E-tutoring

Draft

See also: tutoring.

Definition

E-tutoring refers to online-tutoring. The word ‘tutor’ is most frequently used “to include, amongst others, academics, faculty, instructors, corporate trainers, animateurs, facilitators, moderators, subject specialist and learning support staff. The term online tutor includes any person undertaking a role to support and enable students to learn online effectively” (Higgison, 2000). Communication is an important mainstay of e-tutoring: technology enables people to learn new things because it gives a range of different ways of communicating to students. There are several software tools that enable e-learning, e.g blog, wiki, social bookmarking, podcasting, etc. A teacher who directs the studies of a number of students helps them to come up with new strategies for developing learning and studying skilful plannings.

What makes a good e-tutor

Tutor’s roles and activities are slightly different from those required in a face-to-face class.

“In a telematics-based environment the teacher is more or less just another participant, though very active one and the teachers role as an organiser is greatly emphasised. So in this way it is much more efficient to learn to communicate, and learning is not just a one-way street" (Tammelin, 2000).

• E-tutors teach, motivate and direct students while maintaining high interest and achievement.

• They should be able to effectively interact with different populations of students at a variety of academic levels.

• They guide students to improve their knowledge through media such as email, asynchronous discussion forums or chat rooms.

• They coach, assess and provide subject-matter expertise: they're experts but also motivators and even technical support people.

According to Berge’s classification (1995) the roles of an online tutor involve four main aspects:

• technical – which involves the technological support; e-tutors have to be ready to resolve technical queries quickly and effectively;

• managerial – e-tutors have to arouse e-learners’ participation and autonomy providing clearly tasks and deadlines of the e-tivities; they don’t have to rewrite e-learners’ papers but they have to correct them improving their work and their writing skills; they guide students to outline and structure their writing assignments;

• pedagogical – it aims at the educational experience involving students in an active collaboration and it goads them into a deep reflection; e-tutors aspire to establish excellent relationships with e-learners;

• social – it’s linked to an e-learning community: e-tutors provide adequate means for social interaction between e-learners, all members are encouraged in contributing to the discussion.

What is required to e-learners

The changed role of tutors necessarily implies a different participation of learners.

• They are more involved in the matter.

• They play an active part in the process of e-learning; they're self-motivated with strong planning, organizational and leadership skills.

• It takes more time: first of all because new competencies have to be learnt and then because new working practises have to be developed if e-tutoring is to be a success. They have to better organize their time in order to respect e-tivitity deadlines.

• E-tutors demand for comments, posts on blogs, assessments, etc. and e-learners always have to be ready to face them. Taking an active role it is asked for explainations of their work and they also don't have to forget to make what skills they need to develop clear.

• On Online Writing Laboratory e-learners can submit their papers to an e-tutor, ask for specific feedback and receive their work back with a response. E-students request help with written assignments but they also collaborate to an extensive resource library full of links, tips and techniques for improving writing skills.

• E-learners can share resources not only among the participating members but also among a virtual e-learning community.

References

• Cornelius, S. (2000). Learning Online. In Carol A. Higgison (ed.)Online Tutoring e-book Retrieved December 11, 2006 from http://otis.scotcit.ac.uk/onlinebook/. Excellent resource for starting. Includes a large collection of case studies.

• Tammelin, M. (2000). Exploring the roles of the tutor in a mixed mode course for university students. In Online Tutoring Skills (OTiS) Project Website. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from [1]

• Cornelius, S., & Higgison, C. (2000). The Tutor's Role. In Carol A. Higgison (ed.) Online Tutoring e-book (chapter 2). Retrieved December 11, 2006 from [2]