Abstract:

Today, there is a widely shared opinion about the evolution of ICT and enhancement of communication as a social space. These relevant changes have had an impact on the evolution of Distance e-Learning and its spread in Higher Education. Often, e-learning is considered as a way to respond to requests from market, which come from a growing and articulated demand for training, posed by the knowledge society; despite the change triggered by ICT within education and training systems is indeed farreaching.

But experiences at an international comparison are very different among them. We may recognize different theoretical approaches to learning and different phases in the evolution of distance e-learning, due to the progress of ICT. But the creation of platforms, through which to connect an increasing number of learners and teachers, does not solve the problem of knowledge construction. The focus for the essay is: what kind of communicative skills activated by educators can favour the elearning process in a virtual classroom? The way in which teachers manage their interactions (environment, methodology, encouragement, respect, trust etc.) produce different kinds of learning and behavior models. For this reason, we need to focus on a way through which we can analyse the online interaction and the relevance of communicative competences and social and leadership skills for an on line classroom.

On the basis of these premises the essay focuses about the following points:
• What kind of communicative skills activated by educators can favour the e-learning process in a virtual classroom?
• What kind of social and leadership skills caractherize a good educators in an on line environment?

The essay starts with a brief reflection about main dimensions through which we can analyse teaching interaction and learners’ learning (§ 2); to continue with the emotional intelligence (§3). Some final reflections conclude the essay with regard to the relevance of a responsable and ethical communication (§ 4).

Keywords:

Online Teaching, online Interaction, Social skills, Communicative competences, Emotional.