The University of Rijeka, Croatia (UNIRI), has been committed to the development of e-learning practices for over 15 years, focusing on both technological and pedagogical-didactic aspects. As a member of the YUFE alliance, UNIRI collaborates with other European universities and offers blended and online courses to students within the alliance. To successful implement remote education, teachers should acquire many skills and share examples of best practice. One of the initiatives aimed at developing the practical competencies of remote educators and sharing best practice examples is the Virtual Edu project. The aim of this paper is to provide practical insights into the implementation of three online and blended learning courses at UNIRI and to share valuable experiences. The paper highlights innovative approaches and instructional designs suitable for use in higher education, educational policy as well as the educational technology used. The paper contributes to the growing body of research on online and blended learning by discussing the impact of the approaches, models and tools on student engagement and satisfaction.