Interação on-line: um desafio da tutoria

Abstract

The growth and the specificities of the Distance Education in Brazil have promoted a number of respects, mainly with regards to the capabilities of the team who elaborate and develop the courses. In this sense the presence of the tutor, despite being questioned, is stated as required. Moreover, studies about his/her participation in the teaching-learning process aim at examining his/her role in monitoring the student, which have as a principle the interactions that his/her performs in AVA. The goal of this research paper is to analyze how the interactions between tutors and students in discussion forums within a Virtual Learning Environment contribute to the cognitive development of the student, based on the findings by Aretio (1999, 2001), Dillenbourg (1999), Costa, Paraguaçu e Pinto (2009), Gallimore e Tharp (1996), Gonzales (2005), Gros e Silva (2006), Primo (1998, 2000, 2001, 2007) Roscoe e Chi [1999?] e Vygotsky (1981, 1989, 2001 and 2008). Indeed, studies about the interactions and their shapes and types, can contribute to the understanding of the tutor functions in Distance Education. The methodology used for performing this online qualitative research has been the case study, involving two data sources: reading, analysis and categorization of tutor s records in discussion forums in chosen disciplines and direct observation of the interactions of tutors in discussion forums available on Moodle environment at UFAL. The search also was developed from bibliographic data surveying and webgráficos, data collection, data analysis and tabulation. The findings suggest that the tutors make use of several types of interaction, not all off then a possible process. However, some studies point to a mutual interaction and collaborative as the most suitable for the tutor in teaching-learning process to follow up students and leading them to participate more effectively.