Exploring Tutor Experiences of 21st Century Skills during and after COVID-19: An ODeL Case Study (original) (raw)
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International journal of educational development in Africa, 2023
This article reports on a study that explored how an open distance learning (ODL) institution is integrating its online processes in handling e-tutors’ experiences as they transition from face-to-face to blended facilitation. The study examined the following key issues: firstly, conceptions of how the university strategy transitions conventional tutors into its open distance e-learning (ODeL) system; secondly, conceptions of how e-tutors bridge the gap between facilitation and student support; and thirdly, how e-tutors are integrated in the ODeL institution’s system in relation to their personal academic development. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory approach, which relied on documentary sources and the experiences of university e-tutors at the Botswana Open University (BOU) captured through telephonic and online interviews. It is argued that the world is changing due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The changes have been fast, radical, demanding and uncertain. However, ODeL institutions can do more to confront these challenges. The study findings indicated that BOU has positively responded to these changes by relying on its capabilities and strengths. The article provides insights for improved access, success, tutor identities and development. The article ends with recommendations on what could be done to improve learning, teaching and practice as facilitated by e-tutors within ODeL institutions as they recover from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemi
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to the teaching and learning arena and posed challenges to efforts to support student performance. The study aims to identify challenges faced during online tutoring and ways to continue to support the tutoring function to teach and disseminate knowledge to students during lockdown. The study was conducted within a faculty in a higher education institution in South Africa using interviews of lecturers and tutors who were purposively selected. Thematic analysis was used to draw out themes on the challenges faced, support provided and suggestions to improve tutoring in online/blended learning. The study exposed several challenges, including internet connectivity, inadequate knowledge on the use of online platforms, lack of clear guidelines for tutors, disconnect with the students and lecturers on a personal level, insufficient internet data, and students' lack of participation and interest. Further findings supported the need for more innovati...
The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning , 2021
Online tutorials (e-tutorials) have the potential to address challenges that higher education has grappled with for many years, and even more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Africa, increased access to higher education by members of previously disadvantaged groups has caused severe strain on existing infrastructure and posed new challenges for lecturers in the classroom. E-tutorials do not only address infrastructure challenges related to the shortage of physical learning space in universities but also create a platform where students can engage with learning content outside the classroom. This study seeks to investigate the experiences of tutors engaged in an online tutorial programme at a rural university campus in South Africa. We deploy a qualitative approach to make sense of the experiences of the tutors for purposes of developing a focused online tutorial training programme. Data were gathered from selected participants using structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were analysed using the five stages of Salmon's e-moderating framework. The limitations of the study include the limited population sample and the rural context in which the study was conducted. As a result, the findings of the study may not be generalisable to other, non-rural contexts. The findings indicate that tutors need specific training to effectively facilitate learning in an online environment. 1
The COVID-19 outbreak has had serious impact on remote education and service-learning implementation in Taiwan. To alleviate these impacts, the Digital Learning Companion, an online tutoring project, was proposed to bridge the digital divide and learning gap among remote children, while offering university students an online service-learning environment. This project recruited international students as tutors for local children. To explore tutors' perceptions of this project during the COVID-19 pandemic, qualitative research, particularly a case study, was conducted. Adopting purposive sampling, 15 participants were chosen for interviews at the end of the project, and 10 reflective videos were used to reveal further information to supplement the interview results. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings implied that using JoinNet and tutoring journals significantly facilitated the tutoring process, which led to tutors' remarkable development in skills, social relationships, multicultural experience, altruism, social responsibility, self-efficacy, and affective values. However, they encountered some challenges, such as technical problems, communication barrier, lack of tutee information, and short tutoring duration. The solutions to these challenges and insightful suggestions for the project development are pointed out. The results of this study contribute to tutors' cognitive, social, and motivational development, and support the online service-learning-integrated curriculum, which can become a reference for further studies regarding online service-learning implementation to bridge the research gap.
Teacher Education Tutors' Practice in ICT: North and South
2018
s/Proposals submitted to: Cowan, P., Roulston, S., Brown, M., O'Hara, J., and Austin, R. (2018) “Ready or not, here we come!”: Teacher Educators’ Readiness to teach the 21 Century learner. Paper submitted for consideration to EdMedia + Innovate Learning Conference 2018, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Cowan, P., Roulston, S., Brown, M., O'Hara, J., and Austin, R. (2018) Meet the Neighbours across Ireland’s border: Discovering Pre-service Initial Teacher Education Tutors’ ICT Competence. Paper under consideration for ECER 2018, Bolzano, Italy.
International Journal of Technology in Education and Science (IJTES), 6(1), 1-13., 2022
The abrupt transition in teaching and learning styles and the challenges faced by online tutors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are increasing areas of research. At the University of the Western Cape (UWC) preparing for the transition had an impact on tutors who had to make major adjustments to their tutoring. The research presented here investigated the perceptions of tutors and the challenges they faced by restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as they adapted to teaching remotely, and the limitations of access to online resources. A mainly qualitative approach with an element of triangulation was followed, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were applied. All participants agreed that the abrupt transition to online teaching and learning highlighted the type of conversations that should take place to fast track processes and provide greater online resources and support for tutors. These findings agreed with research conducted by international scholars. More research that focuses on tutors and how they were affected by the abrupt transition to online teaching in relation to the provision of data is necessary.
The Tutor’s Role in the Online Training of Preservice Teachers: Tutor and Tutee Perspectives
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology
Aim / Purpose This study examined the perception of the role of tutors in online training of preservice teachers during the COVID period, from the perspective of pre-service teachers and their tutors. Background Because of the COVID pandemic, learning in schools was conducted online, therefore preservice teachers’ practicum also took place online, as did the tutoring process. Methodology The research question was: How did preservice teachers and their tutors perceive the experience of teaching during the COVID period perceived by them; specifically, what was their sense of self-efficacy and satisfaction, and what difficulties did they encounter? This was a quantitative study. The sample included 221 participants comprising 111 tutors and 110 preservice teachers. Data were collected in Israel in 2021. Contribution This study sheds light on the process of online tutoring of preservice teachers by their tutors. Findings The study found that preservice teachers and their tutors perceive...
Mediterranean journal of social sciences, 2021
In the past, the success of Supplemental Instruction (Tutorial Sessions) depends on the tutors and tutees' physical and social relationships. However, the assumption exists that when there are no physical connections between the duos may affect their social interrelationships, impeding the success and intention of SI in the University classrooms. This study, therefore, investigates the current relationships amidst new normal towards SI and students performance. The study is underpinned by attachment theory to unravel the extent, importance and shortcomings of the assumed change in the relationship between the understudied. The study is guided by the Transformative Paradigm (TP) and Participatory Research (PR) to identify the possible dichotomies in their relationships. Purposive selection method was used to select five tutors and five tutees in a selected university in South Africa. Online (WhatsApp, email, and telephonic) interview was used to collect data from the participants. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. The result showed that that; struggles with the use and lack of Internet-of-Things and unstructured work-hours were the significant challenges that affected online tutorial sessions. On the other hand, the study also found out that students need ICT training and devices, including motivation for performance. Therefore, we recommend that training of ICT and provision of devices alongside strong motivation should be ensured.
CELTA tutors’ beliefs about online tutoring practices
ELT Journal
Although a number of studies have explored the experiences of remote English language teaching in response to COVID-19, yet to be addressed is English language teacher-educators’ beliefs regarding their online tutoring practices. This article reports on the finding of a study which attempted to identify tutors’ beliefs about the differences between face-to-face (F2F) and online tutoring and the knowledge and skills required for online tutoring. Data collected through a questionnaire and follow-up interviews reveal that instructional strategies were regarded as a main difference between F2F and online tutoring, followed by the use of technology. However, knowledge about technology and how to use it was believed to be most important for tutoring in an online environment. Implications of the study include creating structured professional learning opportunities for online tutors, incorporating a focus on managing well-being, and developing awareness of the trainees’ sociocultural context.
A Case Study of E-tutors’ Teaching Practice: Does Technology Drive Pedagogy?
This article presents a case study of e-tutoring teaching practice during a 20-week e-tutoring program aimed at improving the English proficiency of targeted students. The study revealed what and why certain online tools were used by e-tutors and investigated how different technological proficiency and face-to-face (f2f) teaching experience shaped e-tutors' teaching practices in cyberspace. Data were collected through transcriptions of each recorded synchronous Skype teaching session, interviews of e-tutors, project artefacts, and e-tutors' weekly memos. Results showed that use of Skype establishes a social presence in e-tutor and e-tutee instructional relationships and that online broadcasting is often equivalent to online teaching for e-tutors who are comfortable and familiar with face-to-face teaching environments. In addition, technology has shaped the teaching practice of e-tutors. This finding implies an adapted framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge for etutors to maximise the benefits of the designed online tutoring environments.