A recent study found that online tutoring worked quite well. He analyzed Cignition, used a good study design, and found solid results. Previous research examining computer-based tutors found similar results. But mentoring programs, online or in person, are not without challenges.
Web-based tutoring is also especially valuable for college students. Cherie Mazer, a student at Harvard Graduate School of Education, released a report highlighting the benefits of online college tutors. Their findings indicate that college students enrolled in online programs reported significantly higher grades than students who did not. It was also observed that students receiving tutoring were making progress in “achievement, attitude and retention compared to students without tutoring.
According to the findings, students who received more hours of online tutoring performed better. According to Sadoff and colleagues, disruptions to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased interest in expanding online tutoring for K-12 students. Pedron told me it was her first time tutoring or mentoring someone and she appreciated the two-hour online training session, which gave her tips on how to talk to children and what to do when a student doesn't respond. While it's not impossible to teach practical skills, more interactive tools and creativity will be needed to do so in online tutoring.
I asked Kraft how online tutoring companies claim such huge academic benefits in their marketing materials. Some students benefit from regular in-person tutoring sessions, and others like to know that they can access a tutor just when a task is particularly difficult. Researchers hope that online tutoring can be more powerful if they can increase attendance. Two new studies from Spain and Italy offer encouraging signs that online tutoring can help children complete unfinished learning.
Several of these fundamental online tutoring sessions are offered in languages other than English (often in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese) to help immigrant families. Interestingly, other studies have analyzed and concluded that cheaper online tutoring options from countries such as Pakistan and India were not effective. In his absence, private companies (many of them online tutoring services) have stepped in to meet the demands of students and parents. Keep in mind that there will be low-quality traditional and online tutoring providers who can waste your money and not deliver the results you want.
This is probably the number one reason (aside from COVID) why more and more clients are starting to consider online tutors. While many college students supplement their education by enrolling in free massive open online courses (MOOCs), one-to-one online tutoring programs are also an option for college-level students. So far, we have two well-designed studies where students were randomly assigned to receive online tutoring and their academic progress was measured.
