email Franklin and Jennifer at [email protected].

References

Allaire, F. S. (2024). Finding Success in Adapting Repeated Microteaching Rehearsals (RMTR) for an Online Science Methods Course. In E. Cayton, M. Sanders, & J. Williams (Eds.), Using STEM-Focused Teacher Preparation Programs to Reimagine Elementary Education. IGI.

Allaire, F. S., Goltz, H. H., Beebe, R. S., & Gilmore, E. L. (2023). Insights on Learning-Related Emotions from Hispanic Undergraduates at an Urban University Transitioning from In-Person to Online Instruction at the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Latinos and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2023.2295500

Allaire, F. S., & Killham, J. E. (2022). Introduction. In F. S. Allaire & J. E. Killham (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Online: Scinece for Elementary Grade Levels (pp. ix-ixv). Information Age Publishing.

Allaire, F. S., & Killham, J. E. (2023). Introduction. In F. S. Allaire & J. E. Killham (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Online: Scinece for Secondary Grade Levels (pp. ix - xv). Information Age Publishing.

Barbour, M. K., & Hodges, C. B. (2024). Preparing Teachers to Teach Online: A Critical Issue for Teacher Education. Journal of technology and teacher education, 32(1), 5-27.

Bolliger, D. U., & Halupa, C. (2022). An investigation of instructors’ online teaching readiness. TechTrends, 66(2), 185-195.

Hathaway, D. M., Gudmundsdottir, G. B., & Korona, M. (2024). Teachers’ online preparedness in times of crises: Trends from Norway and US. Education and Information Technologies, 29(2), 1489-1517.

J., L. (2022). Impact of instructors' online teaching readiness on satisfaction in the emergency online teaching context. Education and Information Technologies, 28(4), 4109-4126.

Kokkinos, T. (2022). Student Teachers and Online Microteaching: Overcoming Challenges in the Age of the Pandemic. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(3), 1897-1909.

Manzoor, R., & Bart, W. (2021). Expanding Equitable Access or Exacerbating Existing Barriers? Reexamining online learning for vulnerable student populations. In R. Chan, K. Bista, & R. Allen (Eds.), Online teaching and learning in higher education during COVID-19 (pp. 107-119). Routledge.

Seaman, J. E., Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2018). Grade Increase: Tracking Distance Learning in the United States. https://www.bayviewanalytics.com/reports/gradeincrease.pdf

Tate, T., & Warschauer, M. (2022). Equity in online learning. Educational Psychologist, 1-15.

Mission Statement

This book series aims to be a space for authors to engage in scholarly writing that pushes boundaries, takes risks, and decouples traditional thinking to address education’s existential threats. The editorial team seeks projects that link educational policies, research, and practices to global shifts that continue to shape our understanding of education.

Recognizing that the "idea" of education is under attack as societies are shaped by growing insularity, disregard for planetary crises, and political upheaval, we invite authors to recognize that voice matters, knowledge is transformative and visibility is vital. We are particularly interested in borderland perspectives that highlight the fluidity and complexity of different global and local educational discourses, policies, and practices. Our series seeks new ways of thinking, reshaping and reimagining structures, and encouraging non-traditional partnerships.  

Call for Proposals

As the new editorial team for this book series, we are inviting proposals for monographs and edited volumes that seek to elevate themes that are often invisible in comparative and international education. Drawing from our mission statement we

1. Seek to push boundaries, take risks, and decouple traditional thinking to address education’s existential threats.
2. Aim to inspire projects that link educational policies, research, and practices to global shifts that continue to shape our understanding of education.
3. Recognize that the “idea” of education is under attack, as societies are shaped by growing insularity, disregard for planetary crises, and political upheaval.

Knowing that voice matters, knowledge is transformative and visibility is vital, our series seeks new ways of thinking, reshaping and reimagining structures while encouraging non-traditional partnerships. As we re-launch a respected series, we invite people to submit a proposal that addresses any of the following questions in as broad or focused a way as possible:

1. Making the invisible visible:
   1. Why are certain issues, questions, and debates invisible in the field of Comparative and International Education (CIE)?
   2. What does this invisibility tell us about the issues of inclusion and exclusion in the field?
2. Planetary Crises:
   1. How can we bring in space or place or land or non-human environment in CIE scholarship, policies, and imaginations?
   2. How does engaging with issues such as climate change, environmental degradation, land grabs, dispossession, and dislocation of Indigenous and other marginalized communities produce and offer new opportunities for the field of CIE not only in relation to a set of new topics but also in terms of new modes of thinking, theorizing, methodological approaches, and policy and practice implications?
3. Moving beyond borders and boundaries:
   1. How are scholars and practitioners engaging with nuanced notions and experiences of borderlands to explore new ways of thinking on justice, identity, belonging, access, and opportunity in education?
   2. In the CIE field, the focus has primarily been on comparisons across borders and boundaries defined by nation-states. Different forms of internationalization and globalization have attempted to dilute these borders and boundaries with mixed results, often co-opted by national interests and agendas. What would it look like for CIE scholarship and policy to move beyond?

How to Submit a Proposal

The editorial team is actively soliciting proposals and invites potential authors to reach out to the contact editor for 2025, Supriya Baily, by writing to [email protected]. Please submit a single paragraph on the scope of your project as well as your CV prior to the conversation.