ABSTRACT
Effective teaching requires more than a repertoire of techniques or recipes. The reality is that there is an abundance of “know how” books offering guidance on how to conduct an e-learning experience. These compendia of techniques provide little in the way of a coherent perspective or understanding of the interplay between the collaborative (social) and constructivist (cognitive) dimensions of a teaching and learning transaction. Nor do they provide an appreciation of the elements and unique characteristics of the e-learning experience. The instructor, or if you wish, the facilitator, plays a key role throughout the e-learning experience-even when discourse and activities are largely regulated by the students. The instructor is an everpresent and key person, managing and monitoring the process. There is always a need for an instructor or facilitator to structure, shape, and assess the learning experience, if it is to be more than an informal or fortuitous learning experience.
