Year: 2008
Type: dissertation
Abstract: In the present study cross-age peer tutoring was implemented in a higher education context. Fourth-year students (N=39) operated as online tutors to support freshmen in discussing cases and solving authentic problems. This study contributes to a better understanding of the supportive interventions of tutors in asynchronous discussion groups. Peer tutor interventions were studied by means of a content analysis scheme based on the e-moderating model of Salmon (2000). The descriptive results revealed that the type of tutor activities varies over the consecutive discussion themes. No evidence was however found for a significant evolution from introductory and social talk to contributions eliciting cognitive processing along the themes. Tutors’ social support seemed to be of continuous importance. Further, cluster analysis resulted in a classification of the tutors into three different subtypes or tutor styles (motivators, informers, and knowledge constructors), which was interpreted as confirmation of tutor-dependent online peer tutoring behaviour.
Author: Marijke De Smet
Language: English
Topic: Online and Blended Learning
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2343830332