Author: Erin Anderson
Posted: 22 Aug 2017
Estimated time to read: 4 mins
Tutoring has been around for centuries. As a one-to-one practice, it complements the traditional teaching environment and is effective for increasing confidence, self-esteem, and ultimately results for many students.
Ever since the ancient Greeks, people have met face-to-face to exchange knowledge, instruct, and discuss; but in an era where most secondary students own smartphones, iPads, and even smart watches, how does this age-old didactic practice not only survive, but thrive?
As with most modern industries, today’s educational environment is adapting and evolving to technology with tremendous pace; and although face-to-face tutoring still exists, online tutoring is quickly moving to the forefront in the profession and here’s a few reasons why:
It’s just more flexible, convenient, and affordable
It’s tutoring when and where you want it. Just ask any mum...it’s tough managing the schedule of one child let alone multiple children. Kids are busy creatures. One has football while the other is at tennis. One daughter has Girl Guides while the other needs picked-up from the cinema. Mums these days seem to spend more time in the car taxiing their children around than doing anything else, so if there’s an opportunity to make life a little easier then why not give it a try.
Online gives you this opportunity. It give you the ability to have your child tutored a little later in the evening or first-thing in the morning before school. It gives you the ability to alter the session time more easily.
Most face-to-face tutors charge by the hour, so tutoring rates can be hefty. Online sessions, however, can run much more flexibly with the options of having anything from a quick call for some homework checking or a longer more in-depth session. It affords you the ability to schedule, adjust, and cancel your sessions much more conveniently, saving both time and money.
Comfort and safety of your own home
Children want to learn when and where they’re comfortable. For many children, that means sitting on the sofa with their laptop or in their bedroom on their tablet. Today’s secondary student understands most aspects of mainstream technology and wants to use it. Like it or not, it’s their comfort zone and, if used positively, can be a great way to learn.
Online tutoring facilitates safer,
comfortable education for all
It’s also the best way to ensure safety and accountability with the tutor. Many tutors booked for first time face-to-face sessions are, in fact, strangers. Despite reputations you’re quite possibly inviting someone you don’t really know into your home and who is potentially not certified safe/DBS checked. This unknown can be a stressful situation for many students and especially for parents.
Many families even feel the pressure to tidy-up and prep the home before a new tutoring session. Online technology alleviates these issues; and if the company provide recordings of the session, your tutor is more accountable and your child can subsequently access each session for revision. All in all, online tutoring facilitates a safer, more comfortable educational experience for everyone.
Access to the best teachers across the country
Whether it’s buying books, searching for shoes, researching antiques, or ordering your food we’re all doing it online...that’s because we can access the best of what we’re looking to find practically anywhere in the world.
Education is no different. Online learning in all capacities, whether for schooling, adult learning, or corporate training is becoming more and more the norm. It, once again, gives you access to any level of topics you’re looking to learn and online tutoring as a complementary form of education fits right into this model. It gives you access to the best network of subject matter experts from across the country and even the world. There’s no longer a need to search for the best maths tutor in your local area...find the right tutor for you from a pool of the best teachers from anywhere.
Irrespective of whether you choose face-to-face or online tutoring. The practice will add to your child’s educational experience; but in a digital age, online gives your child better technological knowledge as well as access to tutoring by anyone, anytime, and anywhere.
