Important responsibilities of an online tutor

Image source: http://www.clickonfrench.com/french-course/online-tutoring

Online tutors must be responsible for the effective implementation and conducting of the specific course. Below are three responsibilities that I find very important to the successful implementation of any online program... have a look see...

The Online Tutor - Responsibilities

Image source:  http://www.init.de/en/service
/online-communication

Communicate Effectively

• Have clear and open lines of communication between the tutor and the participant
• Establish the communication rules within the group
• Initiate topics for discussion through the same forum students are expected to use
• Provide constructive feedback and positive reinforcement
• Be accommodating by interacting with the participants pleasantly. The participant should always have the sense that they can approach if any situation arises.

Communication is vital for the clear understanding of the course, knowing what is expected at every step of the way.

   Image source: http://www.cornerstoneondemand.com

Be a continuous learner

• Keep expanding IT skills
• Expand knowledge about new teaching techniques and materials
• Be familiar with the material for the target group of learners

It is necessary for the tutor to search for new technologies to make himself/herself more competent and relevant to the participants of the specific course.

Image source: http://www.dlpmusiceducation.com
/2013/04/23/encouraging-students-to-practice/

Encourage the student

• To learn about and develop new skills
• To collaborate with others in the group
• To be continuously seeking professional development

The student needs continuous encouragement to be a self-directed learner, especially if new territory is being entered into.

EPA Instructional Model - Constructionist Learning Model

http://tomhierck.com/

Learning from Others

http://scoutingeverywhere.wordpress.com/category/learning-by-doing/

Learning by Doing

http://www.uh.edu/discovery/images

Learning through Discovery

I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.

~ Confucius, 450 BC

Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I will learn.

~ Benjamin Franklin, 1750

There is an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and

education.

~ John Dewey, 1938

These are the quotes that resonate in my mind when I reflect on the Instructional Model being promoted in this EPA course.

Firstly I believe that through this course, we learn from others, we learn through discovery and we learn by doing….. This incorporates a lot of theories but Active learning theory is drastically highlighted. The most applicable instructional model I propose  being emphasized is the constructivist learning model. In this model learning is an active process and very self-directed. The tutor acts as a facilitator or guide through the process, relying on hands on and real life experiences from which learning can be further developed. This theory is surrounded among a community of learners (who we certainly are). (Christie, 2005)

Reflections: Challenges of being an online learner with possible solutions

Challenge of being an online learner	Possible solutions
Image source: http://maintenance.io/blog/maintenance-io/time-management/ Being disciplined  and motivated enough to commit to tasks within a specified time frame	Image source: http://www.makeadentleadership.com/time-management-tips.html Time management and setting aside specific time periods to get assignments completed.
Image source: http://www.rmcad.edu/why-rmcad/online-learning The absence of the traditional education; face to face contact, being physically present so that immediate feedback or assistance when necessary	Image source: http://www.visioncritical.com/blog/deciding-community-size Be in frequent contact with the other learners in the group, developing a sense of community, through posting and responding to varying discussions. The instructor should also provide timely feedback.  Individuals may not be physically present but their presence is felt... or seen :)
Image source: http://andthatswhyyouresingle.com/2013/04/14/why-testing-a-man-will-almost-always-backfire/frustrated-woman-at-computer-3/ Feeling of inadequacy, “always playing catch up”, not “in the know” with the updated technologies	Image source: http://www.fullcontactcampus.com/ Become knowledgeable with the use of new technologies, through workshops and courses (such as this one) and even through the use of videos such as YouTube. Understand that as a learner, you may have to practice and practice before you get it right.  The race is not necessarily for the swift but for those who endure to the end.