1. Group Members: Jacqueline Richardson Carel Lewis Gemma Britton
Volunteer Tutor Training
1
Topic 1: Challenges of being an Online Tutor
In groups of three (3) persons, develop a list of challenges of being an online learner and things
you an online tutor can do to minimize the challenges of being an online tutor. Please upload
your response as a word document.
Challenges of being an online learner Things you an online tutor can do to
minimize the challenges of being an online
tutor
(Jacqueline) Staying motivated (Jacqueline) Tutors can provide learners with
continuous progress report and feedback to
keep them motivated.
Promote a community for participants to
learn, share and evaluate each other.
(Gemma) Learners may be from differing
ethnicities and languages and some may
experience confusion in understanding the
instructions and comments offered by others
(Jacqueline) Give clear instructions and
guidance. Ensure the wordings used express
thoughts fully and clearly and represent the
participants in the online environment.
(Jacqueline) Lack of basic computer skills.
Learners may not be familiar with the platform
being used for the course.
(Carel)The question of participants’ skill levels
can be addressed by mandatory orientation
sessions. The “Introduction Forum” is ideal
for this.
(Gemma) Collaboration-Learners may be
hesitant to work with others because there is
uncertainty about the kind of reception they
will receive from their teammates. In addition,
disagreements may surface over appropriate
time and available tools for collaboration.
Online Learners may not be willing to share
personal experiences as part of the learning
process.
(Gemma) Engage and create experiences to
build trust among learners so that each feels
confident and accepted as a valued
participant. Adult learners have a wealth of
experience which can be brought to bear in
the forum and discussions. So it is important
to design not only content but social- related
materials that provide the platform for them to
share their experiences.
(Jacqueline) Tutors should encourage
participants to share and provide avenues
that will encourage the learners to share for
example using ice breakers or sharing their
own experiences and help to set a more
relaxing environment.

2. Group Members: Jacqueline Richardson Carel Lewis Gemma Britton
Volunteer Tutor Training
2
(Carel) Also through group work and the
effective use of questioning.
(Gemma) Managing the learning process.
The learner may experience difficulty in
keeping up with assignments and all the other
requirements of the course.
(Gemma) Remain open and flexible to
student feedback, validate student input by
providing prompt feedback, give assignment
deadlines and positive reinforcement.
(Carel) Online classes pose some significant
challenges for developing community
interaction. In the traditional classroom setting
learners are afforded a diversity of opinions,
experiences, expressions, and ways of
thinking about a topic or concept. It also
implicitly teaches students how to manage
conversations, make complex communication
decisions, and negotiate relationships with
others. These valuable lessons are more
difficult with online learning.
(Carel) Online tutors could make learners
aware of the diversity of opinions and
expression and welcome them. Tutors could
also strongly advise that conversations be
conducted within certain parameters and
should follow etiquette guidelines.
(Carel) Lack of participation by Learners -
Learners should be willing to actively
participate in the course interaction with the
tutor and peers. However, when discussions
and forums are dominated by some
individuals, students can easily log out
because they are not interested or are not
following the discussion.
(Carel) To minimize the challenge of non
participation on the part of the learners and to
increase participation, the tutor can do a
number of things:
- Online tutor should allow participants to
respond freely to the posts put up by others.
- Participants can also generate interest and
interaction by creating their own discussion
threads.
- Clear procedures should be articulated with
respect to responding to classmates’ posts
and are usually given in a list of etiquette
guidelines.
(Carel) Equitable access to online education.
Many people do not have computers or
internet access at home or may only have
limited access due to high costs.
(Carel) The tutor can show compassion and
understanding towards those who experience
regular internet glitches and those who have
to access the program from a cafe’. Once the
problem is known to the tutor reasonable
adjustments can be made to accommodate
the individual learner.
(Jacqueline) Online learners may not be
willing to report problems or difficulties they
may be experiencing in the course.
(Jacqueline) Tutors can assist by contacting
learners that may not be contributing to the
discussion or course activities to find out if
they are experiencing any problems. Then
they should assist where possible to help the
learner resolve their difficulties.