Fast Track Guide

to

Providing Online Support for Learners - An Introduction

SLN Online Tutor Pack

 

Author:Irene Watt Mitchell

15 June 2000

This section provides a fast-track guide to the Scottish Learning Network's Online Tutor Pack underpinned by the Higher National Unit Providing Online Support for Learners - An Introduction.

Disclaimer

At the time of publishing all web references and internet addresses were correct but the author holds no responsibility for subsequent changes to web page content or URL's referred to.

The fast track method highlights recommended key activities to enable tutors to quickly acquire the necessary background knowledge to prepare for assessment.

This page gives you an overview of what to do. On the subsequent pages you will find further guidelines on each of the specific activities outlined below.

The key to success is to be well organised so here are some tips to help you manage your time successfully.

  1. Plan your work. Allocate yourself some time each week (say 2 hours) and mark this into your diary or timetable and stick to it as far as possible. If you are unable to keep your "appointment" for any reason then allocate an alternative time slot. This way you will become disciplined in your studies and will avoid procrastinating.
  2. Look at the Unit Specification and evidence requirements for the unit in the SLN Tutor Pack or in the Online Version (please contact your facilitator for details of this). Familiarise yourself with the performance criteria required for each outcome so you know what you are trying to achieve.
  3. Visit the recommended sites on the internet and save the web pages to your hard drive or floppy disc for reading offline. (Step by Step Instructions have been provided at the back of this guide if you are unsure how to do this.)
  4. Identify a learner or learners to use as your case study.
  5. Do Assignment 1. This is not compulsory but you could look at this as being your "trial run" as it should prepare you for your Assessment later. E-mail this to your facilitator who will give you feedback on your work. From this you will be able to establish if you are "on the right track".
  6. Look at the requirements of Assessment 1 for Outcome 1 of the unit. Using Assignment 1 as your foundation, add the extra information required for Assessment 1- you may decide to restructure or rearrange your original report. When you are happy with it, e-mail your assessment to your facilitator who will give you feedback.
  7. Work with your learner and build your portfolio of evidence with, what should be, naturally occurring evidence. Your portfolio should cover Outcomes 2 & 3 of the unit.
  8. Write a short summary (commentary) of the evidence contained in your portfolio, explaining what each piece of evidence is. As you do this refer back to the Assessment Guidelines as well as the Performance Criteria and Evidence Requirements in the Unit Specification.

Note - You may choose to complete your portfolio for Outcome 2 and 3 before or alongside your report for Outcome 1 - this will depend on your own preferences and experience. You should advise your facilitator of the approach you would like to take.

Here you will find URLs to useful websites for this unit. These web pages contain information, research papers, discussions and topics which provide a background knowledge to prepare you for the assignment and assessment exercises.

They have been categorised under various headings to help you in organising your research.

GENERAL TOPICS & TOOLS OF THE INTERNET

The Internet

http://www.learnthenet.com - very good guide to the facilities offered by the internet

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/schools/sim/research/netlearn/teaching.htm

E-Mail

http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html

Browsers

http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/12browser.htm

Search Engines

http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/78tutorial.htm

Conferences, Online Forums and Discussion Boards

http://www.deja.com

http://boards.fool.com

http://www.soapbox.com discussion board

Chat Facilities

http://www.icq.com

http://www.webgenesis.com/theglobe/onlinechat/chatwelcome/chatwelcome_p1.html

Video Conferencing (VC)

http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/conference.html

Note - You do not have to visit any of the above sites, but if you are unfamiliar with any of these tools then you may wish to visit the sites to learn about them or experience them. It will be helpful for your assessment report if you are able to discuss some different types of internet tools even if you are not yet in a position to use them.

KEY ACTIVITY LINKS

To visit all of these sites in turn and save them to your hard drive will take approximately 60 - 90 minutes (depending on the size of modem and type of line). This is a "fast-track" activity which provides adequate background information for you to attempt Assessment 1 (see page 7 of this guide). Again, you do not have to visit all of these sites - different ones may be of interest to different tutors - it will depend on your own background and experience. The sites provide information for you to:

Opportunity Scotland : A Paper on Lifelong Learning

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents-w1/lllgp-00.htm

Social Inclusion - Opening the door to a better Scotland

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents-w7/sisu-00.htm

Links on Lifelong Learning

http://www.cti.ac.uk/links/lifelong

Cummings A: "Via Technology to Social Change!"

VISION July/August 1999

http://horizon.unc.edu/TS/vision/1999-07.asp

Paine NL: "Lifelong Learning in the Information Age"

http://www.nw97.edu.au/public/papers/paine.html

Web Based Training

http://www.filename.com/wbt

Web Based Teaching Methodologies

http://snow.utoronto.ca/learn_tech/methods.html

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodg/ctptg/ctptg.html

Teaching on the Net - What's the Difference?

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A1365.htm

The Needs of the Online Learner

http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Learner Perceptions of Electronic Discussion Groups

http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A1367.cfm

"Motivating Students to Use Learning Technology"
Jen Harvey & Nora Mogey

www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/ltdi/implementing-it/motif.htm

OTHER GUIDES AND TUTORIALS

There are many guides and tutorials available on the Web. Try using AskJeeves http://www.aj.com if you have a question or need to find out more.

Note - Take the opportunity to discuss some of the above topics with your facilitator and other members of your group - this will also provide valuable evidence for your portfolio. If you engage in an online threaded discussion you fulfil another requirement in Assessment 1.

ASSIGNMENT 1

This assignment will provide a foundation for Assessment 1 and will also serve to outline and provide evidence for your portfolio.

  1. Identify a learner and a learning programme or course you are familiar with.

  2. Outline an online learning support system for your learner - this could be e-mail, fax and phone support, web support systems and other internet communication technologies. You don't have to have all of them - think about what you can provide and state clearly what you will be using. Justify the reason for your choice.

  3. Your outline should cover the following:

    • the subject of learning programme or course
    • the type of institution
    • method of delivery (i.e. full-time, distance learning etc.)
    • tools learners require - software and hardware

  4. Your outline should also cover how you ensure your learners

    • are properly inducted
    • can use the online tools
    • can access course materials
    • can contact you when they need help and advice
    • can contact and seek feedback and advice from other learners on the course
    • monitor their own learning and progress
    • submit assignments/assessment and other work for feedback and marking
    • discuss issues with other learners and with you and any other experts

  5. Your outline should also address how to

    • monitor learner progress
    • check learner understanding
    • provide guidance and direction to individual learners and groups of learners
    • give feedback on assignments and group discussion on a one-to-one basis and on a one-to-many basis
    • intervene when appropriate
    • motivate learners

Refer also to the SLN Tutor Pack Assessment instructions or the SLN Online Version.

When you have completed this assignment send it as an e-mail attachment to your facilitator who will give you feedback.

ASSESSMENT 1

  1. Choose a key learning activity or programme currently offered by your organisation (one in which you are currently engaged in supporting learners).

  2. Before you start to write your report discuss your choice with your facilitator. You may take into account your previous assignment.

  3. Write a report of between 1500 and 3000 words.

  4. In your report you must:

    • State what the learning activity/programme is
    • Outline the methodology you currently use to support learners during this activity/programme (this may be offline or online)
    • If you do not currently use online support, state why you want to introduce online learning support to the activity/programme
    • Identify the differences in approach which you have to adopt to support learners online
    • Highlight strengths, weaknesses and benefits of online learning support with regard to the activity/programme.
    • State how your choice of tools and techniques will be integrated and used in the learning activity/programme.
    • Provide a strategy for evaluating your learner's learning experience
    • Identify any problems and barriers which will have to be overcome in your organisation to implement your online support programme

  5. Ensure that you justify your recommendations, reasons, actions and choices and where practicable demonstrate that you:

    • have an understanding of current initiatives influencing the development of online learning.
    • have reflected on current and emerging practice in online learning and online learner support
    • have engaged in an online threaded discussion

  6. Provide a bibliography giving details of information sources.

When you have completed this assessment send it as an e-mail attachment to your facilitator.

Quick Guide on WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PORTFOLIO

The following list identifies types of evidence which you could provide. You may come up with other sources of evidence to include.

Try to include authentic and valid evidence. For example a sample blank form may well show the system that you intend to use but it does not prove that you are using it if there are no records on it.

APL evidence may be used provided it is still current and valid.

This is not the one and only way to put together a portfolio of evidence but the fast-track method aims to provide you with guidelines. You should also work with your facilitator who will also guide you in your portfolio building exercise.

You should e-mail your completed portfolio as a series of attachments to your facilitator. Those you can't e-mail you could fax or simply send by post.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO SAVE WEB PAGES TO DISC

  1. When you are at a web page that you wish to save, click on the File menu at the top left corner on your browser and choose Save As.
  2. When prompted choose the location to save your file to (either a folder on your hard drive or to your floppy disc)

  3. You can continue to browse other web pages and save any others you find interesting. Do not read the content while you are online.
  4. When you come offline you can open the page in your folder and you will be able to view it with your browser. You can then print it off if you wish or simply read it on screen. This method saves you time and money.

NOTE: You are not saving the entire website - just the page that you are viewing.

 

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