Online Tutoring – The Good and Not-So-Good

Dave Tan

An increasingly large number of school going students and even experienced professionals willing to acquire new skills are now choosing online tutoring over traditional system of classroom tuitions and training programs. In Singapore, the adoption of online tutoring has been phenomenal and that is the reason why we too are now helping students find the best tutors who can provide one to one tutoring online. While you might have made up your mind to sign up for an online tutoring service, it’s still important to be aware of the both sides of the coin.Online Tutoring
The Good Part 

  • Any student, irrespective of his or her age group, can now get on-demand assistance for academics, linguistic development or specific subjects round the clock in Singapore.
  • Parents have access to hundreds of qualified & certified teachers at one place. There’re no geographical boundaries i.e. you need not limit your choice to teachers in your neighborhood. We at ChampionTutor, for example, enlist tutors only after we’ve cross checked their qualifications and background.
  • The initial setup cost (computer system, web cam, microphone, digital pen etc.) is negligible compared to the savings (travel expenses etc.).
  • The learning curve involved in using an online tutoring interface for learning English or Mathematics in Singapore, for example, is too small. That’s because most students are already acquainted with websites and other tech applications.
  • Students can now opt for Asynchronous Tutoring wherein an Expert Tutor, who’d otherwise be unavailable for hundreds of students wanting to learn from a master on the subject, can post pre-recorded classes or tutorials online. Students can come back with specific queries later.
  • If a student is in need of special focus on a particular subject (Mathematics, for example), he or she can work with a tutor for an extended duration every day.
  • Differently-abled students too can find tutors who specialize in working with them.

The Not So Good Part

  • A student must have primary know-how of using internet and computers.
  • Online tutoring cannot help a student who is unwilling to learn. Parents may need to monitor tutoring sessions to make sure that a student is paying attention or trying to get better with each passing day.
  • Lack of face to face interaction can be a problem for some students, especially those who’re very young.
  • It’s not easy to ascertain whether a tutor with a great profile on the internet is actually as good a teacher and expert on a subject as s/he claims. Unless you’re relying on a reputed agency for tutor search in Singapore, it’s possible you’d end up with someone who’s just average or worse – your child doesn’t like her/him!
  • Students or tutors may not be tech-savvy. Online tutoring works best by sharing videos, podcasts, illustrations, tutorials and other documents with each other. If a student or (worse) a tutor has trouble working with various files, online tutoring cannot be of much help even if a student is willing to learn and a tutor has strong grip on the subject!

Unbounded by time or distance, online tutoring is sure to become even more popular in near future. Now that you’ve understood the pros and cons of virtual tutoring through audio-video interfaces on the World Wide Web, you can make an informed decision.

 

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