In most forms of distance education students are assigned to personal tuto rs who interact with them individually, by electronic or conventional mail, and as a member of a group, by teleconferencing. The best tutors are those able to establish a personal connection and empathic rapport with students, despite the distance between them. They also communicate well, whether through writing or audio- and videoconferencing. And because distance teaching is often undervalued in dual-mode institutions, they tend to be intrinsically motivated, choosing distance teaching for the satisfaction and excitement they derive from it. This excitement usually shows in their interactions with the students and is a source of motivation for the students. Helping tutors develop the skills of distance teaching is an important responsibility of the management of a distance education system. Training should focus on learning about learners and on developing the skills for using distance learning technologies and for facilitating interaction with individuals and groups.

• Michael G. Moore and Greg Kearsley, Distance Education: A Systems View

• F. Gastkemper, K. Schlusmans, and A. Speelman, A Revised Model for Tutoring and the Growing Use of Telematics

• Pedagogy and distance learning
  
• Creating Internet-Based Curriculum Projects
  
• Home study tutors at Athabasca University in Canada.