"Student engagement with digital learning resources and online social networking are strong forces in education today. How can these resources best be utilized by educators and course designers in higher education? This book aims to provide the reader with enough background information to appreciate the value of social networking, especially for distributed education. Through highlighting the most relevant, interesting and challenging aspects of e-learning the book provides practical advice for using social networking tools in course design." "Illustrated by short descriptive case studies, it also highlights contact addresses, websites and further reading to help readers find resources and enhance their design." "This practical guide will help all those involved in the design and delivery of online learning in higher education make the best choices when preparing courses for distributed learning."--Jacket.