Resumen de Tutor Participation in Technology-Enabled Distance Learning Programmes: Theory and Practice

Kuldip Kaur, Ansary Ahmed, John Arul Phillips

• Recent research on eLearning has emphasised the need for a theoretical foundation for the development of informed instructional practice. Proponents of this view contend that eLearning does not change the goals of education; fundamentally, all forms of teaching and learning seek to develop learner ability to achieve learning outcomes. An important dimension of effective eLearning programmes, therefore, is the way in which tutors – or instructors – utilise sound pedagogical practice to enable learning experiences that help develop essential cognitive and online social skills. This paper focuses on two important elements in eLearning pedagogy: 1) the use of teaching-learning principles in the explication of course content; and 2) the use of effective interaction skills in facilitating online discourse.

  The paper will provide examples of tutor participation in the eLearning component of a number of courses conducted at Open University Malaysia.