The Online Tutor

The Online Tutor

I consider that three most important roles of the online tutor to be:

·         Facilitator

There is an element of detachment in online learning. It is not as easy to build a learning community as in face to face sessions and it is easier to feel a sense of isolation Therefore a major role of
the online tutor is establishing a social climate. Hence discussion forums, group works, projects and feedback are activities that should be encouraged. For example at the beginning through the introduction forum the instructor as well as the participants tell a little about themselves so that they get to know one another. From this information the instructor will have an idea of the interest, commonality, as well as the differences among learners. It is vital that the instructor be a participant in these exercises to model expected behaviour and to supply leading questions to provoke thought and interaction.

·         Instructor

The tutor must post the outline, objectives, assignments, timelines and code of ethics for the course upfront.  This provides learners with and overview of what the course entails and expectations. It prevents chaos as it assists with the management of the course and ‘class control.’

·         Technician

One does not expect the tutor to repair a computer but here the technician refers to the ability of the tutor to help learner sort out challenges they have with the software. Inexperienced learners have issues login into the software or with their passwords and need guidance. Others issues have challenges navigating the software or uploading assignments. The tutor must be able to competently guide the learner through these types of technical challenges so that they will not become frustrated with the software as frustration may lead to dropouts. This guidance can also build confidence with those who feel intimidated by the features of the platform used.

 The instructional model promoted in this EPA course fosters these roles. At first participants were given time to become familiar with the platform and technical challenges where ironed out. The course calendar was posted and code of conduct established. So participants knew how to behave and had an overview of the course content for the duration of the course.  Each week is divided into module with guides to follow and assignments to be done. There is a strong element of building a learning community through discussion, blogs and instructor involvement.

Influence of web 2.0 on teaching approach

Challenges of the online learner

Having done some of my BED and MED via the internet the mayor challenges faced were:

1.    Challenges with internet access, sometimes the internet service is unreliable. At times one computer adds to the stress if it is attacked by viruses.

2.    Online learning has a sense of detachability, meaning that one does not really foster a strong relationship with one’s classmates as one would build in a face to face classroom setting.

3.    Some clarification are better sort with direct communication. Sometimes one would send an email or make a discussion post but the time it takes to gain a response maybe tardy or the discussion may not be in real time. This seems to lack a flow in questions or arguments.

Firstly there is not much an online tutor can do with regards to challenge number one except, be flexible. The reality of computers and internet service is that that there is a most likely chance that one will experience a bit of uncertainty or crashing of the system. However, making allowances and giving student time to recover will encourage continuance with the programme

For challenges two and three there are a number of measures on can take such as responding promptly, forming online groups, partaking in discussion or having a live chat. I find that having a mentor in a distance learning programme quite beneficial also. 

If they only knew

Most young persons dream of  having a family but if only they knew that with this joy comes much responsibility. Parenting is a mammoth tasks that has no end and in this era the advancement in technology has provided another dimension. A friend of mine was telling me a story of a three year old who redialed a number on the phone and had a conversation with her. This same infant is able to take a picture with the cell phone. She need no manual.

This is true for many of our youth. While we are reading the manual, they grab the gadget and begin to explore the many functions. Many of us are isolated about the activities of our children because they use technology to lock us out. So parents of today must also be a lifelong learner so that the can adequately guide and mould the youth of today.