Regulating Tutoring in Distance Higher Education: the Portuguese Experience
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The challenges and the tensions between the Portuguese Open University's Virtual Pedagogical Model and the new legislation on Distance Education. The focus of this presentation is on the tutor role, set by the Virtual Pedagogical model.
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Regulating Tutoring in Distance Higher Education: the Portuguese Experience
- 1. REGULATING TUTORING IN DISTANCE HIGHER EDUCATION: THE PORTUGUESE EXPERIENCE António Moreira Teixeira (Universidade Aberta) Lina Morgado (LE@D - Universidade Aberta) Pedro Barbosa Cabral (LE@D - Universidade Aberta) Maria do Carmo Teixeira Pinto (LE@D - Universidade Aberta)
- 2. Context • Universidade Aberta’s (UAb) Pedagogical Model for Online Education • The role of the tutor in the undergraduate and lifelong learning courses • Portuguese Legislation about DE
- 3. Under graduate courses Max students per group – 60 UAb’s Virtual Pedagogical Model COURSE A Coordinated by a UAb PROFESSOR 1 Virtual Group 1 Course A (max. 60 students) TUTORS Recruited and Trained by UAb UAb Professor 1 … Virtual Group 2 Course A (max. 60 students) Virtual Group 3 Course A (max. 60 students)
- 4. UAb’s Virtual Pedagogical Model and Tutoring Role Tutor skills • Scientific UAb’s Training • Pedagogical (mostly assessment and facilitation centered) • Technological • Social/Communication
- 5. UAb’s Virtual Pedagogical Model and Tutoring Role • Professor defines a curricular plan • Professor defines a tutoring plan • Tutor monitors formative activities • Tutor assess students’ digital artifacts • Tutor registers grades
- 6. Legislation about teaching activities in HE Role Level Professor Catedrático (Full Professor) PhD Professor Associado (Associated Professor) PhD Professor Auxiliar (Assistant Professor) PhD Assistente convidado (invited assistant) Usually Master Leitores (Lecturer) Usually Master Monitores (Monitors) Bachelor students Especialista (Expert) – Professional Higher Education 10 years of professional experience
- 7. Legislation for Distance Education Draft version Final version F2F support by monitors and experts No mention
- 8. Legislation for Distance Education Draft version Final version F2F support by monitors and experts No mention UAb should reinforce its scientific and pedagogical knowledge of DE in the national panorama Continues
- 9. Legislation for Distance Education Draft version Final version F2F support by monitors and experts No mention UAb should reinforce its scientific and pedagogical knowledge of DE in the national panorama Continues Association with an institution with pedagogical capacity in DE Continues
- 10. Legislation for Distance Education Draft version Final version F2F support by monitors and experts No mention UAb should reinforce its scientific and pedagogical knowledge of DE in the national panorama Continues Institutions with pedagogical capacity in DE Continues Existence of experts to support students (F2F and Distance) F2F and Distance are not mentioned Quality of the experts to support students (F2F and Distance) F2F and Distance are not mentioned
- 11. Tensions of the legislation • Initial tension of F2F disappeared • “Support based on an expert” vs “Support based on a course team” • Changes in the Pedagogical Model due to the legislation • Approval from the Quality Assurance National Agency
- 12. Future? developments in online learning • AI motivating less active learners • AI providing information about assessment
Notes de l'éditeur
- For the last 12 years, Universidade Aberta has implemented the role of the tutor in its pedagogical model for online education. However, recently the government has approved legislation about distance education which might have a big impact on the UAb’s Pedagogical Model.
- The teacher of each course assumes the responsibility for the pedagogical and scientific decisions. In this scenario, where we have groups with more than 60 students the professor will assume group 1. While the tutors will be responsible for the remaining groups.
- So what is expected in a tutor? First of all, the tutor needs to be someone with scientific background in the area, usually with a master or even a PhD. But, in order to be a tutor, they must do an online training that covers the pedagogical aspects of distance education and the pedagogical model, but also covers how to use Moodle and how to engage socially in a online learning environment. After passing the course, the tutors can take their role.
- In a nutshell, the information with the learning process is defined by the professor, so learners know what to expect during the course; the professor gives to the tutor a tutoring plan that he or she needs to follow. The tutor monitors the students interaction in the platform and assesses students’ digital artifacts. And finally the tutor also register the grades in the platform. Despite this setting of UAb’s pedagogical model, there was no legislation which recognized the role of the tutor in higher education. So let’s have a look on the pedagogical roles in higher education which are legislated.
- As you can see in this table, we can identify four categories. By the way, this legislation is from 2009 and in its spirit is focused on face-to-face courses. The first one is focused on professionals with a PhD level (and these are the top ones). Then we have those usually with a Master level. Keep in mind that tutors in UAb have a Master or a PhD level. Then we have bachelor students who might be hired (this is quite common in engineering courses with big classes that need to be split; the professor usually hires those form last year who were very good). An then we have this particular role which is related to Professional Higher Education (polytechnics or hogeschool). Looking at this table, from your perspective, where should a tutor be? Now, let’s have a look on the current legislation for distance education.
- The legislation had a period of debate within the academic community. It raised a lot of discussions and right now I want you to reflect with me about the draft version and the final one. This is a recent legislation with less than 2 months. (click) So, the first element is related to F2F support. Remember what you have said about the positioning of the tutor? As we can see, initially they considered the support from monitors (don’t forget that they are bachelor students) and experts (who are typically related to polytechnics). Do you see any reason why this part of the draft version is not mentioned in the final version? (F2F explanation)
- The second point that I want to stress about this legislation is the relevance of UAb in affirming its importance in the DE national panorama. That seems to be acceptable, right? So far so good?
- This third point is very important. Any distance education course needs to be offered either by UAb or by any other F2F HEI as long as they work in association with any other HEI that has pedagogical capacity in DE. So, if we have a legislation that wants to reinforce the UAb’s knowledge in this area of distance education, I would say, that in the next slides, the role of tutor should finally be included, right? It seems to be logic.
- Well, but for some reason the tutor is absent. This is the first of the two points that I want to stress with this slide: why did we kept the experts (related to the polytechnics)? Does it ring any bell? For me it rings those annoying vuvuzelas that are used in the South African Football Stadiums. The second point, is that F2F and Distance support are no longer mentioned. What can you say about this decision?
- Which tensions do you consider that exist between the current legislation and the UAb’s pedagogical model? The tutor can jeopardize the existence of courses based on the UAb’s pedagogical model.
- And my last question is: What is the tension between artificial intelligence or blockchain and the role of the tutor? To give a simple example, UAb has an avatar that provides new information to the learner about assessment and when a they aren’t active (it makes some statements to motivate him/her). Let me use this analogy: the legislation assumes that the train is being operate by an expert who knows about mechanics, but it lacks the notion that the train has a computer inside which is already doing a lot of decisions for the operator. So, it is my believe that the legislator wasn’t aware of the future developments in online learning and this can work like a straitjacket for what we want to reach in online learning.