Abstract:

Distance education has become a vogue enhancing social justice through access to higher education for previously disadvantaged populations; mature students and young people. Given the need to bridge the transactional distance, several innovations have been implemented with the latest being the integrated e-tutor model.

The objective were to investigate the utilisation of the e-tutor model of distance learning in a university describing itself as ODeL- short of Open Distance and e-Learnng institution. The main question was what is the e-tutor's experience of using the model as a tool for enhancing access to knowledge by students from disadvantaged backgrounds and contexts.

The paper is based on an interpretivist paradigm using a self study methodology. The article describes a journey of an e-tutor being taken from pedagogics to heutagogics in 2013. Using self efficacy and agency, the tutor interrogated the availability of internet for students in South Africa through activism on the e-tutor platform and during e-tutor workshops. The main question was to investigate the utilisation of the innovation in a context plagued with wide inequalities.

The findings suggest that proper utilisation of the e-tutor model requires that the pre-conditions of availability of digital infrastructure: internet – data and connectivity, student digital literacy and access to gadgets be satisfied. Students utilisation of the university based student e-mail emerged as important but minimally utilised or its use enforced. Tutor agency is also important in encouraging participation of the student emerged as crucial. Social presence shown by being available and actively participating was important for maximal participation. The most useful tool of the model was the discussion forum followed by the announcements. Overall, the e-tutor model was fulfilling for the tutor when encouraging feedback was given by the students, of success emanating from the intervention by the tutor in student life. e-tutoring has come to stay yet there is need to enhance access to the internet for students for them to fully participate and maximise the envisaged potential.

It is recommended that the UNISA avails internet for free as advertised on its website yet it does not find expression through students getting the internet.

Keywords:

e-tutoring; transactional distance; open distance e-learning (ODeL); internet; discussion