10 Benefits Of Online Tutoring Every Principal Should Know
The benefits of online tutoring are quickly surpassing those of in person tutoring. Recently, the demand for online tutoring in schools has grown rapidly. In part due to the impact of the pandemic on education, online tutoring has become more widespread, popular and effective.
Schools across the country are looking to integrate online tutoring into their strategy. But, with the wide range of tutoring options available, it can be difficult for schools and principals to make informed decisions.
In this guide, we bring our 10+ years of experience as online tutoring providers to discuss the 5 benefits of online tutoring and offer tips and advice to help school and district leaders choose the best approach for their students.
What is online tutoring?
Online tutoring is a modern approach to education that leverages digital technology to connect a learner with a tutor using the internet. It can work for small group tutoring but is more effective one-on-one.
It offers a tailored learning experience that can be adapted to meet individual learner needs. Often, it involves using various tools and platforms to deliver tutoring sessions and provide feedback, track progress and adapt instruction.
Unlike in person, online tutoring allows students to learn from the comfort of their classroom, at their own pace, and at times that best fit their schedules. As it is online, students can access high-quality resources and personalized guidance, regardless of geographical constraints.
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Download Free Now!Types of online tutoring services
There are several different types of online tutoring services, each with its advantages and limitations.
As a school principal, you should use your knowledge of your context, your students and their needs to select the best approach or use a suitable combination of approaches.
One-on-one tutoring
This type of tutoring involves a single student working directly with an online tutor during a session. This synchronous tutoring offers personalized attention and customized lessons tailored to the student’s specific needs.
Third Space Learning provides differentiated one-on-one high impact tutoring for K-8th grade at scale. Students receive personalized instruction from math specialists aligned to state standards.
One-on-one tutoring is proven to have the biggest impact on a student’s progress. Despite the increased cost compared with group tutoring, research suggests the benefits of one-on-one tutoring include that it is more cost-effective as students make more impact in less time.
With Third Space Learning, students receiving one 45 minute weekly session achieved 7 months of math growth in just 14 weeks.
Group tutoring
In this setup, a small group of 3-5 students works with a tutor in a virtual classroom. It allows for collaborative learning and interaction among peers, which can enhance the learning experience.
Online tutors running group tutoring sessions will need to be experienced tutors with the ability to plan engaging lessons suitable for a range of students with different learning gaps and needs. During the online lesson, they will need to deliver personalized learning and feedback to all students in the group.
Online tutoring platforms
E-learning platforms connect students with online tutors and provide a range of tools and resources to support students, such as online whiteboards. They often include features like scheduling, progress tracking, and access to a variety of tutoring resources.
Virtual learning environments
These environments simulate a traditional classroom experience, allowing students to interact with an online tutor and other students in real-time using online whiteboards and other digital tools. They go beyond traditional screen sharing and often include multimedia and interactive activities to make sessions more engaging.
Asynchronous tutoring
Asynchronous tutoring is online tutoring where the tutor and student are not required to be online at the same time. There are benefits to this approach because it’s flexible and good for schools without reliable internet connection. However, this approach does not allow for true personalized learning, such as in-the-moment feedback and adaptive instruction.
How online tutoring works
Online tutoring sessions vary from tutor to tutor and from one tutoring service to another.
A few of the ways online tutoring works include:
Video call: The student and online tutor use Skype, Zoom or Google Meet video chat. Students show their work to the camera and the tutor responds.
Virtual classroom: In a bespoke online virtual classroom, the tutor follows a carefully planned program of lessons. Virtual learning platforms are interactive and work similarly to an interactive whiteboard. Online tutors and students can talk and type to communicate with each other.
Virtual classrooms, such as Third Space Learning’s online math intervention, are one type of online learning style. Each lesson uses interactive tools, mathematical symbols and high-quality headsets to help students and tutors communicate and verbalise instruction and critical thinking.
How online tutoring works with Third Space Learning
While the principle is the same for most online tutoring services, what is included may differ. Here’s how online math tutoring works with Third Space Learning.
Choose your students
Decide how many students need additional one-on-one math instruction. Most schools use our online math lessons for students below grade level proficiency. These students benefit from additional personalized instruction. Test prep tutoring can help learners to succeed in state assessments.
Create your online tutoring schedule
School schedules are busy. Create a tutoring schedule that fits with your school and students.
Pick the session dosage and length to suit each student enrolled in online learning. You can amend your schedule at any time.
Personalize learning
Choose lesson plans for each student from our personalized learning pathways or send us their assessment data and we’ll identify lessons to close their learning gaps for you.
Ongoing assessment in every session ensures students progress through their learning plan at the right pace. Highly trained tutors can adapt teaching in real-time to meet the pitch and pace best suited to the student.
Progress monitoring
Progress monitoring for each student enrolled with Third Space Learning is easy. After every session, schools receive a detailed report for students showing topics covered, skills practiced and progress made.
Reports are available on-demand to help inform whole class instruction or keep stakeholders and parents up-to-date.
10 benefits of online tutoring
Why are schools choosing online tutoring services like Third Space Learning over traditional in person tutoring? Online tutoring provides all the benefits of face-to-face tutoring but with more flexibility and convenience.
Here are 10 key benefits of online tutoring every principal should know:
1. Flexible scheduling
School schedules are challenging. Finding a regular tutoring session slot that schools and students can commit to each week is hard.
Online tutoring helps alleviate some of the stress around scheduling by removing travel for the tutor to the school or library.
Flexibility with Third Space Learning
Third Space Learning offers a flexible tutoring experience:
Timeslots are available before, during and after school;
Session length and dosage are fully flexible;
Sessions can take place on desktops, laptops or iPads;
You can swap timeslots or students at any point.
2. Access to high-quality tutors
Finding experienced tutors with specialized knowledge who are passionate about accelerating progress is hard. It can be difficult to know where to start. With online tutoring, the hard work is done for you.
Using an online tutoring organisation with a rigorous selection process ensures that students can access the best teachers. Qualified and compatible tutors, often with degrees and teaching licenses, are selected to provide quality education. Your students receive the best teaching.
High-quality tutors from Third Space Learning
At Third Space Learning, every STEAM specialist tutor undergoes a rigorous application process and background check. All tutors are either STEAM undergraduates or postgraduates to ensure they have extensive math knowledge for all school grade levels.
Once tutors are selected, they attend an intensive training program to prepare them to deliver our math tutoring program, designed by math experts. Each tutor receives ongoing professional development from teaching experts so they are up to date with the latest and most effective pedagogies to promote mastery of math.
3. Personalized learning
Online tutoring can be tailored to meet individual student needs. Tutors can adjust their teaching strategies and lesson materials based on a student’s specific learning gaps and misconceptions.
Tutors can also adapt the pitch and pace to suit the student improving student success. This personalized approach is harder to achieve in small groups or classroom settings.
Personalization with Third Space Learning
Schools decide which learning gaps to focus on. Tutors use expertly developed lessons to help students cover the standards they need help with most.
Ongoing assessment allows tutors to adapt and differentiate teaching strategies in real-time so students can access the learning and accelerate progress.
4. Increases student engagement
Online learning can make lessons more fun and interesting, helping to increase student engagement.
Some topics like math are difficult for students. As learners progress through middle and high school, the math achievement gap widens and struggling students become more disengaged.
Using interactive online classrooms helps frame learning in a more exciting way for students. Interactive lessons can be personalized to close learning gaps and address misconceptions.
Increasing student engagement with Third Space Learning
One-on-one online tutoring encourages students to be active learners. Our interactive classroom and effective questioning promote a student-centered learning experience. This actively engages students in their learning.
5. Low-stakes environment
In person tutoring can cause anxiety, just like being in class. It can also create fear of giving an incorrect answer.
However, online tutoring creates a low-stakes environment. It can take place in a familiar and comfortable environment for the student.
Building confidence with Third Space Learning
At Third Space Learning, we understand that confidence is key to academic success. Our online tutoring platform is designed to help students build confidence in their abilities through personalized learning plans tailored to each student’s unique needs and goals.
Our platform works on a desktop, laptop or iPad so sessions can happen in an environment familiar to the student to help put them at ease. It supports students of many grade levels, accelerates their math progress, helps develop a growth mindset and builds confidence.
In our safe and supportive online environment, students feel comfortable asking questions, exploring new concepts, and developing a love for learning. This nurturing atmosphere helps students gain the self-assurance they need to excel academically.
6. Progress monitoring
Many online tutoring services track student progress and provide detailed reports for schools. Tracking progress helps adapt tutoring strategies to meet student needs.
Schools can also use progress monitoring from online tutoring to adapt lessons in class for their students.
Progress monitoring with Third Space Learning
After each session, schools receive a progress report for each student in the program. On-demand progress reports help schools identify student’s learning gaps without adding to teacher workload.
7. Cost-effective
Additional travel costs make in person tutoring more expensive than online learning.
Online tutoring platforms often have lower running costs. This means they can offer more competitive and cost-effective pricing.
How cost-effective is Third Space Learning?
Third Space Learning believes math tutoring should be available to all students. Tutoring online means we can keep our precise cost-effective for schools and districts.
Pricing starts from just $21 per student per session.
8. Safe and monitored online tutoring
Online tutoring platforms provide a safe and secure environment. Monitored and recorded sessions ensure quality safeguarding.
This transparency is particularly valuable for schools aiming to meet high safety standards.
Safe online tutoring with Third Space Learning
Third Space Learning records every tutoring session to ensure the safeguarding of students and tutors. Every tutor undergoes extensive background checks so schools can be confident their students are safe in all tutoring sessions.
9. Develop digital skills
Online tutoring improves subject knowledge. It also helps students build their digital skills.
These digital skills prepare students beyond school in a world where digital skills are increasingly valuable.
Digital skills with Third Space Learning
Our online classroom uses interactive tools and helps students develop their digital skills.
10. Flexible one-on-one or group sessions
Online platforms can accommodate both individual and small-group tutoring. Schools can choose the most suitable format based on students’ needs.
Often, small group tutoring is easier in person, with all the students in one room to ensure better student engagement.
However, one-on-one is perfect for online tutoring as tutors can adapt lessons in real time based on the individual’s understanding and progress.
Improved student outcomes with online tutoring
Third Space Learning is committed to student success. Our online tutoring platform is designed to help students achieve improved academic outcomes. By offering personalized learning plans tailored to each student’s needs and goals, we provide the support necessary for students to overcome challenges and excel.
With Third Space Learning, students can:
Improve their math grades and academic performance;
Develop a deeper understanding of complex math concepts;
Build confidence and self-esteem;
Cultivate a growth mindset and a love of learning;
Achieve their full potential and reach their goals.
Our platform offers a range of tools and resources to support student success, including personalized learning plans, interactive lessons, and progress tracking. Regular progress reports and feedback ensure that students stay on track and continue to make strides towards their academic objectives.
Key features of a good online tutoring platform
When selecting an online tutoring platform, it’s important to look for key features that support student success. A good platform should include:
Personalized learning plans: Tailored to each student’s needs and goals, ensuring targeted support.
Expert tutors: Experienced and qualified educators who provide high-quality support.
Interactive lessons: Engaging and interactive lessons that help students develop a deeper understanding of complex concepts and subjects.
Progress tracking: Regular feedback and progress tracking to help students stay on track and achieve their goals.
Accessibility: Compatibility with a range of devices and operating systems, allowing students to access tutoring from anywhere with an internet connection.
By focusing on these key features, schools can find an online tutoring platform that meets students’ needs and helps them achieve their academic goals.
The future of online tutoring
The landscape of online tutoring is continually evolving with technological advancements and changing educational needs.
Here are some trends and developments shaping the future of online tutoring:
Increased use of AI
Artificial intelligence is vastly becoming a go to tool for students and educators. It helps students answer search queries and educators plan lessons.
AI can provide personalized learning recommendations and adaptive assessments, tailoring the educational experience to each student’s unique needs.
Increasingly, tutoring companies are investing in the use of AI tutors to help make online tutoring accessible to as many students as possible.
Mobile learning
With the availability of smartphones and tablets, mobile learning is becoming increasingly popular. Online tutoring platforms are leveraging mobile devices to offer on-the-go learning, allowing students to access educational support anytime, anywhere.
Increased focus on accessibility
Equity in education is a growing priority in schools. Online tutoring platforms are enhancing accessibility features to support students with disabilities and English language learners. Creating accessible features ensures every student has the opportunity to succeed.
FAQs
There are many online tutoring options available for schools to use. However, the best online tutoring site for each school will depend on the aims of the school and the student’s needs.
Some sites specialize in one subject such as math or Spanish. Third Space Learning specializes in math making it a reliable online tutoring site for math tutoring and resources.
Other online tutoring sites are more generalized and often used for private tutoring rather than school-based tutoring. Some of these sites include tutor.com, varsity tutors and wyzant.
Online tutoring is highly effective, but generally, it works best if it’s one-on-one and focused specifically on an individual learner’s needs. Provided the technology is sound and you find a well trained, qualified tutor, it will be more effective than face to face tutoring.
Online tutoring with Third Space Learning can accelerate learning by as much as 7 months progress in just 14 sessions.
Do you have students who need extra support in math?
Give your students more opportunities to consolidate learning and practice skills through personalized math tutoring with their own dedicated online math tutor.
Each student receives differentiated instruction designed to close their individual learning gaps, and scaffolded learning ensures every student learns at the right pace. Lessons are aligned with your state’s standards and assessments, plus you’ll receive regular reports every step of the way.
Personalized one-on-one math tutoring programs are available for:
– 2nd grade tutoring
– 3rd grade tutoring
– 4th grade tutoring
– 5th grade tutoring
– 6th grade tutoring
– 7th grade tutoring
– 8th grade tutoring
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