In Search Of The Perfect E-Tutor


Research is constantly reinforcing just how important the e-tutor is to the success of an online course. The courses that provide the best support also have the highest completion rates and the most satisfied students. But what makes an effective e-tutor? How would you know one if you saw one? I go in search of the perfect e-tutor and reflect on just what the job has to offer in return.

Why we need e-tutors

There was a fair degree of consternation in the e-learning industry recently when Cedefop, the European Agency for Vocational Training, reported the results of their 2002 survey of trainers in Europe on the quality of e-learning. Alarmingly, 61% of respondents rated the overall quality of e-learning negatively, as only fair or poor. While not doubting the accuracy of this survey in reflecting the perceptions of trainers in general, these statistics simply don’t reflect the results being obtained from a select, but growing, number of really excellent e-learning offerings. Take You, Your Computer and the Net, an introductory course run by the Open University and currently enjoying its second intake of over 12000 students; or the Certificate in Online Learning, offered by the CIPD, where ‘unqualified learner satisfaction’ has been measured at 93% and completion exceeds 90; or the Sheffield College’s Online GCSE English Course, 55% of whose learners recently achieved A/A* grades, well over four times the national average. What these courses have in common is a commitment to the highest quality of support for students, provided by dedicated professionals who are willing to ‘go the extra mile’.

And learners are telling us just how important an online tutor can be. Way back in 2000, the MASIE Center reported that 88% of learners wanted a tutor assigned for a sophisticated e-learning course, equivalent to a 2-day classroom event. In October of 2001, a survey by the UK-based Campaign for Learning found that only 3% of the population wanted to learn entirely on their own online.

So, not surprisingly, we have seen an increased demand for e-tutors, providing new career opportunities in education and training. What’s more, as we have gained more experience in using e-tutors to support e-learning, we’ve begun to understand the profile of effective e-tutors and where we have to look to find them.




E-Learning's Greatest Hits
E-learnings Greatest Hits
ISBN: 0954590406
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 198

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