continued...

Leigh’s article written in 2007 discusses the dichotomy of teacher v facilitator with no mention of moderator. I wonder two years down the track whether Leigh has changed any of his views.




The Australian Network guidelines for effective online facilitation do make reference to moderating but it is the participants moderating each other as a measure of success. Kenshal-Bell (2001) identifies three sets of skills necessary for success. These are technical, facilitation and managerial skills essential for the changing and challenging role of the teacher in online learning. The same article names many others who have identified attributes and skills that build on the attributes and skills of a face to face teacher. It also distinguishes between and identifies challenges both for the facilitation of online learning and the facilitation of online communities. In the same article Hootstein (2002) identifies the four moderation roles of instructor, social director, programme manager and technical assistant. These are not progressive roles, but interchangeable roles that moderators adopt as appropriate to the group/circumstance. Again, I believe that these are the skills that teachers draw on in the face to face arena too.



Just read the article of virtual teams http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Managing_Groups_and_Teams/How_Do_You_Build_High-performing_Virtual_Teams%3F it’s notable how many of the characteristics are the same as those for a community of course apart from the role of leadership.