Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exceptionally useful resource for educators, 19 Feb 2000
By A Customer
There are at least three sets of people in the teaching profession who should be very grateful for the emergence of this book at this point in time.One is the group at which the book is primarily aimed - those engaged in teaching adults or the older age-groups who are actually going to be called-upon to teach via the Internet, or to design or contribute to Internet-based courses right away. To these people the book will be invaluable and it would be hard to imagine them failing to take advantage of it. But a second group to whom it will appeal will be those just entering the teaching profession at any level who are not already Internet literate. In the decades to come the necessity to include distance-learning expertise of this kind amongst one's armoury of professional skills will be quite simply unavoidable. The Internet is going to become more and more central to the whole activity of teaching no matter how any of us feels about it. To be left behind will be to become a dinosaur, it will be professional suicide. So even if there is no obvious reason why you would need to start thinking about Internet-based tutoring tomorrow, if you are someone just on the brink of a teaching career you would be very unwise, in my opinion, to let pass the opportunity to read a book addressed so precisely to your own practical needs. A general introduction to the Internet (of which there are many) will not look at the issues from an educator's standpoint. It is an opportunity too good to be missed. The third group who will benefit are those who have been teaching for some time and who feel threatened by the emergence of information technology and all the jargon that seems to go with it and want to know, in terms that they can understand, what it is all about and what relevance it might have to their own particular field. All-in-all, this is a timely contribution which will fill not one but several gaps in the realm of teacher education in the information age.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction to online tutoring for the novice, 13 Feb 2000
How to Be an Online Tutor by Julia Duggleby This new publication is a slim, basic volume on the subject: in other words, an ideal starting point for someone completely new to this field, although let's be clear: this is not a technical guide, but an introduction to the broad educational issues of tutoring on line. There are increasing numbers of people keen to learn about this field, and this is the best starting point I have yet come across. The book is written in a refreshingly informal tone: is completely reassuring for those relatively inexperienced computer users and assumes little or no previous use of the web. What the book doesn't set out to do is teach teachers how to teach: the premise it is based upon is that you already know how to do that: this simply helps you translate those skills into the virtual environment. It contains a bag full of tips to help you design an online course, and encourages the use of the web as a learning resource. One of the best features of the book are the case studies, which paint on line learning scenarios that bring the student's point of view to life. Another useful feature are the examples of exercises for learning sets, and ideas for generating different kinds of learning experiences, involving groups of students, pairs, and tutor and student interaction. The book keeps well away from any of the technical issues associated with building an online course, but perhaps a few pointers for the uninitiated would have been useful, as the book does not break down the fear and mystique that teachers often feel when embarking on such developments. However much one stresses that the technical role is different from that of the on line tutor, it does help if the tutor acquires a base kevel of understanding of the technical challenges that may be faced when launching such an initiative. Another aspect that would have been useful would have been evaluations on potential off the shelf learning delivery environments. The volume is thin on the organisational/cultural change/support system issues around the implementation of online learning: others may feel very threatened by the introduction of such initiatives for example, and a lot of support is required from many parts of the organisation. Despite these gaps, this volume is to be highly recommended, it should provide the platform from which you can begin to evaluate the potential online learning has for your organisation (yes, a lot more research and reading will be necessary once you've read this introduction). It certainly hits the right point in the market at the moment: they are many people just beginning to consider opening this door. Reviewed by Jane Horton Distributed Learning Consultant, IBM Learning Services.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confidence boost for new on-line tutors, 17 Feb 2000
By A Customer
As one who has both studied and taught on-line, I can testify to the difference that a sympathetic, knowledgeable and supportive tutor makes to the new student, and to the nervousness with which the new tutor approaches the role. If you have just become an on-line tutor for the first time, or are planning to set up an on-line course, read this book as soon as possible. As a new tutor you will need to know how to carry out on-line the everyday activities of a teacher: how to build relationships with and between your students, how to encourage participation, how to start and stop discussions, how to deal with the shy, the dominating, the aggressive and the just-plain-awkward. Julia Duggleby encourages you to re-interpret your skills in terms of the new medium and to identify where on-line teaching can make a unique contribution. Her advice will give you a clear idea of what you should be doing and boost your confidence in your own skills. If you move on to writing your own course material, you are given guidance in the essential issues you should consider: not only help in deciding what you should teach and how, but in formulating objectives and deciding assessment methods. Teaching and learning on-line can be fun - it can also change your life. Julia Duggleby's professional yet informal approach encourages best practice in this expanding area of education. If you take her advice, you and your students will benefit immensely.
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