Support from your University tutors
Swinburne Online’s team of academic professionals is dedicated to making your online study experience simple and rewarding. Each unit you’re enrolled in is facilitated by a tutor we refer to as an Online Learning Advisor (also known as an OLA).
Each OLA is an industry specialist; a subject matter expert with extensive professional experience in their field, who has been specially trained for teaching in online environments.
They are your primary source of one-on-one academic support. They will guide you through your course and post weekly activities to help you learn the unit content and provide assistance, feedback and support throughout your studies.
What do they do?
- Manage your online classroom.
- Explain learning materials and activities.
- Lead discussions in your learning group.
- Host webinars on course content and assignments.
- Provide help and feedback with specific assignments.
- Organise extension requests.
- Answer subject and assignment-specific questions via email.
Our OLAs are only ever an email away.
Meet your online tutors
We have over 300 Online Learning Advisors (OLAs) teaching with us, delivering on average of 132 units each teaching period. Amazing, right!? In celebration of World Teachers’ Day, we caught up with some of our dedicated OLAs to learn a little more about them and what it’s like to teach 100% online with Swinburne Online.
Say hello to Rebecca, one of our Education OLAs from the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Rebecca has been teaching with us since 2015!
“I have taught numerous units, Indigenous Education and Perspectives, Play and the Environment, Teaching Literacy but the past couple of years I have focused on Developing the World Through the Arts and Integrated Studies.
I have taught with many OLA’s, Unit Coordinator’s and a handful of Lead Unit Coordinators who bring such expertise to their role. I’m forever learning myself and improving upon my own teaching practice.
One of the most rewarding memories as an OLA has been seeing the power of encouragement and how a kind word can really go a long way. I still have students contact me many years on about a word of encouragement given, most of which I am unable to remember!”
Kristy is based on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, and has been one of our Education OLAs and a Unit Coordinator since 2017.
“Swinburne Online is such a wonderful place to teach, OLA’s are supported, challenged and acknowledged by our Lead Unit Coordinator’s and Program Coordinators. I am privileged to teach 4th year education students, so they are very close to graduating, they are eager to teach their first class, excited to share all of their knowledge and skills and busting to start their new career. As one of their teachers, this is inspirational.
It is so rewarding when past students email to say thank you and let me know they have landed their first teaching position!”
Meet Lauren, a Communication Design OLA from Melbourne, who has worked for Swinburne Online since 2017.
“My favourite thing about working at Swinburne Online is the culture. I really appreciate it, there is so much support for teachers, and it is always trying to be better. It’s very positive and student-centred, and if there were two things I would say about how I like to do my job it would be those two things. Positive and student-centred.
I really enjoy helping students and it’s a privilege to talk about design and art all day. A rewarding moment for me today was getting a lovely email that said “thank you for all the great feedback that helped me push my work further”.
The last unit of study students do before graduating is the Capstone unit, and it is a big deal to have finished the years of study. We really get to know the students, and see their skills and confidence develop as designers, and that’s a credit to the whole team of design OLA’s. This year was a challenge with COVID-19. Throughout this experience, there has been so much growth. Reading emails and comments students have written about how they have felt, really left me in happy tears. There’s nothing more rewarding than being part of that transformational process of education.”
Heidi has been with us since 2019 teaching Public Relations, Media and Advertising. Heidi has also taken on the role of Unit Coordinator for Public Relations Writing.
“My favourite thing about teaching at Swinburne Online is watching the students grow throughout the teaching period. With patience, encouragement and a bit of humour thrown in, students can really come alive as their confidence and skills blossom. It’s a rewarding feeling to play a role in that.
Just recently in a farewell post, a student mentioned that she’s had difficulty with writing given English isn’t her first language. During the teaching period she watched this stigma fall away as she put aside her negative self-talk and gave writing a go. The credit she gave me for helping her to build that confidence brought a tear to my eye! It was extremely motivating.
I feel very fortunate to be in a job where I have the opportunity to help shape students’ learning experience. Swinburne Online is such a supportive place to work. It’s definitely a case of the more you put in, the more you get out!”
Meet Emma, one of our Media and Design OLAs from Bendigo in regional Victoria. Emma has worked for us since mid-2019.
“There is a lot to enjoy about teaching at Swinburne Online. It’s flexible, challenging and gives me an opportunity to learn and grow along with my students.
Teaching at Swinburne Online is rewarding in so many ways, but I think watching students steadily grow in confidence is one of the top thrills. Each teaching period I get to see students find and use their voice. Sometimes this might look like increased discussion board posting or more robust unpacking of concepts. Sometimes it’s marking the final assignment and seeing how far they’ve come. It gets even better when students recognise this change within themselves!”
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