BACKGROUND:
·
Online tutoring1 is the process of tutoring in an online,
virtual environment or networked environment in which teachers and students are
separated by time and space;
·
Live online tutoring2 is the process of tutoring in an online
environment, with teacher and student interacting in real-time without
necessarily being in the same place.
This option presents a significant technical challenge. However, it attempts
to mimic in-person interaction as closely as possible, rather than simply
facilitating knowledge transfer.
·
A tutoring agency3 is a business that acts as an intermediary
between people who are looking for tutors and tutors wishing to offer their
services
INTRODUCTION
There has been a great increase in the number of high-school, and college students
receiving online tutoring. However, it seems that a greater
number of students have never received any online tutorial assistance before,
and are unaware of the benefits of online tutorial assistance. As such, the objectives of this posting are:
·
To increase awareness of online tutoring;
·
To promote the use of online tutoring; and
·
To point our audience in the direction of
selected online tutors.
ONLINE TUTORING
vs IN-PERSON TUTORING4
·
If you have never used an online tutor, you
might have concerns about how well online tutoring works. For example, you may be worried that a
difficult math question might be easier to explain in person.
·
Despite these concerns, online tutoring has many
benefits that in-person tutoring cannot provide. As technology improves, online tutoring is
finding ways to overcome its past challenges.
TUTORING
PLATFORMS FOR ONLINE TUTORING5
If you want to tutor online, there are many different
paths and options. From using a simple application like Skype to using a full
featured tutoring platform and marketplace, tutors have a wide range of
choices. Some of the top online tutoring platforms available today include:
• Tutor
Universe
• Chegg
Tutors (previously called InstaEDU)
• WyzAnt
• TutorsBox
What equipment do YOU need to start tutoring
online? 6
Having the right equipment ensures that you can give a
smooth and professional lesson online. Here is a rundown of the equipment
needed:
·
Webcam
·
Microphone
·
Internet Speed
·
A decent PC/Mac
·
Lighting
·
Software
HOW DO ONLINE
TUTORING SERVICES WORK?7
Every service is different, but most follow the same
basic model:
Once you have registered, you simply select the topic and
grade level you need help with and the system will give you a list of qualified
tutors. From there you can view a
detailed profile of each tutor, send an introductory email, submit a question,
or schedule a future session. If you are
using an on-demand service (which allows us to use cloud computing, storage,
etc.), the system will automatically pair you with an available tutor and drop
you right into a live session.
The methods in which the tutors conduct those sessions
vary by company, but the most common are:
·
Video sessions -Students and tutors work together
via Skype or similar video chat. With
Skype, students click on “Share Screen” at “Skype Call” so they can see their
tutor’s screen while the tutor writes;
·
White board -Students and tutors work
together on a shared virtual “whiteboard” which they use to write, draw, and
solve problems in real time. Whiteboards
typically include a built-in text chat feature;
·
Virtual classroom -Students and tutors
work together using a combination of audio, video, and text chat, as well as
shared whiteboard and document sharing tools.”
THE GLOBAL MARKET
FOR ONLINE TUTORING8
The global online tutoring market is divided into four regions
as given below:
North America
·
Has 31.01% of the global online tutorial market
2016;
·
Expected to generate a revenue of $38.89 billion
in 2021.
Europe
·
Has 27.65% of the global online tutorial market
2016;
·
Online tutorial market expected to reach $46.54
billion by 2021
Asia Pacific
·
Has 26.09% of the global online tutorial market
2016;
·
Valued at $21.26 billion in 2016, growing at an
annual growth rate of 15.38%
Rest of World
·
Has 15.25% of the global online tutorial market
2016;
·
Online tutorial market should reach $25.81
billion in 2021, growing at an annual growth rate of 15.73%
Inter-Regional Tutoring9
·
There is online tutoring both within and between
the regions;
·
India, for example, is a leader in providing
e-tutoring at affordable prices, particularly in the area of math, and the U.S.
is the largest consumer of its services
DRIVERS/CAUSES
OF THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN NEED FOR ONLINE TUTORING10
Globally (Including Four Regions listed below)
·
Intense competition among students to secure
enrollments in good colleges and universities
·
Reputed universities are raising their
examination standards, which is driving students to seek online tutoring
services
·
Top vendors in the global online tutoring market
include: Club Z! Tutoring, Fleet Education Services (Fleet Tutors), Huntington
Learning Center, and Pearson ELT
North America Region
·
The market is growing with a rise in number of
K-12 enrollment rates.
·
Many Test Preparation Centers such as Sylvan
Learning, Princeton Review, and Club Z! Tutoring witnessed an increase in
students from primary and secondary education sectors. These centers and other vendors provide
personalized online learning programs for courses such as mathematics, reading,
and writing, which is driving the market
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Region
·
High quality online tutoring platforms drive market segments
·
Increasing requirements for employment-ready
students have created a need to enhance and modify the education systems
·
Online tutoring platforms act as a bridge by
imparting quality English language and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education
·
Educational institutions in the Middle East are
progressively investing in digital learning technologies to replace standard textbook
education systems
·
Education system in GCC (Gulf Cooperation
Council – including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain,
Oman) incorporates online tutoring services to augment their learning processes
and resources, to increase educational standards.
APAC (Asia Pacific) Region
·
The Online tutoring market in APAC Region is driven
by increasing migration rates among students to more developed countries for the pursuit of higher education.
·
Standardized exams, such as the SAT, the ACT,
the GRE, and IELTS, are often mandatory for students to qualify for
international colleges.
·
With the increased internet and online retail
penetration, students make use of online tutoring platforms to prepare for
these exams.
ROW (Rest of World) Region – also includes Central
& South America
·
Region with fastest growth - with annual growth rate of almost 16%
·
Adoption of online tutoring services mainly for
language learning courses is one of the main drivers in developing countries such as Brazil, Chile, and
Argentina
U.S. SITUATION
The need for online tutoring is expected to reach massive
levels as online tutorials gain popularity and as the nation faces budget cuts
in education:
Market Share & New Models
·
The online tutoring market in North America was
valued at USD 25.27 billion in 2016 – the highest among all four regions10
·
In the U.S.,11
o it
is now easier than ever for kids to find the help they need online. On-demand
virtual tutors are an increasingly popular (and affordable) ways for kids to get
help. Companies like Chegg and Princeton Review are competing against startups
like MathCrunch to win kids’ loyalty and help them succeed.
o Students
are increasingly using their mobile phones to receive tutoring help.
o The
old model of finding a tutor and hiring that person to come to your house once
a week no longer makes sense for this generation of students. They often need
help immediately. “They are now driven
by the devices in their pockets and at home.”
Mobile has transformed the opportunity around tutoring.
Budget Cuts in Education12
Ron Ottinger is the Director of “STEM Next” and serves as
Co-Chairman of the national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) Funders Network. He is
greatly concerned about the Trump administration’s proposed $9.2 billion
spending cut in education and especially its effect on STEM learning. The
expected weakening of government support in education will drive a further increase
in the demand for online tutoring.
ONLINE
TUTORING: A WIN-WIN SITUATION
Benefits of Online Tutoring from Students’ Viewpoint13
Online tutoring offers a plethora of benefits to the
student. Especially where the student is serious about learning, and the tutor is well qualified and experienced, and the platform provides the tools necessary for a productive learning environment. In such a situation, the student should expect the following
benefits:
·
Able to attend a tutoring session from any
location with an internet connection (and from any device if using an
adequately equipped service)
·
Free to schedule his/her session when it best
fits his/her schedule
·
Access powerful one-on-one learning
opportunities from a subject expert of his/her choice
·
Access premium learning tools: video
communication, interactive technology, instant messaging, and document sharing
·
Able to work and learn at a custom, personalized
pace – even if student is a "challenged" or "accelerated"
learner in the classroom
·
Learns in an environment that makes it possible to
ask whatever questions student wants in order to accomplish his/her learning
goals
·
Able to track achievements and progress with
easy-to-use measurement tools
·
Have access to one of the best ways for students
to tackle material and concepts in an individualized forum.
Benefits of Online Tutoring from Tutors’ Viewpoint
13
·
No travel time, can tutor from home
·
Students don't forget to bring materials – as they are at
home with all their books and other resources
·
Tutor can easily share documents with students
·
Better communication between tutor and parents
·
Tutor can reach more students, and build a
stronger 'entrepreneurial' business
·
Tutor can record sessions for review
· Improve skills in working with educational technology
Benefits of Online Tutoring from Colleges’ Viewpoint14
·
Better results for current students make college
more popular with prospective students
This was the experience of Virtual College (VC) at Fort
Hayes State University. VC was created in
1999 and they implemented Smarthinking, Pearson’s online tutoring service in
2002. Enrolment at VC went from 839
(1999) to 1,920 (2004) to 6,323 (2015).
Staff and students agree that the effectiveness of their online tutoring
service played a key role in ensuring better student performance, which
attracted more potential students to VC.
THE BEST ONLINE
TUTORING SERVICES OF 20177
Based on curriculum, session options, tutor
qualifications, learning tools, and cost, Reviews.com determined that the best
online tutoring services of 2017 are provided by:
No. 1: WebWise Tutors
|
No. 6: Chegg Tutors
|
No. 11: Eduboard
|
No. 2: Skooli
|
No. 7: TutaPoint
|
No. 12: TutorVista
|
No. 3: Club Z! Tutoring
|
No. 8: Growing Stars
|
No. 13: Wyzant
|
No. 4: Eduwizards
|
No. 9: Princeton Review
|
No. 14: e-Tutor
|
No. 5: eTutorWorld
|
No. 10: MindLaunch
|
No. 15: Buddy School
|
ADDRESSING
ISSUES RELATING TO ONLINE TUTORING
Technology
Disadvantages of online tutoring that have been reported13
include:
·
Sometimes difficult to share materials;
·
Loss of body language and other signals;
·
Inefficient communication;
·
Technological barriers for clients;
·
Possible interruption in service;
·
Possible expense of platform.
Most if not all of these issues will be addressed as
students gain access to better tools already available, and as technology comes
up with even more advanced tools.
Cost and Marginalized Communities
A key issue relating to online tutoring, or any kind of
tutoring for that matter, is the additional cost it brings to the basic cost of
education. This is of particular concern to people from marginalized, underserved, and impoverished communities. In the U.S., these communities are
particularly vulnerable as the nation currently faces a proposed $9.2 billion spending cut in education.15
Ron Ottinger, Director of “STEM Next” and Co-Chairman of
the national “STEM Funders Network” has suggested a number of things that needs
to be done12 in view of the proposed budget cut. To his list, we would like to add the need to
promote online tutoring.
WHAT COULD BE
DONE TO PROMOTE ONLINE TUTORING & LEARNING DURING HARD TIMES AND IN
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD
· Schools and colleges could learn from the experience of Virtual College (described above) and implement an online tutoring service for their students; Parents, teachers, and others could organize a volunteer /peer tutors network;
·
Parents, teachers, and others could organize
partnerships between children in their communities and selected tutors;
·
Churches and other charitable organizations could
organize fundraising activities to fund online tutorials for children in need;
·
Tutors who have a heart for helping the
marginalized could contact and form partnership with marginalized
communities. One such tutor is Mr. Dan Jetter
who has done work for this Foundation in the past, and is now online
tutoring. Dan focuses on coaching STEM (especially in Chemistry, Physics, &
Calculus) and also SAT/ACT Prep. Dan is based in Warren, N.J. – particularly in
the NJ/NYC Metro Area.
·
Charitable organizations, other NGO’s, and
government agencies could consider running capacity-building workshops for online
tutors
·
We could also consider the tons of educational resources that are available online and could greatly help struggling students. These materials include: excellent video courses (including
MOOCs), electronic resources and simulation models that could help STEM students and
others to easily understand complex phenomena.
With reduced funding where field trips and experimentation become difficult,
electronic simulation would be the next best bet.
o There
is a need to identify this vast quantity of resources, select the best and most
relevant ones, categorize them according to educational levels in the US
education system (as huge amounts of these resources are created by non-Americans,
with a different education system). Online tutors in marginalized communities could be assisted in gaining access to these resources;
o Charitable
organizations could consider organizing workshops to familiarize tutors with above-mentioned resources;
o Charitable
organizations could also consider buying licenses for the use of online resources
(including those that could be downloaded for offline use) – and make the
resources available to tutors. Especially those serving children in
disadvantaged communities.
·
Those in the U.S. and other developed countries
wishing to assist with online tutoring in some of the marginalized areas of the
developing world, may have to work through CPs (Connection Points). These CPs act as
an intermediary between the onliners and the mostly offline locals who are based out of their own homes or, more likely, using computers in local RCs (Resource Centers).
o At the moment IT support is weak and cost of connectivity is too high to make online tutoring a
viable option for many of the people in these marginalized areas
o The
majority of envisioned Connection Points and Resource Centers mentioned above
have yet to be set up and could be something that charitable organizations
could help with
o The major need in these areas is the training and coaching of offline and Resource Center tutors
Three Concluding Thoughts
·
This post shows the online tutoring
industry is a huge one and growing at an exponential rate
·
We wonder whether some (additional) appropriate regulations
could be useful in protecting those involved
·
As we contemplate how far tutoring has
progressed thus far, let’s give a thought for those in marginalized
areas around the world
WHAT NEXT
·
To view details of “the best online tutoring
services of 2017,” please check out the 11th page of this document
·
For guidance on how to find local tutors, please
check out the 14th last page of this (same) document
·
To contact, Mr. Dan Jetter mentioned above, please
contact him via dan@oncalltutor.org or
via www.OnCallTutor.org
REFERENCES
Posted by: Dr. Nat Tuivavalagi
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