Introduction
Distance education is a method of teaching where the teacher bears the responsibility of imparting knowledge and skill to students who do not receive learning instructions orally but who has the flexibility of learning via self-instructional learning media in a place and time governed by his/her own circumstances. Teleconferencing basically entails the communication via electronic links between three or more participants in two or more geographically separated locations. Hence, teletutorials is somewhat different from face-to-face tutorials as all norms inherent in classroom teaching has to be translated through the audio and graphic component to ensure effective and interactive telecommunication. The basic issues addressed in the implementation of a teletutorial includes the hardware, the planning of the session, the tutorial establishment, the meeting protocol and the teaching technique. In all, the fact remains that the most complicated process involved in teleconferencing is that of human communica
tion.
Teleconferencing
With respect to teaching, teleconferencing changes communication patterns. It does require adaptation in behaviour in the communication without visual cues, emotional display, body language and the usual communicative gestures. The teacher must be aware of the subtle changes they must make in their communication in order to be understood and become effective teleconference teacher. Whether the teaching is done face-to-face or in other delivery modes, the teacher is faced with the universal problems in education, namely, the motivation of students, the specification of aims and objectives, the provision of learning activities, the response and giving effective feedback and inducing a favourable learning disposition. The teacher has to develop the teletutorial to effectively incorporate and facilitate for the learning process.
Research has demonstrated its effectiveness for a variety of cognitive task. In general, tasks involving information transmission, problem solving and generating ideas, giving and receiving information, asking questions and exchanging opinions can be done as effectively by telephone as by face-to-face and in some cases more effectively than by correspondence.
The success in the teleconferencing session is attributable to the skill and creativity of the teacher. In order to tackle the listed teaching-learning objectives, the teletutorial session was categorised in pretty much the same way as designing an instructional text; namely a beginning, the main activities and an ending. Firstly, the teacher must provide a structure for the session. The teacher must bear in mind the agenda and work towards facilitating its achievement by:
- (a) ensuring each student gets a chance to speak and avoid simultaneous speaking, cuts short long-winded answers as well as establishing goals and objectives and working towards these goals,
- (b) setting a time frame or time limit for discussions and control the shift in agenda or text. Apart from the written agenda, the teacher verbally move from topic to topic and interjecting any new topics in a certain time,
- (c) controlling the traffic of discussion so that there is smooth interaction and the learning process is clear and orderly, and
- (d) allocating some time for discussions by the students, among the students, beyond the specified topics.
Secondly, the teacher must provide socio-emotional support. This is a kin to inciting interactive participation to facilitate for their learning. In this respect, the teacher must make the students feel comfortable and to invite them into an enjoyable discussion. The teacher has to portray careful listening skill by remembering comments, giving encouragement and positive comments, and acknowledge their contribution and their attention as well as being sensitive to their participation. Since the students cannot be seen, it is imperative that there is constant contact. Acknowledgement of students time and contribution to the discussion and words of praises does wonders to a student's moral and self-respect. Thanking the students for their kind attention and discussion and expressing optimism over the entire groups' performance will leave the students in a motivated mood. It is important that the teacher overcome the sense of alienation experienced during such sessions and create a feeling of omniprese
nce.
Finally, the session has to taper off and establish a sense of achievement so that the feeling is translated into their learning after the teletutorial. In this respect, the teacher must incite independent response to a discussion and together conclude a certain point, allowing for the recollection and digesting of the information; thus facilitating learning.
SUMMARY
Presently, teaching skills and the role of the teacher has to venture beyond the conventional classroom setting. Although a teletutorial session has many common features with face-to-face teaching, the teaching technique involved in teleconferencing all differ in emphasis from face-to-face teaching. Teachers must be aware and sensitive to the teaching styles of teleconferencing.
The teacher who walks into the teleconferencing session and adopts typical classroom teaching style is doomed from the very beginning. It is obvious that whatever gestures and visual ones used in the classroom has to be translated verbally for an effective teletutorial session. Any lack of face-to-face moderator skills will be exacerbated in a teleconferenced meeting. A number of additional skills are required for a teleconference. A formal research on moderator/teacher skill is currently being carried out at the Centre in order to establish a category of skills which will transform the lecturers into better mediators and teachers.
Bibliography
Holmberg, B. (1986). Growth and Structure of Distance Education. Croom Helm, London.
Grimwade, J.R. (1984). "Issues in Teletutoring." Open Campus, Deakin University Distance Education Unit.
Boone, M.E. (1985). Teleconferencing: State of the Art Report. Pergamon Infotech Limited.
Robinson, B. (1990). Media and Technology in European Distance Education. European Association of Distance Education, Open University, Milton Keynes.
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