Developing Online Tutors and Mentors in Sri Lanka through a Community Building Model: Predictors of Satisfaction

Authors

Charlotte Nirmalani Gunawardena, University of New MexicoFollow
Buddhini Gayathri Jayatilleke, Open University of Sri LankaFollow
Shantha Fernando, University of Moratuwa, Sri LankaFollow
Chulantha Kulasekere, University of Moratuwa, Sri LankaFollow
Mark Lamontagne, Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology (Canada)Follow
Madduma B. Ekanayake, National Institute of Education (Sri Lanka)Follow
Thanaraj Thaiyamuthu, Open University of Sri LankaFollow

Document Type

Other

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of a tutor mentor development program that utilized a community building model to train online tutors and mentors in higher education institutions and professional organizations in Sri Lanka. Based on WisCom; an instructional design model for developing online wisdom communities, this tutor mentor development program which utilized a blended format of face-to-face and online activities in MOODLE, attempted to build a learning community between trainees, both academics and professionals who represented diverse disciplines and organizations. A regression model examined predictors of learner satisfaction, using four independent variables: Community Building, Interaction, Course Design, and Learner Support. Interaction emerged as a strong predictor of Learner Satisfaction explaining 50.2% of the variance in Learner Satisfaction. This finding shows the importance of designing interactive learning activities to support learning online, and contradicts the general belief that Sri Lankan participants would be less likely to interact online because they come from a traditional education system that encourages passivity and reception of ideas from a more learned teacher. Qualitative analysis showed evidence of several types of learning online as a result of collaborative group interaction, as well as issues that contributed to non-participation. Factors that motivated participants to stay engaged in learning could be classified into three categories: (1) general enjoyment, interest and motivation; (2) collaborative learning and community building; and (3) knowledge building. These results suggest that the online learning design based on WisCom led to learner satisfaction and supported interaction and collaborative learning in the Sri Lankan socio-cultural context.

Publication Title

Proceedings of The International Conference on Advances in ICT For Emerging Regions

First Page

145

Last Page

155

DOI

10.1109/ICTER.2012.6421413

Language (ISO)

English

Keywords

Online learning communities, collaborative learning, e-mentoring, inquiry-based learning, Sri Lanka, National Distance Education Systems, faculty development

Recommended Citation

Gunawardena, C. N., Jayatilleke, B. G., Fernando, S., Kulasekere, C., Lamontagne, M. D., Ekanayake, M. B., Thaiyamuthu, T. (2012). Developing online tutors and mentors in Sri Lanka through a community building model: Predictors of satisfaction. In Proceedings of The International Conference on Advances in ICT For Emerging Regions (pp. 145-155). Doi: 10.1109/icter.2012.6421413

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Comments

Preprint version.