You’ve probably heard the expressions “Sage on the Stage” and “Guide on the Side.”

The “Sage on the Stage” refers to the classical view of an instructor or professor as someone who lectures to a class full of students. The Sage, full of wisdom, instills knowledge to the learners through one-way delivery of information.
	(Courtesy of Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison)

The term “Guide on the Side” signifies a partnership in the learning process. The Guide works at the student’s level, facilitating learning in a more learner-centered environment. The Guide induces knowledge rather than instilling it. He or she asks questions instead of merely giving knowledge. The Guide focuses on student participation rather than the presentation of information.

Obviously, the Sage and Guide characterizations represent the extreme ends of the continuum of instructor roles. Most instructors fall somewhere in the middle, sometimes imparting wisdom and sometimes guiding learning. Nonetheless, to achieve high quality learner–learner interaction in distance education courses, the instructor must adopt more characteristics of the “Guide on the Side.” The instructor facilitates learner–learner interaction by structuring the activities for dialogue, guiding student discussions, and monitoring the impact of the dialogue on comprehension and application of the course content. As a Guide, the instructor no longer maintains an authority role, except to help keep interactions on target.

Leading successful learner-learner activities in the traditional face-to-face classroom requires “guide” skills, tools, and an attitude of trust in students. Giving up the authority in the classroom can be daunting. Successful facilitation of learner-learner interaction activities in distance education is similar, though different skills and tools are needed.

Jeff Culbertson is a professor of Food Science at the University of Idaho. He has taught food science courses over the Internet since 1996. Jeff uses chat sessions for class discussions. Listen as he describes how his skills have matured as he gained experience.

Culbertson on the instructor's role (1:15)

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But to be the "interactor" means more time, right? Here are some ways to help instructors manage their workload when teaching distance courses.

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