Online tutoring services are becoming increasingly popular because of their convenience factor. No longer do students have to travel to school to attend classes.
Instead, they can log onto their laptops or mobile devices at home and access courses via an app.
However, there are also a number of drawbacks that should be considered before signing up for online tutoring.
In this article, we will examine the pros and cons of using an online tutor and whether it’s worth it.
Here in UK, There are online platform for tutors that’s called TutorVista which is one of the best website where you can find any type of teacher like Maths teachers, English teachers, Science teachers etc.
You just need to register on Tutorvista with your email address and choose from all available subjects and then start teaching others.
Many potential tutors enrolled them self’s on online tutor sites. This agency for tutors provides many benefits such as:
- Accessibility – Students who live far away from schools may not get enough time to study due to work commitments. Online tutoring allows these people to learn anytime anywhere.
- Flexible Schedules – Many parents struggle to balance work and family life so having flexible schedules means more free time for both parties.
- Cost Effective – The cost of hiring a private tutor is often prohibitively expensive. However, online tutoring costs much less than traditional methods.
How does tutoring work?
A tutor works independently from the client. He doesn’t interact directly with the learner. Instead he communicates via email, chat etc.
He sends instructions about the lesson plan along with questions asked by the learner. This can give relief to parents who are having trouble explaining concepts to children.
The student has no idea how his lessons go until after the session ends. So if the child feels uncomfortable during the sessions, he won’t know why.
This makes online tutoring very effective but it comes with its own set of problems too. Many tutoring company offers many choice of tutoring platform.
How do I choose my teacher?
When selecting a tutor, you must consider several things such as experience, qualifications, availability, communication skills, language proficiency, time zone difference, location, reputation, and more.
A good way to select a suitable tutor is through referrals. Ask friends who had used similar services previously.
They can help you identify someone trustworthy.
Another option is to ask parents or teachers at school. If possible, talk to them face-to-face rather than via phone calls or emails.
You want to make sure that the person you hire knows what she/he is doing.
What happens when I sign up for an online tutoring service?
Once you’ve selected a tutor, you’ll receive an invitation to join her/his class. After joining, you’ll be able to communicate with him/her via messaging system provided by the site.
Your tutor will send assignments and quizzes to test your knowledge. These tests are usually multiple choice based.
The top 10 online tutoring platforms in the UK
1) MyTutorMe – The best free online tuition service for students, Teachers & parents
MyTutorMe is a free service that allows students to find tutors who can help them with their homework or prepare for exams.
It also provides teachers with an easy way to connect with parents about how they are doing at school.
2) StudyBlue – Find private lessons near you
Study Blue offers over 1 million lessons across 250+ subjects from 200+ top instructors.
They offer a wide range of options including group sessions, one-on-one instruction, and even language exchange programs.
3) Tutor Me! – Learn any subject from home
With over 100 different subject areas covered by qualified professionals, Tutor Me! has something for everyone.
Whether you want to improve your grades, brush up on your skills, or simply gain some extra knowledge, Tutor Me! can provide exactly what you’re looking for.
4) UK Tutors – An online tutoring platform for high schoolers
UK Tutors connects thousands of highly skilled tutors with eager learners around the world.
With its intuitive interface, users can easily search through profiles, request lesson plans, book appointments, pay fees, and communicate directly with tutors.
5) Homework Help – Get your homework done for you by a professional teacher
Homework Help is a great resource if you’re struggling to complete assignments.
This tutoring experience includes step-by-step instructions, video tutorials, practice tests, and interactive exercises.
6) Livemocha – Connect with local professionals and make friends along the way
LiveMocha makes finding local tutors simple and fun. Users can browse listings based on location, price, specialty, and availability.
Once matched with a tutor, communication between student and instructor happens via webcam during real-time conversations.
7) Varsity Tutors – Become a better student at school. current students do it too!
Varsity Tutors was created specifically for current college students. Its mission is to make higher education affordable and accessible to all.
To achieve this goal, Varsity Tutors partners with colleges and universities to create personalized learning experiences for students.
8) Tutorvista – Over 2 million lessons available on one site
Tutorvista is a leading provider of online tutoring services. Their website features hundreds of topics taught by professional educators.
This one of the best choice for students due to the large number of available courses.
9) TutorFind – Finding great tutors has never been easier
TutorFind helps people get better results when studying by connecting them with other motivated individuals.
Through the site’s community forum, members share ideas, tips, tricks, advice, and more.
10) Zoodle – Create customized learning pathways that fit your needs
Zoodle creates custom study paths tailored just for you. Provides best resources for students that are interested in specific fields such as medicine, law, engineering, etc.
Academic tutoring and subjects online courses
This popular platform provides an excellent opportunity for those who have no time to attend classes but still need help completing their coursework. Some core subjects are teach in this online tutoring sites.
This includes :
- English tutors
- Algebra tutor
- Biology tutors
- Chemistry tutor
- French tutor
- Maths and Science lessons
- Playback lessons
- Online language tutors
The advantages of tutoring through online tutoring websites
If you are looking for ways to earn extra money, tutoring might be an option. Many students struggle with learning concepts and find themselves unable to grasp certain topics.
It’s hard to believe there are people out there who haven’t heard of tutoring.
Tutoring is a type of service where a tutor helps a student learn a subject or skill. A tutor teaches someone else and receives payment for their efforts.
Online tutoring services are also known as virtual tutors. They offer a similar service to traditional in-person tutors.
There are many benefits to tutoring though. Students are able to focus on studying while having a tutor guide them through lessons.
Tutoring provides a convenient way to learn that isn’t always possible in school. It’s a flexible schedule that allows students to fit their studies around other commitments.
Tutoring gives students a chance to get ahead in life without having to sacrifice their education.
Here are some more additional benefit :
1. You can choose your own timings.
2. You can choose your preferred medium.
3. You don’t have to travel to the tutor’s location.
4. You are not limited by the tutor’s schedule.
5. You can learn at your convenience.
6. You get access to the best tutors available.
7. You can study at your own pace.
Here are some disadvantages of online tutoring:
- Lack Of Personal Touch – One major disadvantage of online tutoring is lack of personal touch. It lacks human interaction between the tutor and the student.
- High Cost – Another drawback of online tutoring is high cost. The price depends upon the quality of the tutor.
- If you want to hire a good tutor then it will cost much higher than hiring a bad tutor. So make sure that you select only reliable tutors from various platforms.
- No Face To Face Communication – Online tutoring doesn’t allow face to face communication between the tutor and the learner. This makes it difficult to understand each others’ emotions and feelings.
- Limited Availability – There may be times when the tutor is unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances like illness, vacation, etc. In these cases, learners cannot contact the tutor directly.
Choice of payment options for online tutoring
The process of payment can be done by online payment. This method is very easy and safe.
The most common methods include credit cards, debit card, PayPal, bank transfer, cash deposit into account, cheque/draft, postal order, direct debit from bank account, eCheck, and others.
Some of these payments may require additional fees depending upon the country.
For example: In Australia, it will cost $0.30 per transaction; however, if you use a MasterCard then it will only charge $0.20 per
Prompt payment and payment gateway are two important factors when choosing an online payment system.
The promptness of payment depends on how fast the customer wants his funds transferred. Payment gateways ensure secure transactions.
You should check whether the website has been certified by any regulatory body before using its services.
Rate of commission : Online education and offline tutoring sessions
Here in UK, hourly rates for teaching online are usually between £10 -£15 per hour. The rate varies according to the level of expertise required.
In addition to the above mentioned fee, there could be charges levied by the company providing the service. These charges vary based on the number of hours spent working on each assignment.
For instance, companies like StudyBlue provide free assignments which they pay for. However, they charge a small amount for every completed task.
If you want to avail some exclusive service offered by the company, then you need to pay extra money.
This might seem unfair but this is what happens with all businesses.
So, make sure you understand the terms and conditions clearly before signing up.
Grading system for online tutorials and private tutorials sessions
For online tutorials students grade are also important. You have to decide your own grading criteria.
Some people prefer giving marks out of 10 while other give marks out of 5 or even 1 point.
It’s entirely upto you as long as you explain everything clearly to the student.
There are many websites where you can find different marking schemes.
However, I would recommend sticking to one standard because it helps both parties to communicate effectively.
Effort over grades are one of the major reasons why students fail their exams. So, try not to get too attached to the scores that you receive.
Make sure you keep yourself updated about the latest trends so that you don’t fall behind.
Does parents have other concerns from tutors?
Having some concerns about the safety of online tutoring platforms, we asked our readers what were their biggest worries. Here are some answers:
- Privacy issues
- Lack of communication skills among tutors
- Unreliable quality of work
- Poor feedback mechanism
- Lack of professionalism
- No accountability towards clients
- Not having access to previous projects
- Lack of transparency
- Fraudulent activities
- Lack of experience
- Lack of knowledge
This is why companies for tutors do background-checked tutors. In order to maintain standards and avoid fraud, most companies ask potential tutors to submit references.
This high-quality tutors are always available especially in some largest tutor platforms here in UK. Their online tutoring resources are very helpful for those who struggle with certain subjects.
Tutors are responsible for delivering good results to their customers.
They must deliver excellent content at an affordable price. This way, they earn more revenue.
They must be able to answer questions related to their subject area. If they cannot solve these problems, then they will lose business.
Advice for parents
Online learning for your children are becoming popular day by day. It has become easier than ever to learn new things without leaving home.
Parents should encourage their kids to use online tutoring services whenever possible. Online tutoring allows them to study anywhere anytime.
You may think that your child needs to spend time studying alone. But if he/she studies using online tutoring platform, then he/she won’t miss any class.
Especially in this time of Covid-19 Pandemic, Online tutoring market is booming. Parents need to take advantage of this opportunity.