A prática do tutor e sua constituição como educador na educação à distância.

Abstract

This dissertation presents a discussion about of the educational practice of tutors in long distance learning, where recent proposals in education are becoming increasingly of education are beeing configurated from technology information and communication mediated by a computer network. Distance learning education and its practice denote changes in education that imprint n the education process acquiry knowledge, with teachers and students connected through a comput network in different times and places. In this context a tutor plays a fundamental role in the process of teaching and learning and in monitoring students' activities via the Virtual Learning Environment. This study intends to know the meaning that a educational practice has for the tutors acting on long distance learning and how these professionals became educators using the virtual space. It a prevails qualitative aspect of the research which involves the participation of three tutors linked to a higher education institution from small towns and was conducted in two stages: interviews with semi-structured meetings and focus. The semi-structured questionnaire was divided into four areas: Trajectories, Professional Practice, The meaning of the profession for oneself /Meanings of Work and Emancipatory Processes Tutor. The meetings will definided focus on three focal areas: Exercise of the profession and professional achievement. The pedagogical issue: the tutor-student relationship and the future of the tutoring profession. Data were recorded and transcribed, using a theorical reference the data analysis by Bardin (1977). Conclude that the main activities described by tutors are: to directing the students with respect to questions regarding the content and functioning of the institution, contribute to students knowledge and stimulate learning process, as well as following the disciplines and help the instructor as need. This educators the EaD as teaching activitie and the regulation of the profession and take the recognized and emancipation of their profession as a way to get recognition, which becomes precarious due to a number of issues including hiring as administrative technician, causing a lack of clarity on their functions in the institution, the temporary hiring as being directly linked to the opening of new classes and course offering to wich excerts tutoring activities and the non recognition of their activities as teaching activities.