In distance education the student is usually assigned a personal tutor. The tutor interacts with the student on a one-to-one basis. Functions of Tutors in distance Education include the following: discussing course content, providing feedback on progress, grading of assignments/test, helping student plan work, motivating student, answering administrative questions, supervising projects, teaching face-to-face seminars, keeping student records, intervening on behalf of student with the administration, and evaluations course effectiveness. Tutors normally interact with students via writing they may also use the telephone, computer networks or even face-to-face meetings. Overall, tutoring in distance education programs is similar to conventional tutoring. The basic reason for having tutors is to provide students with individual instruction in their courses. Tutors in a distance education program have shown to improve the student completion rate.

In 1976, Gibbs and Durbridge identified the following characteristics of good tutors at the British Open University: excellent subject matter knowledge; good general teaching skills; good communication and social skills; well organized, flexible, patient; able to motivate/encourage students; and commitment to students and program.

Distance Teaching

There are many reasons why distance teaching differs from the traditional classroom. Distance teaching is a bigger challenge for the instructor because of the flow of delay in communicating with students, technology encompassed, student's vulnerability, providing motivation, working closely with a larger group of people including technical specialist, and relaying more on a tutor.

Effectiveness

I personally think that from an instructor's point of view depending on the level of experience teaching in the traditional classroom would be less stressful. Distance teaching seems to encompass more roles for the instructor to follow. However, I think that with a tutor having a greater role in the learning process this makes distance education courses very effective.

Types of Interaction

There are three types of interaction that are practiced in distance education: learner-content interaction, learner-instructor interaction, and learner-learner interaction.

Learner-content interaction is the interaction between the student and the subject matter and presenting material for learning. Students expect to spend most of their time interacting with the subject matter.

Learner-instructor interaction is only between the learner and an instructor. The instructors assist in interacting with the subject matter of the course. Instructors motivate the students to learn the subject matter. Instructors also organize testing and evaluation of the distance learning program.

Learner-learner interaction between classmates is helpful for pedagogical reasons. There are advantages for this kind of interaction, such as, students aiding other students with the subject matter presented.

The value of each type of interaction is important in any distance education program. Although it is difficult to find a good medium that includes all three types.

I think that learner-content is the most important type of interaction because for various reasons we are all taking this class to learn. Especially at a postsecondary level students participate in class to gain knowledge of the subject matter. In a sense learner-content is the main component of the education process.

Review of on-line courses

http://www.unb.ca/web/coned/de/opsyc1023.html
University of New Brunswick, Open Access Learning Program - PSYC1023

PSYC 1023 Introduction to Psychology - II is a 3 credit hour distance education course offered by the University of New Brunswick. It covers a general survey of perspectives and methods in psychology with an emphasis on intelligence &other abilities, lifespan development, personality, stress &health, psychological disorders &treatments and social psychology. Access to a computer with a high-speed modem and Internet connection is required. The course is designed to make full use of the Internet as the basic engine for communications between Instructor and Student. Lectures are provided by a video series broadcast weekly on the Atlantic Satellite Network. The course consists of eight modules which requires the student to participate in the following activities: read a specific chapter from the textbook; view specific episodes from the video series; complete and submit (by email) a specific laboratory activity; complete and submit (by email) a specific written assignment; complete and submit (by internet) a specific review exercise; complete and submit (by internet) a Module Quiz. Following successful completion of the eight modules the student is required to pass a Final Exam. Within each of the eight modules there will be lab and written assignments to submit via email. The lab assignments will be based on computer programs available to the student or on experiments that can be done at home. The lab reports will be short and highly structured. The written assignments may ask the student to respond to a critical thinking question or to explore the Web for information relevant to an issue in psychology. To receive credit for the module the student must also submit a review exercise and a Modular Quiz, both of which will be done on the computer. The student must answer 75% of the Quiz questions correctly to receive credit for completing the module. Each completed module will earn 5% towards the final grade. A final examination (valued at 60%) will be written upon completion of the eight modules; it can be written in Fredericton under the Department of Extension's supervision in the student's home community. The time limit is six months.

I think this class focuses on all three types of interaction but particularly, learner-instructor interaction.

http://education.indiana.edu/~disted/menu.html
Indiana University, distance education program

Indiana University currently offers courses from the Language Education, Counseling and Educational Psychology, and Instructional Systems Technology departments. According to their website, students enroll in Indiana University on-line distance education courses for the following reasons: scheduling, travel time, keeping in contact with active professionals, working toward a graduate degree, and to get a taste of the new technology. From what I have gathered from their website and the reasons listed above, I think that Indiana Universities distance education program focuses more on learner content interaction.

Moore, M. and Kearsley, G. (1996) Distance Education: A Systems View, California, United States: Wadsworth.