The design of the module that you are tutoring on and its role within the broader programme will have a direct influence on the approaches you need to take as an online tutor. Elements of the learning design such as activities and underpinning pedagogical methods will have a direct bearing on your tutoring practice.

You will need to gather information about your module, including the nature and timing of the learning activities and the assessments involved, by reviewing tutor guidance information and module handbooks / spaces in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This will provide you with key information about the activities you will need to undertake as a tutor.

The following extract from the tutor handbook for the online programmes within the Social Work and Social Policy Department provides an example which you can use as a point of comparison.

Click on the first link below to view the extract. As you read, consider:

What factors are particularly relevant to the tutor role?
How do these compare with your own programme?

Click here to view extract

You can view our commentary below.

Click here to show our commentary

Key aspects that you may have noted include:

Induction and orientation

The fact that all students will have completed a two-week induction programme covering aspects such as:

The programme, its structure, and activities
Requirements for attendance and participation
Assessment and feedback
Student support

This will have also provided students with an introduction to the ways in which they will be expected to engage and interact in the modules such as:

How to access and use the resources and activities provided in the Virtual Learning Environment
How to take part in online discussions
How to develop key academic skills such as information literacy, academic integrity, writing and study skills

Depending on how induction activities are structured in your programme, you may be involved in tutoring during such induction modules. Within the Social Work and Social Policy programmes, the tutor role during induction is a prominent one and you can view the details if relevant by clicking on the link below.

Click here to view extract

Social Policy and Social Work online tutor handbook, p.24

For tutors who teach the Induction

This is a two-week module which all students take before starting their first 'main' module. It isn't assessed but it is compulsory. Students have to complete a checklist at the end to confirm that they have worked through it. If a student has been completely absent, or very poorly engaged, they will usually be asked to defer their place until next year.

The main aims for the module tutors are to:

Participate actively and be very responsive – this is about modelling the behavior that we want to encourage in them
Monitor attendance
Alert supervisors to anyone who is missing
Develop the relationship with students

The main tasks during this period are as follows:

In advance of the module starting:

Send a short email to each of the students in your group(s), called ‘Welcome to the University of York’. The main purpose of this message is to make sure that they have found their York email account and can send messages from it. A suggested form of words for this email is set out below, but please feel free to modify it.
Open the Unit 1 discussion by putting in an introductory post

During Unit 1

Respond to students in the Unit 1 discussion. During the Induction module it is best to plan on being in the forums and responding each day during Monday – Friday
On the Thursday of Unit 1 (I.e. day 4 of the unit):
- Email any ‘missing’ students, to York email address plus personal email address, to encourage them to join in.
- Do a post in the discussion to remind students to:
  - Reply to the message in their York email account if haven’t already done so
  - Share their Personal Study Plan to their eFolio, if they haven’t already done that
  - Remind those who are missing to join in (mentioning names).
- Monitor attendance: by Wednesday of Unit 1 email supervisors to let them know about any students who have failed to show up, either because they haven’t logged on at all or haven’t joined in with the discussion.
- Open the Unit 2 discussion by putting in an introductory post.

During Unit 2

Respond to students in the Unit 1 discussion
On the Monday or Tuesday, do a reminder about the tasks to be completed during this week.
Also remind them during Unit 2 about what happens next: i.e. that the first unit of the first academic module will start on X (date) with the Orientation unit, and that it’s a very good idea to use this time to look at the module, download the readings and if possible make a start on the reading for Unit 2.

The fact that students will have had the opportunity to take part in familiarisation activities before beginning their substantive modules is important, but note that there are orientation weeks at the beginning of each module regardless of its location within the programme reflecting the importance of socialisation and the need for 'icebreaker' activities, expectation setting and a focus on the development of group approaches. This is not 'taken as read' at the beginning of each module. These issues are covered in unit 4.

Regular module structure

There is a clear 'pattern' to the way that the modules are structured through the programme and this is reflected in how the tutor tasks are outlined. You can view the details of the tutor's 'weekly tasks' if you wish by clicking on the link below (note that these are in addition to introductory tasks during module orientations, mid-point evaluation activities, synchronous 'catch ups with students on a one-to-one basis, and assignment planning activities)

Click here to view extract

A well-designed programme is likely to involve patterns of activities through modules that are clearly communicated to students and that incorporate a clear shared understanding of what students (and tutors) will need to do during the activities. The tutor role may vary depending on the pattern and types of activities (e.g. tutor and student roles; timings; any synchronous element through face-to-face ‘study days’ or web conferencing activities) and the assessments they relate to.

As is the case here, there may well be common structures and timescales involved in the modules and their activities and assessments. Clearly this will have an impact depending on the timing of the module within the programme. You may need to take different approaches to managing/facilitating activities depending on whether they are new to students or whether they have already taken part in similar activities, and you may need to spend more time ‘coaching’ students, developing their skills in taking part or motivating participation accordingly. The timing of assessments and the periods leading up to them is also likely to be important both as a driver for participation and engagement (by ensuring the links to the assessment are made clear) and in recognising the impact that assignment preparation may have on engagement with activities within the module.

Models such as Salmon's (2011) e-moderating framework stress the importance of structure and the need to ensure that there is an incremental approach to developing familiarity with learning activities and approaches, and developing effective communities for learning that promote social, teaching and cognitive presence. Salmon's model attempts to formulate the 'stages' that are required in doing this , stressing the need to support students through activities focused on access and motivation, socialisation and knowledge exchange, before aiming to develop more critical student-led discussion. This is reflected in units 4 and 5 of this resource.

Reference

Salmon, G. (2011). E-moderating. Routledge: Abingdon.
University of York Library Permalink

Connections

Units 4 and 5 are relevant here, in the sense of exploring effective tutoring behaviour where discussion boards are prevalent in the learning design. If you are tutoring on a York Online programme, the following appendix page is also relevant:

Appendix part 3: Supplementary information for York Online programmes

What next?

You will have the opportunity to explore the impact of pedagogical design and the effect that this will have on the activities involved in your module and the actions you will take to guide students through these activities.