Are the Functions of Teachers in e-Learning and Face-to-Face Learning Environments Really Different?

The main purpose of this study is not to compare online and traditional face-to-face instruction merely to prove which one is better, but rather it aims to highlight some of the possible risks and strengths which may help to improve the role of teachers in both methods. The scene consisted of various thematic blocks from a training programme, with teachers who taught two different groups of students, one of them face-to-face and the other online. The study was designed using a quantitative and qualitative methodological combination, and focuses on the dimensions of “theoretical content”, “practical content”, “tutor/student interaction” and “design” of the training activity. As a general conclusion, no important differences were observed in the functions of the teacher in the two teaching methods, face-to-face and online; any differences that might exist were usually a consequence of teacher involvement and of the commitment of the institution in programming the learning process.