Ce travail de thèse a pour projet d’interroger les pratiques de tuteurs en ligne par l'analyse d'interactions tutorales situées étudiants/tuteur produites par le biais d’outils numériques de communication lors de formations institutionnelles à distance et en ligne. L’objectif est de dégager les indices susceptibles d'apporter des éléments de référence pour définir l’intervention tutorale transversale. Il s'agit de comprendre les processus de construction concernant les spécificités des missions du tuteur et les attentes de leur engagement dans l'enseignement et l'apprentissage vers la proposition d’une définition d’un tutorat transversal et de sa mise en place dans les formations à distance pour l’université. Le champ théorique est celui de l'ethnographie dans ses présupposés théoriques (démarche empirique) et par ses pratiques méthodologiques. Nous développons une enquête afin d'observer les interactions au travers des interventions tutorales qui s’attachent à accompagner les étudiants non sur un enseignement précis mais dans un positionnement transversal où se produisent les échanges entre des étudiants de master et une personne tutrice pendant deux années universitaires. La multimodalité des interactions tutorales permettra la constitution de collections de données émises par l'intermédiaire de communication numérique (outils synchrones et asynchrones). Ces données se composent de traces écrites laissées par les étudiants sur les forums de discussion, dans la correspondance par courrier électronique et dans des conversations synchrones. Les actions conversationnelles développées dans ce contexte permettront alors d’interpréter les phénomènes mis à jour lors de l’enquête. Cette recherche offre ainsi l’opportunité de proposer une comparaison entre la fonction académique de tuteur en ligne et la réalité de sa position dans les formations à distance et de soumettre des pistes pour une meilleure intégration du tutorat en ligne dans les formations. L’objectif final étant de proposer un prototype des pratiques tutorales dans la perspective d’une mise en place d'un tutorat en ligne dans les formations numériques universitaires. / The goal of this thesis is to assess the online tutoring through an analysis of tutoring interactions between students and tutors using digital communication tools during distance and online institutional education. The objective is to identify indexes that can be referential in determining cross-cutting tutorial activity. It is an attempt to understand the process of determining the specificities of the missions of tutors and the expectations of their participation in teaching and learning with the view to establish an cross-cutting tutoring activity and its implementation in distance education for the university. The theoretical framework is that of ethnography in its theory (empirical approach) and its methodological approaches. We are preparing a survey in order to observe tutoring-based interactions which focus on guiding students not in a specific discipline, but rather in a cross-section of disciplines, characterised by discussions between Master’s Degree students and a tutor for two years. The multi-modality of tutoring will lead to the collection of data resulting from digital communication tools (both synchronous and non-synchronous). The data will thus be composed of both written traces left by students in discussion forums, email and in synchronous conversations. Conversations carried out within this context will thus enable the analysis of the phenomena obtained during the survey. This study thus serves as an opportunity to compare the academic duty of online tutors and the reality of their place in distance education and to provide the way forward for a better integration of online tutoring into education. The overall goal is to come up with a prototype of tutoring activities with the view to create an online tutoring in digital education.

I och med att undervisningen på distans ökar i popularitet så läggs det större vikt på distansstudenternas välmående. Distansundervisning bedrivs dock i nuläget på ett sätt som motsätter sig studerandes efterfrågan om social gemenskap vilket skapar en känsla av isolering. Att berika lärplattformar med sociala affordanser och element från sociala nätverkssajter är ett försök att öka social närvaro på lärplattformar. I denna uppsats utforskas hur samhörigheten mellan distansstudenter kan förbättras på lärplattformar och vilka affordanser som kan berika lärplattformar utöver de som redan har beforskats. Studien resulterar i 2 element (Integritet och Samarbete), 3 sociala affordanser (Social anslutning, Social interaktion och Profilbyggnad) och 1 innehållsaffordans (Innehållsdelning) som har identifierats utifrån respondenternas preferenser i förhållande till sociala nätverkssajter. Funktionaliteterna som kopplas samman med dessa identifierade element och affordanser gestaltas genom en skiss i resultatet. Detta för att förtydliga hur en möjlig applicering på lärplattformar kan förbättra kommunikationen och den sociala närvaron mellan de studerande. / As distance education is increasing in popularity more emphasis is placed on the wellbeing of distance students. However, distance education is currently conducted in a way that opposes students’ demand for social community, which creates a feeling of isolation. Enriching learning management platforms with social affordances and elements from social networking sites is an attempt to increase social presence on learning management platforms. This essay explores how to improve the relationship between distance students on learning management platforms and which affordances may enrich learning management platforms besides those that have already been researched. The study results in 2 elements (Privacy and Collaboration), 3 social affordances (Social connectivity, Social interactivity and Profile building) and 1 content affordance (Content sharing) that has been identified based on the respondents preferences in relation to social networking sites. The functionalities associated with these identified elements and affordances are presented through a sketch in the result. This is to clarify how a possible application on learning platforms can improve communication and the social presence between the students.

This research project reports on an empirical study on the suitability and feasibility of audio cassette lectures in solving the study problems of adult distance education students. Having reviewed relevant literature on the subject the researcher collected data through: (a) Empirical investigation by contituting a two-group (experimental/control) design. (b) Questionnaires to find out opinions of students on audio cassettes. The study reveals that there is a significnt difference between the academic achievement of students who study via audio cassette lectures in addition to textbooks and face-to-face lectures and those who study through textbooks and face-to-face lectures only. The study therefore validates audio cassette lectures in an integrated study package. Other outcomes of the study are: (a) Suggestions to l.E.M.S. authorities to introduce audio cassette lectures on l.E.M.S. part-time courses. (b) Suggestions to course organisers at 1.E.M.S. to liaise with distance education institutions to adopt their instructional strategies. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

This research project reports on an empirical study on the suitability and feasibility of audio cassette lectures in solving the study problems of adult distance education students. Having reviewed relevant literature on the subject the researcher collected data through: (a) Empirical investigation by contituting a two-group (experimental/control) design. (b) Questionnaires to find out opinions of students on audio cassettes. The study reveals that there is a significnt difference between the academic achievement of students who study via audio cassette lectures in addition to textbooks and face-to-face lectures and those who study through textbooks and face-to-face lectures only. The study therefore validates audio cassette lectures in an integrated study package. Other outcomes of the study are: (a) Suggestions to l.E.M.S. authorities to introduce audio cassette lectures on l.E.M.S. part-time courses. (b) Suggestions to course organisers at 1.E.M.S. to liaise with distance education institutions to adopt their instructional strategies. / Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)