Clarifying the Instructor's Role in Online Distance Learning

Experiencing an increased demand for college courses taught over the World Wide Web, universities often encourage faculty to teach courses online. However, the role of the online distance learning (ODL) instructor is ambiguous and often ill defined. This ethnographic case study explores communication processes that affect the roles of the ODL instructor. Interactions among six lead faculty, 18 online mentors, and their students were investigated through multiple methods. Many communication skills required of the ODL instructor are similar to those needed for effective classroom teaching. On the other hand, the online instructor's role does require a paradigm shift regarding instructional time and space, virtual management techniques, and the ability to engage students through virtual communication.