What is Online Tutoring?
Online tutoring is the use of the Internet for tutoring activities. It is the process by which a student learns via the Internet with the help of a subject matter expert or a tutor. This type of tutoring can make use of several web-based programs to achieve its goals. Some of these programs or applications are email, an instant messaging, online whiteboards, etc. Online tutoring is most effective when voice, video, graphics, and text can all be used at the same time. Through these programs or applications a tutor can send quizzes, receive accomplished exams, send quiz results and recommendations, teach concepts, help/clarify with confusing part of a topic/text, solve problems, help or advice on assignments or homework, assist in applying concepts, etc. Moreover, with online tutoring, students can learn at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes.
Online tutoring can be applied to students of all levels that is from 1st grade to college and further. Parents/students register with a tutoring company and choose one of the several packages on offer. Students can thereafter schedule their classes entirely as per their convenience. The sessions can be held 24/7 basis. There are monthly payments and hourly payment work options. In case, the student is not satisfied with your session, some tutoring companies promises to return the money what you have charged from them.
Requirements for Online Tutoring
For online tutoring, a broadband connection with a minimum speed of 128 kilobytes per second is prescribed. This will ensure that the tutoring process will be smooth. A headset containing a microphone and a speaker to be used in conjunction with voice chat applications is also required. An online whiteboard or a shared screen where the lesson will be posted and discussed and a web camera for videos are also necessary. The tutor has to be technically savvy, since one is required to work in a virtual classroom with digital recorders, whiteboards, chat lines, preparing presentations, notes, and so on.
Being a tutor requires special knowledge and skills in the subject of your interest. Tutors' are typically post-graduates/ doctorates/ graduates with tutoring experience. All prospective tutors are tested for subject knowledge, IQ and EQ. One need to be sensitive to the intellectual and emotional needs of your student(s). Excellent oral and interpersonal communications, adhering to the time schedule, performing duties in a professional and responsible manner, good English, are other requirements most of the tutoring companies look for.
Some companies offer rigorous training and certification process to become certified tutors. All teachers also undergo extensive third party background checks before being recruited. Tutors get rating from their students and those with lower ratings get self-selected out from the system. One needs to be patient and committed to helping others.
Online tutoring subjects
Tutors to cover from pre-school to beyond University. Online tutoring opportunities exist at age 4 and upwards across all primary, SATS, 11+, GCSE, Scottish Standard Grade, AS-A-levels, Highers, Special Needs and all school or college levels, HNC, HND, TEC, Degree, Professional Exams, PhD, Adult learners - all ages and levels. Families, individuals, groups, and Corporate training - business subjects and content individually-tailored for the most exacting commercial clients.
Over 200 different subjects are available for teaching online like Mathematics, geography, geology, history, general studies, philosophy, sciences, languages, music, arts, humanities, economics, and English. Commercial and vocational subjects such as Engineering, Medicine, Business, Law and Commerce. All modern and classical languages, voice coaching and music lessons, hobby classes, etc. English at all levels from basic to beyond university including business letter-writing, creative writing and statistics, elocution, study skills, public speaking, presentation skills, accent removal, etc. Typing, word processing, Accountancy, book-keeping, taxation, etc. All sciences - physics, chemistry, biology plus human biology, zoology, pharmacy, pharmacology, astronomy, etc. Computer languages such as C (and variants), PASCAL, VB, JSP, JAVA, HTML, ASP, SQL, ,IT skills like use of PC's, windows, office programs, spreadsheets, databases, graphic design, computer animation, web-design, etc. All musical instruments from beginners to professional standard, music theory and music as an academic subject, singing and voice production.
The list is endless………..
Tuition fees
Tuition fees vary according to factors like Level being tutored - eg GCSE, Degree etc, Number of students being tutored, Location (some agencies charge different fees for different parts of the country), Subject, Method of delivery, Sitting of lessons, - ie whether the tutor must travel or not and Contractual structure - it can be a bit dearer to go via an agency but there should be more back-up and less administrative work for the client this way.
Pros and Cons
For the tutor, the pros are many:
Online tutors can work from any location equipped with an Internet connection, and at any time of the day or night.
No travelling costs, convenience, lessons at a time that suits tutor and student.
Online tutoring means adding another string to your bow as a teacher -as the Internet becomes increasingly omnipresent, and the demand for online study grows, so will the demand for trained and experienced online tutors.
And of course, for any teacher, learning new skills and developing oneself professionally is usually a hugely rewarding experience.
A good source of supplemental income.
As for cons, the few negatives are:
One is the amount of time that online tutoring takes up, not only in providing constant learner support and feedback, but in designing new materials for online delivery if you do not already have these ready.
One may have to encounter with extremely different types of students, tackle payments issues, understand foreign accents, handle bad mouthing or bad ratings, etc.
The pay may vary widely, there is no job security.
Another negative is that institutions who implement e-learning often see it as the economical alternative to face to face teaching, and underestimate the amount of hours that an online tutor will need to put in to run a successful online course and underpay them.
One must be prepared to do things occasionally that you won’t be paid for, like answering unscheduled emails or discussion board posts, etc.
Tips for online tutors
Get some qualifications: There are a few organisations offering online tutor training courses, and experiencing an online course yourself can really help you become a good online tutor.
Get more IT training: You will need to be able to answer technical questions and general Internet questions, as well as course-related queries. Be prepared for this.
Never assume anything: First-time online participants will need plenty of support, encouragement and motivational input. Drop out rates for online courses tend to be quite high.
Create the right environment: Spend time on socialisation and group dynamic. An online course will wither and die without it.
Deal with problems overtly: Encourage open discussion of ongoing problems and issues in your online group - be proactive. Set a few simple rules, establish terms/ times of your availability during the course.
Develop participant skills: Work with your learners to explore how knowledge is constructed, assimilated and dealt with online. Help them to gain the skills they need to get the most out of the course.
Reflect and revise: Each course you run will flag up problems, issues and potential for improvement. Listen to your participant feedback and be open to incorporating the best of it into future versions of your courses.
