Reflexões acerca da docência a distância: a teoria na prática

Abstract

This paper discusses teaching in Distance Education (DE), based on a bibliographic review that supports reflection-in-action from the participant observation. It reported the experience lived by the authors, when acting, as a content author and another as a tutor in a distance learning course. The tutor is a graduate student in the course of master degree in education at a public university and was invited to teach as part of their training process. This report, which is characterized as an investigation of the case study validates the conceptual perspective of poly-teaching, by identifying the functions which teachers assume to act in educational processes and cycles offered in DE mode. In the result, it was observed that the teaching practice is interactive and multifaceted in the mediation of learning, the main function of teaching in distance education. This mediation is essential for significant learning of the students. Also, it was recognized from the observation and study of theoretical framework, that teaching in DE assumes different roles, receiving different classifications assigned by different authors, but that the classification of teachers as an author, instructor or tutor of the learning process, is a fairly complex and sufficient to characterize the work of teachers. It was observed that teachers can act simultaneously and articulated in the organization, structuring, planning, guidance, direction, conduct and mediation of knowledge required.