e-tutor manual may 2009etutor manual was developed as part of a larger australian learning and...

EtutorManualBeatLehmann,KerryDunneUniversityofNewEngland

InnovationwithQualityAssurance:onlinecurriculumdevelopmentfortheUniversityofNewEngland'smulti‐institutionalcollaborativeprogramsinGermanatUNE,JamesCookandNewcastleuniversities.ALTCCompetitiveGrantCG6‐34,2008.

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Support for this project has been provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd. This work is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Australia Licence. Under this Licence you are free to copy, distribute, display and perform the work and to make derivative works. Attribution: You must attribute the work to the original authors and include the following statement: Support for the original work was provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd, an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Noncommercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike. If you alter, transform, or build on this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a licence identical to this one. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. Requests and inquiries concerning these rights should be addressed to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, PO Box 2375, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 or through the website: http://www.altc.edu.au 2008


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Acknowledgement

TheEtutorManualwasdevelopedaspartofalargerAustralianLearningand

TeachingCouncilfundedprojecttoinvestigateonlinecoursedeliveryinlanguages

andtodevelopaweb‐basedcurriculumforintroductoryGermanlanguagecourses.In

workingonthisproject,we—DrBeatLehmann,MsJennyEvans,andI—hadvirtual

meetingswiththereferencegroup—ProfessorJamesColeman,DrRegineHampeland

MsMirjamHauckfromtheDepartmentofLanguagesattheOpenUniversity,Milton

Keynes,UK.Theyhaveextensiveexperienceinlanguagepedagogyandflexible

deliveryoflanguages. Theirinputwasinvaluableandwewouldliketothankthemfortheirgenerosityindevotingtheirtimeandsharingtheirideaswithus.

KerryDunne(ProjectManager),BeatLehmann


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TableofContents

Introduction 6

CreatingCourseAcceptability 7

CreatingaPersonalSpace 9

CreatingaLastingsenseofCommunity 11

CreatingCollaborativeProjectsandAssistinginSmallGroupInteraction 12

CreatingMotivation 14

CreatingLearnerAutonomy 15

CreatingClarity,SimplicityandEaseofNavigation 17

CreatingSpaceforMeaningfulLearnerFeedback 19

CreatingFeedbackLoopsbetweenTutors 21

CreatingEfficiency 22

CreatingRealisticExpectations 24

Outlook 25

Bibliography 27

AppendixI:TutorSkillsPyramid 31

AppendixII:ChecklistofBasicTechnicalSkillsforanOnlineTutor 31

“Trainingisthekeytosuccessinimplementingtechnology,butthisisthebudgetthat

isoftencutfirst.Ifteachersarenotproperlytrainedtousethetechnologyitwillbe

underusedandineffective”(Davies,2008:5).


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Introduction

AsLaurillardsuccinctlyputsitinrelationtoonlinelanguagetuition:…incomparison

withthemarchofinnovativetechnology,themarchofinnovativepedagogyishardly

keepingpace(Laurillard2003:IX).Thisshortmanualisthereforeanimportant

additiontotheactualonlinecurriculumproject“Deutsche‐rklärt”,asthetutorisa

keyfactorinthesuccessofanyonlineprograminspiteofthefactthatmostlearning

isdoneinteractingwithacomputerandnotatutor.InFelix’aptorchestrametaphor

(Felix2003:7)ofonlinelanguagelearning,thetutoractsastheconductorandthus

hasaroletoplaythatgoesfarbeyondthetasksofanadministratorandstand‐byfor

emergencies.

ThismanualfocusesmoreonwhatHubbard&Siskin(2004:449)calltutorialCALL,

wherethecomputerisusedinatutorialroleratherthanpurelyasatool.Wealso

assumethatthetypeofonlinecoursethismanualisreferringtofocuson

communicativeandintegrativeratherthanbehaviouristmethodsof(language)

learning(cf.Hubbard&Siskin2004:450ff.).Theskillssuggestedareequallyvalidfor

bothstand‐aloneonlinecoursesandblendedorhybridlearningprogramswithan

onlinecomponent,andtheyshouldalsobeeasilytransferabletonon‐language

subjects.

Theroleoftheonlinetutorcanthereforebecharacterisedasamulti‐taskoperation

withrolesincludingactingasanadviser,technicalandemotivesupportperson,

organiserandtraditionalteacher(cf.Hauck&Stickler2006:465).Thislisting

demonstrateshowimportant,andatthesametimepedagogicallychallenging,the

roleoftheonlinetutorreallyis.

Intalkingaboutatypicalonlinetuitionscenario,thereareawholearrayofvariables

intherelationshiptrianglebetweentutor,learnerandteachingmaterial(which

somewhatmirrorsclassiclinguisticmodelsofcommunication,cf.Jacobson,

Ogden/Richards,Bühleretc.inPelz199427ff.):

- Theoverallpersonalityofthetutor,his/herattitudetowardsteachingmethods

andCALLandhis/hercommunicativebehaviourallaffecttheactual

implementationandsuccessofthecourse(cf.Reinhardt&Nelson2004:202f.).


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- Thestudentbodycanrangeinage,genderandcultural/socio‐economic

background,witheachcombinationrequiringaslightlydifferentpedagogical

approach(cf.Towndrow(2004:177f.)

- Theexactroleofthetutorandhis/herworkdescriptioninthecontextofthe

coursewouldcertainlyvaryaccordingtothesubject,thenatureoftheonline

teachingmaterialandthequalityofthematerial.

Thefollowingcanthereforeonlybeakindofa“roughguide”toonlinetutoringwhich

hastobeadaptedbythetutoraccordingtothespecificcircumstancesofthecourse.

Forthesamereasonthismanualfocusesmoreoncommunicativeandpedagogical

thandirectlytechnicalskills,forwhichthereissomeveryusefulmaterialavailable

(cf.theonlinetrainingguideslistedinthebibliographyorpracticallyorientedarticles

aboutspecificonlinelearningtoolslikeHampel,Felix,Hauck&Coleman2005or

Lewis2006).

Withinthisframeworktheemphasisisonpracticeratherthantheory,butthetutor

stillneedstofurtheradaptourrecommendationsfortheparticularsofhis/her

specificteachingscenario.

Toachieveapositivelearningoutcomeinanykindofonlinecourse,variousfactors

areinvolved,andthetutorplaysaroleinnearlyallofthem:Inthefollowing,the

frameworkofourrecommendationsisformedbylistingthosefactorsinasequential

order.Weconcentrateonthetutorscontributionwithintheseareasofrelevancein

thehopethatthecoursematerialhasbeencreatedwithallofthemhavingalready

beentakenintoaccountinitsdesignstructure.Alotoftheadvicegivenisinformed

byontheexperienceofanumberofUNE(UniversityofNewEngland,Armidale,

Australia)languagetutors,aninstitutionthathasalongandproudrecordofbeingat

theforefrontofdistancelearningandsincethemid1990salsoCALL.

CreatingCourseAcceptability

Background:

Learneracceptabilityis,asHémard(2003:40)putsit:“…keytoasuccessful

interactionandintegration…anditwill…onlycomeintoplayifthedesignprocessis

usercentredandthusprioritisesusabilityoverfunctionality.…OnlineCALLactivities


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mustnotonlybeusefulandmeetlearners’needsbutmustalsobesufficiently

enjoyabletobeaccessedoutsidetheclassroom.”

ItalsoappearsthatthelearnersthemselveshaveembracedCALLlessthanthe

enthusiasticcreatorsandinstitutions,thatrunonlinecourses,mightbelieve(cf.Hagel

&Shaw2006:283f.),whichmakescourseacceptabilityevenmoreimportantfora

positivelearningoutcome.

Application:

Courseacceptabilityispredominantlyanissueincoursedesign,butthetutorcanalso

playasubstantialpartinmakingacoursemoreuser‐centredandenjoyable.The

awarenessalonethatthisis,overandaboveallotherpedagogicalqualitiesofthe

course,thesinglemostimportantfactorinitssuccessshouldhelpthetutorinpaying

specialattentiontohis/hereverydayinteractivestyle,toneofvoice(literallyand

figurativelyspeaking)andgeneralapproachtogivingguidanceandadvice.Light‐

heartedness,humourandapersonableconversationalstyleallcontributetothe

users’comfortandacceptabilitylevels.Saturationlevelsincomputerinteractionhave

constantlyrisenoverthelastdecadeandhaveledtothesituationthattheuserneeds

tobeluredtogoonlineregardlessofachievementpressures(cf.Studentsand

InformationTechnology2008:16).Itisthereforeevenmoreimportantthatthetutor

hasapleasantandinvitingstyleofinteractionanddiscourse(cf.nextchapter

CreatingaPersonalSpace).

Animportantfactorinlearneracceptabilityistheacceptanceofthelearning

strategiesofferedbythecourse,whichmightnotnecessarilycoincidewiththe

preferredandpreviouslyadoptedlearningstyleoftheindividual(cf.Macaro2006:

321,330f.).Itisthetutor’stasktohelpbuildabridgebetweenthetwodivergent

learningstylesbyexplaininginverypracticalhands‐ontermswhythecoursedoes

whatitdoes.Thiscanbedonebygoingthroughthecoursebeforethestartofthe

semester,identifyingareas,whichcouldbeproblematicorcontentiousforcertain

learners(forexampletheperceivedlackofstructuredgrammarinamore

communicativelyorientedpartofthecourse)andthusofferingforexampleapre‐

emptiveexplanationofwhythecoursehasnogrammartablesatthisstage.Thetutor

shouldbeequallyvigilantduringthecoursetopickup,correctandexplainareasof


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possiblelearnerdispleasure,especiallyiflearnerfeedbackshowsthatagoodpartof

thestudentcohortfindacoursecomponentunsatisfactory.

CreatingaPersonalSpace

Background:

Onlineteachingprogramsareintrinsicallyanonymousincharacterinspiteof

attemptstocreatevirtualcharacters,locationsandsituationsintheprogrammeitself.

Thelearnerisleftinasocialvacuumunlessapersonalrapportisestablishedbetween

thelearnerandthetutorandbetweenthelearnerandhis/herfellowlearners(which

willbethenextpointofdiscussion).Learningalanguage(ourmaincommunicative

tool)withinalearningenvironmentwithlittleornoreal‐timecommunicationisa

challenge.ItisthereforenotsurprisingthatHampelandSticklerlistthedevelopment

ofan“ownstyle”incommunicatingatthetopoftheirskillspyramidforanonline

tutor(Hampel&Stickler2005:317;seeAppendixI).

Application:

Thecourseitselfshouldencourage‐ifnotdiscreetlycompel‐learnerstohave

meaningfulsocialandgoal‐orientedexchangesviadiscussionboards,groupwork,

conferencingetc.

Thetutor’sroleinthisscenarioiscertainlynottobeamainpartnerinthese

exchanges,butrathertoencouragecommunicationbetweencourseparticipants‐the

tutorthereforemovesonwhatwecouldcallameta‐levelofinteraction.Itcan’tbe

stressedenoughthatitisnottheroleofthetutortomakeupforpossible

shortcomingsoftheonlinecourseintheareaofinteractivitywithanincreased

tutorlearnerexchange.Thiswouldnotonlyincreasetheworkloadofthetutor,it

wouldalsopaperovertheincongruitiesofthecourseitself.Thetutoristhereto

monitorandencourageinteractivitynottoactasasurrogatelearner.

Havingsaidthat,itisimportantthatthetutordoesnothidehis/herpersonality.

Promptedbytheimpersonalnatureofthemediumtherecouldbeatemptationto

assumeaneutralkindofpersonality,tobecomeavoicefromthevoidofcyberspace,

maybewiththelaudableintentionoftryingtobeimpartial,objectiveandmatterof

fact.Thiswould,however,behighlycounterproductive.Inthesamewaythata


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uniqueandrealpersonisteachingintheclassroom,theonlinetutorshouldreveal

enoughofhis/herpersonalitytobecomesomebodythelearnerscanrelatetoas

“their”teacher/tutor(cf.Schweizer1999:7).Thiswillleadtoimproved

communicationandidentificationwiththecourseandthe“coursecommunity”(see

thenextpointofdiscussion).Thismechanismshowsupveryclearlywhenresidential

orintensiveschoolsareconductedincombinationwithotherwiseexclusivelyonline

courses:thequalityandquantityofcommunicationbothbetweenlearnersand

learnersandtutorincreasesdramaticallyafterthepersonalcontactattheresidential

school.Suddenlyapalpablesenseof“family”canbefeltintheexchangesandthereis

aclearincreaseinmotivation,effortandachievement(cf.White2003:172).An

onlinetutorcanachieveasimilareffectbybecoming“real”andthereforesomebody

to“relateto”(withouthavingtobecomeoverlywarmandfuzzy).Bypostingmore

personalthanpurelygoal‐orientedmessageslikewelcominglearners,thanking

learners,makingjokesoranythingthatshowsuppersonalcharacteristics,asenseof

familiaritycanbeachievedovertime(Schweizer1999:7;cf.herdetailedanduseful

practicaladviseintutorbehaviouron69ff).Thisisthe“facebook”partofthecourse

andasimportantasanyotheraspectofteaching,asitwillalsoencouragelearnersto

communicatewithandgettoknoweachother.Puttingafacetothevoiceiscertainly

recommendedasaninitialintroduction(photosorevenstreamingavideo)and

advancesintechnologyshouldbeusedtonotonlyaddtothecommunicativeand

integrativeaspectsofthecourseproperbutalsotobringtheonlinetutor‐learner

relationshipclosertoaface‐to‐faceteachingscenario.

Inlookingatitfromtheoppositeangle,itisequallyimportantthatthetutorbecomes

familiarwiththelearnersandtheirspecificneeds.Thishappensmoreorless

automaticallyinaface‐to‐faceteachingsituationandisabigfactoringoodteaching

practices,astheprocessofgrowingcloserintheclassroomthroughfamiliarityisa

hugeplusoneverylevelofteaching.Eventhoughthesamelevelofclosenessmaynot

beachievedinanonlineteachingenvironment,anymeasureofpersonalrapport

betweenlearnerandteacherhelpsinmakingthelearnerfeelmorecomfortable,

lookedafterandconfidentandthusenhancescourseacceptance,motivationand

autonomy.Atthesametimeitenablesthetutortocaterforindividualneeds,tailor

his/herteachingtothelearnerdemographic,adjusthis/herconversationalstyleto


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theindividualandinteractwithagreaterdegreeofunderstandingandempathy

(White2003:110ff.).

Establishingaclassprofileisthereforeanabsolutemustatthebeginningofacourse

withprivacyissuesbeingincorporatedthroughenablinglearnerstochoosethe

amountofprivateinformationtheywantpublished(White2003:108).Thisisalso

highlyrelevantinthenextpointofdiscussion.

Creatinga“lastingsenseofcommunity”(Felix2003:13)

Background:

“Theskillofcreatingonlinecommunitiesorsocialentitiesforlanguagelearning”

(Hampel&Stickler2005:316)hasbeenlargelyneglectedintheliterature.Whereasit

haslongbeenrecognizedthatasenseofcommunityisvitalforthesuccessofface‐to‐

faceteachinginovercominginsecurityandlanguageanxiety(Hampel&Stickler

2005:317),thesameistruefortheonlineclassroom.However,slightlydifferent

skillsarerequiredtocreatesocialcohesiononline.

Application:

Thenecessitytocreatewhatwecall“apersonalspace”isasimportantontheonline

classlevelasitisonthetutorlevel.Careshouldthereforebegiven,toofferplentyof

opportunitiesforlearnerstodisclosepersonalinformationinasafeandconducive

environment.“Personalizingthedistanceclassroom”(Schweizer1999:7)isdefinitely

anareawhereshortcomingsofthecoursecanbeovercomebyinitiativesofthetutor.

Ifthecourseitselfdoesn’tincludeformalizedlearnerintroductions,thetutorshould

createplayfulavenuesofgettinglearnerstodisclosepersonalinformationthrough

discussionboards,additionallearninggames,studentgroupformationetc.

Anothermorebasicareaofonlinesocializationisthecreationofanonline

“netiquette”(Hampel&Stickler2005:318),protocolsofbehavioursimilartokeeping

disciplineintheface‐to‐faceclassroom(alistofconcreteexamplesofdifferentskills

isgiveninHampel&Stickler2005:319).

Thecreationofasimilarsenseofbelongingthatdevelopsovertimeinahealthy

classroomcanstartattheverybasiclevelofgraphicsandpresentation.Thecourse

specificoriginallookofahomepagewith,forexample,clip‐artlogosusedasicons,


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andanyothervisuallyappealinguniqueandconsistentdesignelementsofa

particularcourse(thegraphicsofDeutscherklärtcouldwellserveasanexample)

createfamiliarity,familiarityinturnleadstoidentification,identificationwiththe

course(andthereforeimplicitlywiththeothercoursetakers)createsasenseof

community,andanon‐goingsenseofcommunitydoeswonderstomotivationand

fostersgrouplearning(cf.Godwin‐Jones2003:47).Thetutorcanhaveadecisive

inputoneverylevelofthisprocess,iftheimportanceofsocialisationforapositive

learningoutcomeissufficientlyrecognized.Itshouldbepointedoutinthiscontext

howprevalentandpowerfulgroup‐specific,symbolicrepresentationsareinall

sectorsofpubliclife‐andwhycan’tthe“cool”looksofanonlineprogrammedotothe

learnerwhataManchesterUnitedshirtdoestothesoccerfan?Thetutordoesn’t

necessarilyhavetocreateafanclubora‘DeadPoetsSociety’,butapersonalizedstyle

oneverylevelofinteractionfromgraphicstoguidancewillhelpinfosteringalasting

senseofcommunity.

CreatingCollaborativeProjectsandAssistinginSmallGroupInteraction

Background:

Directlearnerinteractionisbecomingmoreandmoreavailablethroughaudioand

videoconferencing:asbroadbandaccessisrapidlybecomingthenormsowillthese

formsofdirectsynchronouscommunication.Anexcellentoverviewofthe

advantages,drawbacksandchallengesofthesenewonlineteachingtoolscanbe

foundinHampel&Stickler2005.Intermsofthenewskillsrequiredtoassistlearners

intheuseofthesenewtechnologiesHampel&Stickler(2005:316ff.)pointoutthat,

apartfromtheirtechnologicalapplication,thetutoralsoneedstoknowstrategiesto

ensurethatthesenewformsofinteractionaresociallybasedandhelptocreate

communities.

Application:

Smallgroupinteractioncanfulfilavarietyoffunctions.Apartfromtheobvious

communicativeandcollaborativeapproachtolearning,itcreatesasenseof

belonging,itmotivates,learningbecomesmorefunandallsortsoftechnicaland

study‐relatedissuescanbedealtwithbyaskinggroupmembersratherthan


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approachingthetutor(asubstantialtime‐savingmeasure;cf.Mangenot&Nissen

2006:614).Makingsurethatlearnerslearningroupsandhaveregularmeaningful

exchangesisthereforeperhapsthesinglemostimportantstratageminonline

tutoring.NothingcanbringCALLclosertoface‐to‐faceteachingwithallits

advantagesthanestablishingwellfunctioninglearninggroups.Thisisagainmainly

theresponsibilityofthecoursedesigners,buteveniftherearegoodstructuresin

placeforfosteringgrouplearning,thetutor’sroleinmakingsurethatitactually

happensisvital,especiallyatthebeginningofthecourse.Oneofthefirstactionsof

thetutorshouldthereforebetocombinelearnerintroductionswiththeformationof

studygroups.Howexactlythatisdonewillnaturallydifferfromcoursetocourse,but

thetutor’sroleisvitalinitiallyinmakingsurethatthegroupsareformedand

functional.Whereastheremaybelessopportunitiesfordirectcommunicationonline

thaninaface‐tofaceclass,thehugeadvantageofonlinelearningisthatlearnerscan

socialisefromhome,overcomingthelogisticalproblemsofhavingtoarrange

meetingsinrealspace.Additionally,shyorlessconfidentlearnerscanclaimanequal

shareoftimeandclass‘space’.Thisisoftenoverlookedwhencomparingonlinewith

face‐to‐faceteaching,as‐withatrendtowardsflexiblelearning‐socialisingoutside

oftheclassroomhasbecomemoreandmoredifficultintheinternallearningmodes.

Itmightbeagoodideatomakelearnersawareofthegreatchancetothusmeet

peopleonlineandintheirowntimewhotheywouldneverbeabletomeetinreal

space.

Schweizer(1999:55f)distinguishesbetweenthreeformsofgroups:

‘Basegroups’ofideally5heterogenous(gender,ageetc.)learnersthatstayand

worktogetherforthedurationofthecourse(theycouldbegeographicallycloseto

facilitatepossibleoff‐lineinteractions).Differentrolescouldbeassignedtothese

learners(eg.technicalsupportperson,“recorder”,“facilitator”).

Temporarilyestablished‘formalgroups’whichconsistofonlytwoorthreelearners

withthepurposeofcompletingaclearlydefinedtask.Theycouldbeself‐selectedor

groupedbythetutoraccordingtotask‐specificcriteria(possiblyagaingivendifferent

roleswithintheproject).

‘Informalgroups’oftwotothreelearnersforthecompletionofsmalltasksrelating

tospecificcourseelements.


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Thebasegroupsareobviouslythemostimportantones,andtheseshouldbeformed

ineveryonlinecourseregardlessofthesubjectmatter.Therearevariousmeansof

creatingagroupidentity,butessentiallythegroupsshouldbeknownandidentifiable

byallothergroupstocreateplayfullycompetitivescenarios,groupcollaborationand

groupdifferentiation(eginawebquestforcompilingadossierontheEuropeanof

theyear,groupscouldbeidentifiedas“dieBerliner,diePariser,dieLondoner”(The

Berliners,Parisiens,Londoners)).

CreatingMotivation

Background:

Curtin(1994:259f.)pointedoutintheearlystagesofCALLthatlearnerattitudes

contributegreatlytolearnersuccessandthatpositivemotivatingfactorsincludethe

acceptanceandidentificationwiththelearningprogramaswellasthemedium(in

thiscasetheonlinedelivery)andtheteacher(inthiscasetheonlinetutor).Creatinga

positiveattitudeisthereforeimportantnotonlyintermsofmotivatinglearnersto

learnthelanguage,butalsotoembracethelearningprogram,itsdeliveryand

‘deliverers’.Itisthereforeparamountthatalloftheonlinetutor’smainfunctions

(teaching,givingtechnicaladvice,troubleshootingandreceptionoflearnercriticism)

aredonewithaconstructive,positiveandmotivatingattitude.

Application:

Let’staketheexampleofaquizthatmalfunctionsbecauseacorrectanswerwas

countedwrongduetonothavingbeenincludedintheset‐up.Itwouldbe

understandablebuthighlycounterproductiveifthetutorweretosidewiththe

complaininglearnerinmoaningorexcessivelyapologizingabouttheinadequacyof

thequizsoftware.Rather,thelearnershouldbethankedforhelpingtoimprovethe

quiz,andtheadvantagesofthequiz(self‐correction)shouldbepointedout.This

couldbeaccompaniedbyageneralmessagetoalllearnerspointingoutthequiz’

structure,whyit’susedbythecourseandhowitcanbeimprovedbythelearners,

quotingthepositivecontributionmadebythelearnerwhodetectedthemistake.In

thiswaythecomplaininglearnerdoesn’tonlyfeelvindicatedbutalsopraisedfor

takingresponsibility,andallotherlearnerswillbeencouragedtoparticipateandto

getthemselvesinvolved.Here,aseverywhereelse,thedevilliesinthedetailorrather


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thesubtletiesoftutor‐learnerinteraction:Insteadofcementinganinitialnegative

attitudebythelearner,thepositivewaythisproblemwasdealtwithresultedinthe

creationofmoremotivationandlearnerautonomy.Also,alotoftimewassavedas

furtherproblemsofthisnaturecannowbedealtwithwithoutfussandlengthy

explanationsonbothsides.

Learnersusuallystartanonlinecoursehighlymotivatedbutthenmaylosetheir

motivationalongthewaythroughawholearrayoffactorsincludingisolation,

loneliness,competingcommitmentsandtheabsenceofstructuringaspectsofface‐to‐

faceteaching(White2003:115).Thatmeansthatthetutorhasagoodbasistostart

withand‘only’needstomaintainmotivationratherthanhavingtocreateit.However,

theabovelistalsoshowsthatalotofthefactorsinvolvedinloosingmotivationare

bothonlinespecificandaffective.Extracareneedstobetakenthereforetocreatea

climateofempathyandencouragementbothbetweenlearnerandtutorandamong

thestudentbody(White2003:116).Thisgivesthemeasuresforpersonalizingthe

onlineclassroomanadditionaldimensionandextraimportance.

Regularandmotivatingteacher‐learnerinteractionalsohelpsincreatingthe

necessarysupportstructuresforthelearnertoadjusttoamostlynewlearning

environmentandwasregardedasmoreimportantthantheappealofthestate‐of‐the

artdeliveryinastudyaboutteacherdirectedlearning(Barty1999:31).Thetutor

thusshouldersanenormousresponsibility,especiallysincehe/sheisnormally

dealingwithalargestudentbody(onecanassumethatanonlineclassroomisusually

muchlargerthanaface‐to‐faceclassroom).Thetutorthereforehastodevelopthe

abilitytoaddressthewholestudentbodyinawaythattheindividuallearnerfeels

personallyspokentoandlookedafter(cf.CreatingaPersonalSpace).

Motivationcanbeachievedbywhatwassuggestedinalltheareasoftutorinput

addressedsofar,butperhapsthemostimportantcontributoristhecreationof

learnerautonomy.

CreatingLearnerAutonomy

Background:

Learnerautonomy,orwhatwecouldcall“strategiccompetenceinvolvingtheuseof

appropriatelearningstrategies”(Hurd2000:61),hasbeenidentifiedasbeinga


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prerogativeofmodernlanguagelearningespeciallyonatertiarylevel.Whereasthe

mainbulkofresponsibilityincreatingautonomylieswiththeteachingprogramitself,

thetutorcancertainlycontributeinthewayhe/shegivesadvice,solvesproblems

andgenerallycommunicateswithlearners.Onlinelearningisgenerallymoreself‐

directedthanface‐to‐facelearningandpresentsnewchallengesintaking

responsibilitywithnumerousdecisionshavingtobemadebythelearnerinsteadof

theclassroomteacher(White2003:150).Thisrequiresadouble‐handedapproachin,

ontheonehand,settingupclearandattractivelearningstructuresand,ontheother

hand,fosteringlearnerautonomy.Thefactthatmorelearnerautonomyisrequiredin

onlineteachingunfortunatelydoesn’tmeanthattheflexibleordistancelearning

modepersegivesrisetolearnerautonomy,soself‐directedlearninghastobe

supportednotonlyonanindividuallevelbutalsothroughfosteringcollaborative

decision‐makinginwhatandhowtolearn(White2003:150ff.).

Application:

Firstofall,thetutorshouldbeawareofthecourseelements,whichrequirelearner

autonomy,andthendevelopspecificwaystoencouragelearnerstolearnmore

autonomously.Whereasthedevelopmentoflearningstrategiesisnecessaryevenin

drills,quizzesorsimilarmoreautomatedexercises,strategiesforautonomous

learningareessentialinthemorecreativeareasoflearningwheretheindividual

initiativeofthelearnercomestothefore.However,itisoftenexactlyintheareas,

whereautonomouslearningcanbefosteredandtaught,thatpersonalinitiativeis

neededtogetstartedinthefirstplace.Thustogiveapositivespintowhateasily

couldbecomeaviciouscycle,oftenrequiresinterventionfromthetutor.Kick‐starting

autonomouslearningcancomeinvariousforms.InDeutscherklärt,forexample,

thereisasegmentcalled“liveandlearn”,agamessection,whichbothfostersbutalso

requirespersonalinitiativeinordertowork.Oncethetutorisawareofthis,he/she

caninterveneandhelpthelessautonomouslearnerstoovercomethefirsthurdleof

inertiabyencouraging,motivatingandproddingthemtobecomeactivelearners.The

tutorcould,forexample,suggestthatthelearnersshouldfirsttryaparticular(and

particularlysuitable)game,inthehopethattheywillgetapositiveexperienceand

thusatasteformore.Orhe/shecouldaskforfeedbackaboutthisparticularsegment,


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andthenrelatecertainissuesraisedbyindividualstothewholestudentbody.Ora

particulargamecouldlenditselfasagoodwaytoformsmalllearninggroupsand

thusachieveadoubleresult.However,ithastobenotedthatnotalllearnersare

willingtobecomeautonomouslearners(veryoftenpeoplewhoareunusedor

unwillingtoself‐directinotherareasoftheirlife;cf.Hurd2000:78)andthatitmight

thusbecounterproductivetoforcethemintoaroletheycan’tcopewith.Thetutor

shouldbeawarethathe/sheisdealingwithindividualswhomightnotonlyprefer

differentlearningstyles,butwhomightalsobemoreorlesssuitedforlearning

autonomously(cf.Vanijdee2003:81ff.).Adegreeofflexibilityandchoiceinlearning

tasksandeveninassignmentsisthereforeappropriate,andanyattemptofthetutor

toprodandpushpeopleintodoingsomethingtheymightnotnormallydothemselves

needstobearthatinmindandbegentle.

Creatingscaffoldedadvicestructures(Towndrow2004:176)isanotherwayof

encouraginglearnerautonomy.Inotherwords,thelearnershouldbehelpedin

developingstrategiestohelpthemselvesratherthanhavingsolutionsthrowninto

theirlaps,whichcaneasilyleadtoakindoftutordependencywithmoreandmore

criesforhelpfromthelearnerovertime.

CreatingClarity,SimplicityandEaseofNavigation

Background:

Nomatterhowwellstructuredandsetuptheonlineprogramis,therewillalwaysbe

aneedforadditionalsupportbythetutor.Learnersoftenneedtobeencouragedtogo

onlinenomatterhowattractiveorrelevanttheonlinecontentis(cf.Wagener2006:

286).Therewillbetechnicalglitchesthatcannotbepredicted,thelearnerswillneed

guidanceinanumberofways,studygroupswillhavetobeformedetc.(cf.pyramid

skillsforonlinetutorsinHampel&Stickler2005:317;seeAppendixI)–andtheway

thatisdoneobviouslyimpactsstronglyonthesuccessoftheonlineprogram.

Application:

Recommendingtotutorsthattheythoroughlyfamiliarisethemselveswiththecourse

maysoundextremelytrivial,butoftenthereisnotenoughtime(ortimetaken)todo

thatbeforethestartofthesemester.However,pre‐emptingpossibleteachingissues


18

byidentifyingproblemareasbeforehandisaverygoodinvestmentintime.Itisalso

oftenoverlookedthatindoingsoonehastoidentifywiththelearnerratherthan

lookingatitfromaninstructor’spointofview.Itcanbeextremelyinstructiveto

actuallydoasimilaronlinecourseinalanguagethat’scompletelyunknowntothe

tutor.Itmightbeanunforgettableeye‐openerinfindingoutwhatalearneractually

goesthroughwhenstartingnotonlyanewlanguagebutdoingitinanunfamiliar

learningenvironment.

Bythuscarefullyworkingthroughthecourseinitially,thetutorcanestablishacheck‐

listofongoingtasksandthensupplementthelistbyfurthertasksthatcomeupinthe

courseofthesemester.Thetutorshouldbeespeciallyvigilantinmakingsurethatthe

courseitselfprovidesenoughguidanceforlearnersinknowingexactlywhatthey

havetodo,aboveallinareaswhereautonomouslearningisexpected.AsLamy&

Hassan(2003:54)pointout:”Itshowedthatdistancelearnerscannoteasilybe

persuadedtoundertakeeithersoloorinteractivereflectiveworkiftaskpresentation

isnotcompletelyexplicitinitsexpectationsthattheydoso”.

Oncethisprocesshasbeengonethroughitonlyneedstobeadjusted,fine‐tunedand

improvedinthefollowingsemestersandthuscansavealotoftimeinthelongrun.

Itisinterestingtonoteinthiscontextthateverythingthatcomesinsimpletext

formseemstobepreferredinahardcopyformatoveronlinedelivery(cf.Shaw

2006:298).Thelearnersmightthereforebesomewhatreluctanttoreadthrough

onlinecourseinstructionsthatarepurelytext‐based,andthusanyenhancementsby

computer‐specificmediasuchasvodcastsorpodcastsmightsubstantiallyincrease

theattractivenessoftext‐basedinstructionmaterial.Eventhoughthatismorea

designissueitwillalsobecomerelevantintutorcourseinput.

Itisalsoadvisabletocreatedifferentinformationvesselsinsteadofpouringevery

kindofannouncementintothesamepot.Theinformationshouldbestructured

accordingtolevelsofimportanceandthematiccriteriasothatadvicerelatingto

grammar,upcomingeventslikeresidentialorintensiveschools,additional

instructionsforassignmentsetc.areallindifferentandclearlyandattractively

markedlocations.Thepop‐upannouncementwindowinaLearningManagement

Systemlike‘Blackboard’,forexample,maynotbethebestwayofdisseminating

informationandshouldbepartlyreplacedbyiconsthatcanbedirectlyaccessedfrom


19

thecoursecontenthomepage.Thereneedstobe,forexample,aspecificwindowfor

urgentmessagesthateverybodyhastoreadandregularlycheck.Insettingupthese

structuresitishighlyadvisabletogetfeedbackabouttheirrelativeclaritybeforehand

bylettingsomebodynavigatethem,whoisnotverycomputersavvyandhasnopre‐

knowledgeabouttheset‐upofthecourse.Anditshouldneverbeforgottenthatthe

‘look’(especiallyvisualtags)greatlycontributetosuccessfullyreachinglearnersand

addclarityinnavigation(cf.Schweizer199:91).

CreatingSpaceforMeaningfulLearnerFeedback

Background:

Generallyspeaking“…littleisknown,still,aboutusers’perceptionsandbehaviours

wheninteractingwithonlinelearningenvironments,reinforcingthedichotomy

betweendesignersandusers’perceptionofhowweb‐basedenvironmentsoughtto

work.”(Hémard2006:262).Theroleofthetutorasanintermediarybetweenlearner

andcoursebecomesthereforeevenmoreimportantinallaspectsoflearning.Abig

partofthatislisteningtowhatthelearnershavetosayandtoinvitelearnerstogive

feedback.Itshouldnotbeforgottenthattheteacher‐learnerrelationshipinanonline

environmentissubstantiallydifferentfromtheonelearnersareusedtofromtheir

face‐to‐faceteachingexperiences(White2003:98),andthatthenecessary

adjustmentscancauseanxieties,frustrationsandunderminetheirconfidence.Ifthat

iscoupledwiththepersonallychallengingexperienceoflearningaforeignlanguage

forthefirsttime,thelearnerwillneedgenuinesupportandafeelingofbeinglistened

toandcateredifnotindeedcaredfor(cf.Hurd2003a/2003b).

Application:

Maybethemostimportantfactorinthequalityandquantityoffeedbackgivenby

learnersisthewillingnessofthetutortolisten,toreceiveandtoembracecriticism.

Thisislikelytoshinethroughonaverysubtlelevelofcommunicationratherthan

justbeingpromptedbyexplicitencouragement.Thetutorcanaskforfeedback,but

stillwillnotreceiveit,ifhe/sheemploysadefensiveorunreceptivestanceinreacting

toit.

Learnerfeedbackshouldbecollectedandevaluated,toimprovethecourseinthelong


20

runandincollaborationwiththecoursedesigners(andeventechnologydesigners;

cf.Hauck&Stickler2006:465).Inthisprocessthelearnersshouldnotonlyserveasa

criticalaudience,butshouldalsobeinformedasmuchaspossibleaboutthe

consequencesandthereforetheircontributionintermsofcourseimprovement.This

isanadditionalstratageminencouraginglearnerautonomyandmotivation.Taking

learnerinputseriouslyonalllevelsofcommunicationandlearner‐tutorinteraction,

playsamainroleincreatingallthepositiveelementsoftutoringlistedinthismanual.

Needlesstosaythatthishastobeagenuineandnotjustastrategiccommitment.

Averyobviousbutoftenneglectedvirtueistheimmediacyofresponse.Itshould

becomeanautomatichabitforthetutortorespondtolearnerqueriesimmediately.

Sincetheyhavetobedealtwithatsomestageanyway,thisispurelyamatterofgood

habitforming,ahabit,however,whichcouldmakeahugedifferenceinthewaythe

learnerfeelsintermsofbeingtakenseriously,lookedafterandultimatelyofbeing

motivated.Inregardtothevolumeoflearnerqueriesitshouldbepointedoutthat

havingbasegroupswillensurethatsomeofthequestionsandissuesareresolved

there.

Asfarasstructuringlearnerfeedbackisconcerned,thetutorhastobeawarethat

individualthresholdsofspeakingout,lethargylevels,timeconstraintsetc.vary

greatlybetweenlearnersandthattheymightonlyreceivefeedbackfromcertain

personalitytypes(goodlearners,forexample,areoftenmoreconfident

communicatorsandthereforetendtobemoreresponsiveingivingfeedback).That,of

course,caninvalidatetheconclusionsdrawnfromlearnerinputandalsomeanthat

onlyasectionoflearnersareultimatelycateredfor.Itmightthereforebenecessary

tobuildinsomeformsofveryeasytodobutcompulsoryfeedbackandtoemploy

simplequestionnairetechniques.Agoodideamightbetoportionthemoutandadda

fewquestionstotheendofeachassignment.Ideallythisisalreadydoneonthe

coursedesignlevel,butonlythetutorcanreallyfindoutovertime,whetherenough

meaningfulfeedbackisreceivedfromlearnersandthenreactbyputtingthe

necessarycorrectivemeasuresinplace.

Onmoreadvancedlevelsoflanguagelearningitmightbeagoodideatoconductthe

tutor‐learnerexchangesinthetargetlanguagewithvariousbenefitsarisinglikemore

spontaneous,expressiveandpersonalizedlanguageuseandgreatermotivation,


21

participationandauthenticity(Absalom&Marden2004:423).

Whatwecall‘feedback’ofcoursealsorunsinthedirectioncourse/tutortolearnerin

awholerangeofapplicationsfromthemostlyautomatedresponsesgiventolearners

forevaluatingmoremechanicallearningtasksuptothemorepersonalizedfeedback

givenbythetutorinresponsetocreativetaskslikewrittenororalpresentations.

Thesetypesoffeedbackaremostlyincorporatedintothecoursedesignproperand

thereforeoflessimportancefortutoringinthecontextofthismanual(cf.forexample

studiesbyBangs2003,Heift2004,Tsutsui2004).However,asFelixsuggests,there

couldbewaysofprovidingthelearnerwithmorepersonalizedfeedbackeveninthe

moreautomatedformsoftaskassessment(Felix2003:150ff.).Forthedifferent

formsofpersonalizedfeedbackgivenbythetutorthesamerecommendationsapply

asmentionedinthismanualforallformsoflearner‐tutorinteraction.

Creating“feedbackloops”(Felix2003:14)betweenTutors

Background:

Thereisnoquestionthatongoingfeedbackfromlearnersisvitalforthedevelopment

andmonitoringofCALL(cf.Maroulis&Reushle(2005:7),buttheimportanceof

feedbackloopsbetweentutorsmightbealotlessobvious.However,acontinuous

exchangebetweentutorsisnotonlygenerallystimulating,butcangreatlyhelpin

avoidingmistakes,inthesharingofsuccessfulstrategies,exchangeofexperiences

and,lastbutnotleast,itcanlightentheburdenofresponsibility,especiallyifthetutor

isrunningacourseonhis/herown.Thismanualitselfisbasedontutorfeedback

loops,asmanyofitsrecommendationsaretheresultofexchangesbetweenvarious

UNEonlinetutors.

Creatingopenlinesofcommunicationbetweentutorsisalsooneofthemajortasksof

theprogramdirector.Apartfrombeingresponsibleforequalstandardsinmarking

andothermoretraditionaltasks,theyshouldapplythesameprinciplesofdirector‐

tutorcommunicationasisproposedherefortutor‐learnerinteraction:apersonalized

style,encouragingasenseofcommunityamongtutors,immediatefeedback,fostering

tutormotivationandautonomyandlastbutnoleastensuringprogramacceptability

amongtutors.Themoreenjoyable,motivatingandsatisfyingtherunningofthe

coursecanbemadeforthetutorthemoreenjoyable,motivatingandsatisfyingthe


22

courseitselfwillultimatelybeforthestudent.Asmentionedbefore,coursedesign

andprogramsupervisionshouldreallyincorporateandformthebasisofallthe

recommendationslistedinthismanual(foralistoftechnicalskillsaprogram

directorshouldensuretutorshaveseeAppendixII).

Application:

Inthesamewaythatlearnersshouldbecomeautonomousandpro‐activein

approachingtheirlearning,tutorsshouldtaketheinitiativeinapproachingother

onlinetutors,evenifitmeanscontacting“thecompetition”atotheruniversities.Alot

ofthereallynitty‐grittyevery‐dayexperiencesofanonlinetutordoesn’tfinditsway

intotheliterature(oronlyinabstractedform),andit’sexactlyonthismundanelevel

ofdailyactivitythatthetutorismostlikelytoencounterdifficulties.Needlesstosay,

aregularexchangewithcolleaguescanbearotherco‐operativefruitaswell.Tofeel

leftaloneinthefaceofoftennewtechnologiesandnewpedagogicalchallengescanbe

verydishearteningandleadtoanegativeattitudetowardstheonlineteaching

program,methodand/ortechnology,andthisnegativitywillinevitablyleakintothe

communicationwiththelearners.

Itisalsohighlyrecommendedtoengageinreflectivepracticeandwriteateaching

journalinordertopreserveexperiencesandreflectionsforone’sownreferenceor

fortheexchangewithcolleaguesandtothusraisethelevelofawarenessinwhatis

goingonintheonlineclassroom(cf.Towndrow2004:174;Lewis2006:590).Journal

writingandexchangeswithothertutorscangreatlyenhancewhatcouldbecalled

“teacherautonomy”,theabilitytodevelopthenecessaryskillbaseforonlineteaching

‘ontherun’(cf.Lewis2006:588).

CreatingEfficiency

Background:

Mostofthepointsdealtwithsofar,dovetailwitheachother,andnonesoclearlyasin

thecaseofachievingefficiency.Timeconstraintswillinevitablylimitthenumberof

suggestionsthatcanbeputintopractice,soitisveryimportanttofactorthatinand

combinedoingmorewithbeingmoreefficient.Herethereforeafewsuggestionsfor

savingtime,someofwhichhavealreadybeentouchedupon.

Application:


23

- Ifrelevantenoughforotherlearners,thecomplaint/question/contributionofa

learnershouldbepublishedtothewholestudentbodyinordertopre‐empt

similarenquiries,tocreateasenseofcommunityandtomotivatelearnersbythe

positiveexampleofotherlearners’participation.

- Ontheotherhand,basegroupsshouldbeencouragedtosolveproblemsby

alwaysaskingeachotherfirstbeforeapproachingthetutor.Thispatternof

behaviourneedstobeestablishedrightfromthestart,asisthecasewithallother

patternsofdesiredhabituallearnerbehaviour.

- Scaffoldedadviceleadstomorelearnerautonomyandtolesstutordependencyin

thelongrunandisthereforealsoatimesavingmeasure.

- Generallyspeaking,aninvestmentoftimebeforethecoursesavestimeduringthe

courseasalreadypointedoutinvariouscontexts.

- Itisimportanttobecomeawareoftheefficiencyofcertaintypesofinteractions

andreactaccordingly.TheUNEonlineGermancourse,forexample,introduceda

weeklyconsultationhourwherelearnersweregiventheopportunitytoaskall

sortsofquestionsaboutcoursecontentandcoursestructure.Itturnedoutthat

onlyahandfulandalwaysthesamelearnersusedtheserviceandthatnotmuch

wasachievedmeasuredagainstthetimeputinbythetutor.Thehourwas

subsequentlyabolishedandquestionsansweredbymeansofthediscussion

board,amoreefficientway,asalllearnershadaccesstotheanswersandatall

time.

- Thecorrelationbetweenamountofdirectfeedbackgivenandlearningsuccess

seemsinconclusiveindirectchatatleast(cf.LoewenandErlam2006:2ff.),which

mightbeanindicationthat,generallyspeaking,quantityinfeedbackdoesn’t

necessarilyleadtoqualityoflearning.Itisprudenttoassumethatthemore

informationthetutorputsupondiscussionboards,theannouncementwindows,

thehomepageetc.thelesslikelyitisgivenattentionandreadbythelearners.A

‘garrulous’interactivestylecouldthereforeeasilybecounterproductiveandforce

thetutortoneglectmoreefficientareasofinteraction.Thecombinationofbeing

succinctandwarmandpersonableistheidealrecipeforcommunicative

efficiency.


24

Economyininteractionbyrealisticallyjudgingwhatispossibletoachieveonboththe

partofthetutorandthelearner,prioritisingaccordinglyandthuscreatingefficiency

isawin‐winscenarioforeverybodyinvolvedinthelearningprocess.Itshould

thereforebepartofwhatisreflectedoninthetutor’sjournal,itshouldbeevaluated

attheendofacourseanditshouldbeatopicintutorfeedback‐loops.

CreatingRealisticExpectations

Background:

Becauseonlinetutorsoftenworkwithrelativelyuntriedorcompletelynewteaching

materials,methodsandtechnologies,ormaythemselvesbenewtothejob,itishighly

probablethatacertainamountofstressdevelopsfromnotknowingwhattoexpect,

bothintermsofteachingsuccess,programsuccess/failureandlearneracceptance.

Both,overlypositiveornegativeexpectations,canleadtoanegativeattitudetowards

onlineteachingingeneralorthecourseinparticular.Itisthereforeimportantthat

thetutordevelopsacertainamountofequanimityandlight‐heartednessaround

his/herexpectations.Tutorfeedback‐loopswillcertainlyhelp,butthereareafew

otherstrategiesthatcanbedeveloped.

Application:

Userswillmoreoftenknow“…whattheydonotwantratherthanformulateprecisely

whattheirneedsmightbe…andlearnersneedsaretherefore…oftenperceived

throughareactionagainstoreventheirrejectionoftheinterfacetheywere

interactingwith”(Hemard2003:29).Thetutorthereforehastobepreparedtobeat

theendofaconsiderableamountofcriticismandtakeitinhis/herstride.Rather

thangettingdrawnintoadefensivestanceindealingwithrejectionoftheinterface,

thereneedstobeaconstructiveuseofscaffoldingtechniquestobringthelearner

closertotheacceptanceandunderstandingoftheonlinematerialsandmethods

throughhis/herowninitiativeandparticipation.

Wheretherearerealshortcomingsinanonlineprogrammethetutorshouldtakepre‐

emptivemeasuresaswellasexplainratherthanhidethelatter.Buttherewillalways

besurprisesthatcanaffectatutornegatively.Towndrow(2004:177ff.),forexample,

mentionsapatternofpuzzlingone‐waycommunicationthatdevelopedbetween


25

himselfandChineseonlinelearners,whichturnedouttobeareflectionofculturally

differentcommunicativebehaviourratherthananegativereflectiononhisteaching.

Butuntilhefoundouthewasgreatlyaffectedbywhatheperceivedashisown

shortcomingsindealingwiththesituation.

Therelativelyhighattritionratecommontoonlinecourses(White2003:173;

Hampel&Baber2003:186)couldalsobedispiritingandbetakenastheresultof

personalfailure.Agoodwayofdealingwiththismightbetosetupaspecialvesselfor

learnerstotalkaboutthisissuerightatthestartofthecourse,sothatthetutorwill

getabetterinsightastothecausesoflearnerdrop‐outoverthecourseofthe

semesterandbeabletobetterhelpthemintheirpredicament(andbeforethey

actuallyleavethecourse).Aspecial(andprivate)placetogoto,suchastheforums

called“Kaffeeklatsch”and“ChineseTeahouse”setupforstudentsofGermanand

ChineseatUNE,willencouragelearnerstovoicetheirissuesearlyon.Itcaninclude

learnersfromwithinthecourseoracrossseveralcourses.Forumsliketheseare

especiallyimportantaslearnerswithlowself‐esteem,lowconfidenceandlimited

learnerautonomyarebothmorelikelytodropoutandlesslikelytotalkorbe

proactiveaboutit(cf.Ng,Yeung&YukHungHon2006:227f.).Ifappropriate,the

tutorcanthendisseminateissuesinageneralisedformamongthewholestudent

cohort.

Outlook

Felix(2003:15)writesthat:“…onlinelearningwill[not]everreplaceface‐toface

learningandthereisnosuggestionthatlearningalanguageentirelyonlinecouldever

beseenasideal”.Thereis,however,agrowingnumberofstand‐aloneonline

languagecourses,andblendedorhybridmodelsofcoursedeliveryareincreasingly

prevalent,sothattheroleoftheonlinetutorbecomesevermoreimportant.This

doesn’tnecessarilycorrelatewiththeamountoftutortrainingavailable,especiallyin

itsreallymundane,concreteandpracticalapplication.Itishardtocovertheseareas

withscientificresearch,asalotofadvicethatcouldbegivenisnecessarilybasedon

impressions,one‐offevents,informalevidence,and,generallyspeaking,on

experiencesthatcan’tbequantitativelymeasured.Regardedasscientifically

inconclusivetheyarenotlikelytobepublishedinjournals.However,itisexactlythat


26

kindofadvicethatthetutorwillmostlikelybeseeking,especiallyifthereisadegree

ofisolationinvolved.Thecreationofawebsiteisthereforestronglysuggested(cf.

moreformalorganizationslistedbyHauck&Stickler2006:473)whereonlinetutors

canbothadviseandreceiveadviceonarelativelyinformalbasis,muchlikethe

feedbackgivenaboutcommercialproductsontheinternet,wherequestionscanbe

raisedandthenansweredbyseveralpeopleandtheexchangelaterlistedunder

structuredheadings.Thisisevenmoreimportantastechnologicaladvancesareoften

aheadoftheliteraturegivingteachingadviceaboutthemandthebestwrittenarticles

canbecomemoreorlessobsoleteorhavetobeupdatedwithinjustafewyears(cf.

Hampel&Baber2003,Hampel,Felix,Hauck,Coleman2005,Hampel2006).


27

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AppendixI:TutorSkillsPyramid(Hampel&Stickler2005:317)

AppendixII:ChecklistofBasicTechnicalSkillsforanOnlineTutor

- Basiccomputerskillslikewordprocessing,emailing,workingwiththeInternet.

- MoreadvancedcomputerskillslikecreatingPowerPointpresentations,working

withaudiosoftware(egAudacity,iTunes)andgraphicsoftware(egPhotoshop)as

farasrelevantforthespecificcourse.

- Thoroughfamiliaritywiththeeducationalsoftwareused(egBlackboard).

- Familiaritywithothercoursespecificorcustom‐madesoftware(egconferencing

software).

- Closecontactandcollaborationwithinstitutionalcomputerdepartmentstaffto

askfortechnicaladviceandimprovecoursedesign.

e-tutor manual may 2009etutor manual was developed as part of a larger australian learning and...

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