Gordon Joyes

The eEducator Module: A New Approach to the Training of Online Tutors

Abstract The School of Education, University of Nottingham (UoN), UK and Beiwai Online, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) Beijing, China have been engaged on a collaborative research project to develop a generic module for the training of online tutors globally as part of the eChina-UK programme with funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. This has led to a learner centred approach to the training that takes analysis of transitions within the learning and teaching process as a key focus. It provides trainee tutors with a range of online reflective analytic tools to support their developing understanding of effective practice in order to consider appropriate support for these transitions. This article describes the rationale behind the design of the various components and activities of the tutor training module including aspects of the development process and the research pilot into localisation at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.

A reflection on a collaborative process of courseware development

This paper draws upon the experience of supporting the development of teaching and learning materials for use within civil and structural engineering departments in higher education. It describes a European funded project SteelCAL that aims to develop and share new learning technologies based materials across the sector. It also describes the rationale for the participatory processes that were involved and the issues that emerged as a result of using this approach. What is of interest are the genuine benefits gained from involving lecturers in the curriculum development and the evaluation process. However there is also evidence that the participatory process is problematic when complex computer based learning materials are to be developed. There are implications to be drawn from this for the development of materials for use within other initiatives, for example, the e-university within the UK.