The Online-Tutorial in Distance Education

offered by Centres for Distance Education at various conventional universities in Germany

for students of the FernUniversität Hagen

Ulrich Bernath, Carl von Ossietzky University of OldenburgCentre for Distance Education

Institutional setting

• Teaching by faculties of the FernUniversität

• Tutoring by study centres of the FernUniversität and by cooperating centres for distance education at conventional universities

Hagen

Problems of distance

Problem ofdistancein time

Problem ofdistance in space

Our practice of face-to-face tutoring

• regular evening classes (reg)

• day schools on saturdays (sat)

• weekend seminars (wes)

• educational leaves (edl)

reg

sat

edl

wes

Problems of distance

Problem ofdistancein space

Problem ofdistance in time

reg

Problems of distance

Problem ofdistancein space

Problem ofdistance in time

reg

edl

Problems of distance

Problem ofdistancein space

Problem ofdistance in time

reg

sat

wes

edl

Problems of distance

Problem ofdistancein space

Problem ofdistance in time

reg

sat

wes

edlvt

Online tutorials by university centres for distance education

Lüneburg (since 1994)Oldenburg (since 1996)Hildesheim (since 1997)Hamburg (since 1998)Frankfurt (since 1998)Kaiserslautern (since 1998)Saarbrücken (since 1998)Karlsruhe (since 1998)Koblenz (since 1998)

Brig (since 1996)

Conceptual considerations

• Low cost and easy access for students

• Preferably asynchronous communication

• Password protected study groups

• Instructional design of tutorials in all academic disciplines

Major strategic aspects

• Online and/or face-to-face tutorials

• Devision of labour and cooperation

• Professional development

Online and face-to-face tutorials

• Online tutorials are complementary and add to the existing setting of face-to-face tutorials

reg

sat

edl

wes

vt

Online and face-to-face tutorials

• The weights of the different tutorial events will change reg

sat

edl

wes

vt

How to meet the larger numbers of students

Cooperation

• Study centers offer joint and coordinated online tutorials

M

M M

“The student comes first”

...in face-to-face as well as in online settings...