The different roles the teacher may have to play include:
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Authoring course content: The teacher is generally responsible for this function due to their experience in the given field of training.
- Learning content expert: The teacher may also support other course content authors by providing expert advice. In this case, the teacher's role is to validate the texts once they have been drafted.
- Designer of educational content (i.e. development of learning scenarios): The designer determines course delivery, and develops learning activities and the related assessment schemes, etc. This function can be carried out by the teacher provided that she/he already has, or isplanning to acquire, the necessary technical and pedagogical skills.
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- Tutor* (course monitor) - their mission is to track learner progress during the course and provide them with support. They should help thelearners work through the course, provide encouragement, track their progress, make sure they maintain their study momentum, guide them, answer their questions, and so on. As such, the tutor plays a key role in course delivery. Effective follow-up is vital if learners are to stay motivated and not be tempted to drop out of the course. The role of the tutor can therefore be filled equally well by the teacher, or by another person able to contact the course author should they have to provide detailed answers to a complex question. The role can also be taken on by co-learners.
There are two types of tutoring:
- Proactive tutoring, where the tutor takes the lead by encouraging learners to take part in activities or study meetings in order to fire up their enthusiasm and get them back on track.
- Reactive tutoring, where the tutor waits for learners to contact them and answers their questions or deals with their problems as and when they occur.