The Role of the eLearning Student. An Experience: Tutor Online

The Information and Communication Technologies have meant a significant evolution in distance education, thus the roles of the student and the teacher have shifted from a traditional teacher-centred standpoint, to a more dynamic perspective, with the student as the central character. Whereas the role of the teacher has been extensively studied, that has not been the case with the online student. This paper reflects on the role of the online learner and draws some conclusions about the key qualities these students need to be successful in any eLearning setting, from the perspective of the Continuing Education and Specialization course Technologies and Methods in Networked Learning: Tutor Online (TOL), held by the University of Salamanca (Spain) from 2004. Key-Words: eLearning, role of online student, collaborative networked learning, lifelong learning, knowledge building, learner-centred education 1 This work has been partly financed by the Ministry of Education and Science (Spain), KEOPS Project (TSI2005-00960).