Published on: 13/Nov/2020
The new information and communication technologies have transformed teaching and learning environments; virtual environments and new forms of teaching with innovative methodological approaches have appeared. It is in this environment that the new role of the tutor is decisive for the success of the students’ training activity.
When it comes time to choose a Professional Development for Teachers you should consider all the benefits AccuTrain offers. We’re dedicated to helping teachers grow and succeed in their careers.
What is the task of the Online tutor in virtual mode?
The role of the online tutor goes through the dynamization of the group, organization of activities, motivation for the student and the creation of a pleasant work environment that includes experiences for self-learning and the construction of knowledge. Mostly, GCSE Biology Tutor works best in the case of attempting GCSE exam.
Broadly speaking, the functions of the online tutor can be broken down as follows:
Provide motivational guidelines
The tutor must explain in detail the tasks and their importance, seeking commitment and motivation. During the development of the activity in the forum or debate, you must monitor the performance of the participants, providing knowledge, suggesting new paths, encouraging collaboration and stimulating reflection.
Facilitate speech
The tutor should start and maintain a dialogue with the students, frequently participating in online discussions and involving the students in a learning community. At the same time, the tutor must assess the answers and associate them with content, giving appropriate and relevant examples, and drawing attention to the best reasoned answers.
Direct teaching
Beyond promoting debate and participation, the tutor must assume the role of facilitator and content expert, showing himself as a competent professional, capable of identifying ideas and concepts, presenting them in an orderly manner, guiding the discourse, offering new sources of information. , diagnose misconceptions and organize educational activities. In this sense, direct teaching translates into direct and proactive interventions that guarantee an effective and efficient educational experience.
Moderator role
Studies indicate that the frequency and quality of the interventions carried out in an online forum are mainly marked by the moderating activities of the tutor. Thus, the online tutor must organize the forum (objectives, rules, interventions, etc.) and must create a friendly and socially positive environment for a correct and optimal development of collective learning. To the extent that the online tutor responds regularly to the students’ interventions, announces new activities, contributes new materials or encourages discussion, the motivational, social and intellectual aspect is reinforced.
Qualities and skills of the online tutor
The new role of the online tutor requires a number of special skills and qualities to prepare and present an interactive and participatory study program. The most prominent are:
- Flexibility of teaching and learning approaches.
- Empathy with the challenges faced by the online student.
- Extensive knowledge of ICT: keyboard skills, flexible access to the Internet, use of multimedia resources, knowledge of the special features of software for e-moderators, understanding of e-learning environments, etc.
- Ability to establish trust and meaning for the group.
- Communicative ability to promote debates, summarize, reformulate, challenge and receive feedback.
- Ability to involve non-participants, pace the discussion and use time online.
- Sensitivity to value cultural diversity, exploring differences and meanings.
- Authority to give fair grades to students.
Having all these qualities does not guarantee that a face-to-face teacher will become an excellent online tutor; For this, training and practice are also essential.
Preparing for the final degree project
The Final Degree Project is a written document in which you will have to develop a work that consists of an original and unpublished project, directed, with an academic rigor according to the level of studies. The work that you will have to carry out involves a compilation and processing of information related to the selected topic and the experience acquired during the 4 years of the university degree. The subject to choose must be closely related to your studies, so we advise you to choose a subject that you are passionate about so that you get the best out of this work.
To see the information necessary for its completion, access the Virtual Campus and carefully read the following information:
- Teaching guide of the subject: you will also be able to see the reference bibliography.
- Covers for the final degree project: you will have to download it and fill in the information indicated.
- Basic citation guidelines: some degrees follow the APA Standards (6th edition) and others follow the “footnote”.
- Regulations: regulations for the organization and operation of the entire University.
- Specific project work-guide for your University Degree.
- Topic: list of topics to choose from related to your degree.
- Registration: mandatory form with your proposal that you must send to the commission so that a tutor will be assigned to you and he will register you.
Once you have contacted your tutor, the Guardianship Process will begin (which, in some degrees, you can renounce if you wish) and this will guide you in the development of the work. We leave you some tips in case the defense of the TFG is mandatory in your degree.
At the level of studies in which you are, you must be rigorous, and contribute only reliable and verifiable sources to your work. At StudyMind, you have at your disposal an electronic library that you can access as a student. You can search the internet for “digital library”.
Another of the academic databases that can be consulted online is Google Scholar, and another interesting website to search for articles would be Dialnet.
And remember, plagiarism is punishable by the General Regulations of the University. The Turnitin has anti-plagiarism systems and these will be activated at the moment you make the deposit of the TFG in the virtual campus.
Lucky! And if you have any questions, contact your TFG or degree tutor.
Conclusions
Innovation in teaching in virtual spaces requires trained tutors to take advantage of these new learning scenarios. For this, it is essential that teachers become aware of their new role and acquire training to perform it successfully, in order to assist students in their problems, connect those who share interests, promote group collaboration, analyze the effectiveness of the proposed activities and creating knowledge in the community.
And what do you think of the new role of the tutor? Do you think there are more successful experiences in the virtual mode than in the face-to-face mode?