What are Tutors' Experiences with Online Teaching? A Phenomenographic Study

This study seeks an understanding of how tutors perceived the online part of a blended learning course in the context of teaching English as a foreign language at a German university. To gain knowledge about the ways in which the tutors experienced the phenomenon, a phenomenographic methodological framework was employed. Identified were four different ways of conceiving the online course as: A) a one-way street of communication: to provide students with extra materials to practice individually and for asynchronous communication, B) an add-on to on-campus classes; C) a distant relationship between students and online tutors; and D) an opportunity for tutor's professional development and team communication. The phenomenographic approach allowed to reveal variations of tutors' perceptions of teaching online with a view of enhancing the university curriculum. The findings may have implications for university teachers and educational designers.