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Is Online Tutoring Better Than In-Person Tutoring?

Now that I have been tutoring almost solely online for more than a year, I have found that there is very little that I can’t do in my online classroom that I can do in person, and others agree.  Given the convenience for both students and parents, I am convinced that more and more demand for online tutoring will be materializing in the near future.  Of course the most important factor in any tutoring situation is still the quality of the tutor (and hopefully I have that covered).  But all things being equal, online tutoring  is easily as effective as in-person and I think that it’s even better.

One of the few challenges that I faced when I began tutoring online was monitoring student off-screen behaviour.  If I asked a student to show me how to construct the solution to a problem for example, I wouldn’t be able to see what the student was doing on paper until they showed me the finished product by presenting their paper to the webcam.  This worked relatively well, except that if the student was on the wrong track, I wasn’t able to correct them until they showed me their work.

In order to try to improve the efficiency of my tutoring and make the best use of session time, I began insisting that students verbalize their actions as they wrote out solutions and attempted to solve problems on paper.  The results were better than I expected.  The verbalization not only helped me get the student on track quickly, it also allowed me access to some of the student’s thinking processes.  In some cases I would allow the student to carry on with their solution even if incorrect, so that I could understand better what their misconception was based on.  Some research shows that an added bonus for the student is that verbalizing can actually contribute to the learning process.

I can safely say that every student and parent that has experienced tutoring in my online classroom has been more than pleasantly surprised with the effectiveness.  Convenience and efficiency are added and significant bonuses. Better understanding, better marks and overall increased enjoyment of chemistry always makes for happy customers.  If you are looking for high quality and convenient chemistry tutoring for you or someone you know contact me for a free half-hour trial.

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Making The Most of Your Online Tutoring Experience

There seems to be a widespread perception that online tutoring is necessarily inferior to in-person tutoring.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  While the quality of any tutoring depends largely on the skills and experience of the tutor, online tutoring can be just as effective as in-person tutoring and when you consider the convenience and cost, even better.  Here are some tips to ensure that you make the most of your online tutoring experience.

  • For best results use a computer with a large screen that is hard-wired to the internet.
  • Make sure that your camera and microphone are both working and turned on.  Some students are shy about being on camera, but visual interaction is key for the success of both the tutee and the tutor.
  • Be ready to enter the online classroom before the scheduled start of the session.
  • Have materials ready to use: paper, worksheets, calculator and any other documents that might be required like a periodic table for example.
  • Send documents and topic information to the tutor well in advance of the session (preferably 24 hours).  When sending documents, pictures will work but good quality scans will show up best during the session.
  • During the tutoring session, verbalize your actions and thought processes as much as possible. This will allow the tutor to know what you are writing and how you are coming to conclusions.  It has also been shown that verbalizing can be a key aid to the learning process.
  • Don’t be afraid to suggest answers, ask questions and actively participate.  

With the right online tutor (me for example), following these simple guidelines will help make your online tutoring experience at least as good as in-person.  Considering the convenience and cost, it will be even better.

Contact me now to set up a free half-hour trial.