What Online tutoring is “Not”- Myths about Online Tutoring

Much of the world we know today has transitioned to an online platform. In the wake of this unexpected global pandemic, online is the new normal. Conferences, interviews, social events, and classes are simply one click away and can be attended from the comfort of our bed if we so please. Therefore, it is so important to embrace this new platform and welcome its services with open arms.
Of the many services the internet has to offer, tutoring has become increasingly popular amongst the lot. Though it was available much before, the pandemic revealed the true potential of online tutoring services, making it the go-to for many parents in desperate need of academic support for their children. Students seeking help outside the classroom setting are now able to access this tool with increasing convenience to supplement their studies when balancing other activities such as work and extracurriculars.
In this new digital age, online tutoring through platforms such as Learning Arena has shown to maximize students’ success by giving them individualized study tools that promote engagement in the subject material and increase retention of the pertinent concepts. Working with a qualified tutor creates a safe and open environment for students to express and overcome their insecurities and weaknesses through their learning process. This helps foster a strong sense of confidence in students’ abilities and their academics. Tutoring online has also become increasingly accessible and affordable as its quality matches that of in-person services.
While this method of learning has shown to benefit many individuals, some still have their doubts about its utility and effectiveness. Parents who are keen on traditional face-to-face learning styles are often skeptical of the services that online tutoring has to offer, claiming it’s a distracting and limiting study space. These parents are consumed by common misconceptions about online education that hinder their investment in this revolutionary academic resource. Therefore, we are here today to discuss some common myths about online tutoring and shed some light on what it actually is.

Myth #1: Online tutoring seeks to eliminate classroom-based learning.

A common misconception is that online tutoring is competing with conventional classroom-based learning styles and seeks to get rid of it altogether. This is NOT true! Rather, we are here to supplement the lessons taught in the classroom and provide extra help for individuals who need it or those who simply wish to further their knowledge. Tutors are well versed in their subjects and provide strategies to help students tackle their weaknesses in the subject material of their choice. Since these tutoring services can be accessed from any device, it simply provides a convenient way for students to ask for help outside the class where their school teacher is unavailable.

Myth #2: Online tutors simply do the students’ homework for them.

These days, many homework assignments and answers to math problems can be found with a simple Google search. So, it’s understandable that parents may believe the idea that they would be simply paying a questionable online person to do their child’s homework. However, this is NOT the case. As tutors, we are specifically instructed to SUPPORT a student’s academics by providing insight and explanations to challenging concepts rather than doing their assignments for them. Our ultimate goal is to enable our students to eventually become independent thinkers by guiding them in overcoming the obstacles they face in their academics. Additionally, we are highly qualified tutors with an arsenal of various teaching styles and vast knowledge in our subjects of expertise. Us tutors undergo careful vetting processes and interviews to ensure that we are delivering quality educational services.

Myth #3: Online tutoring is just another course that is independent from the one’s students are already taking.

While some online educational services are indeed geared towards this goal, online tutoring is NOT. We seek to provide supplemental services for our students and do not follow our own agenda and curriculum. We do not pre-make lesson plans and assign homework assignments as our students take the reins of the pace of the tutoring session. Each session is student-centered and adjusted based on his/her educational needs at any given time.

Myth #4: Online tutoring is a distraction.

In today’s world we can play a game, read a book, or send text messages from almost any technological device we own. Thus, technology can pose as a strong distraction for many young students with short attention spans, thus warding parents away from online learning. They believe that if their child attends a class online, they will be distracted with a computer game or be occupied with chatting with friends. This is NOT necessarily the case. Online tutoring is intended to be interactive, where the student and teacher are constantly engaging in some sort of discussion. As tutors, we are actively aware of the student’s level of attention and are well trained in techniques to keep students engaged. It is almost impossible for students to conduct other distracting activities since we redirect questions onto our students to engage them in critical thinking. While some platforms are only audio-based sessions, others can be video-based as well as tutors are able to visualize our students’ level of engagement and interest in the sessions.

Myth #5: Online tutoring is just glorified test prep.

The internet has many websites for test preparation which makes it difficult to distinguish them from online tutoring services. However, we are the furthest away from those. While online tutors can provide test preparation services, we do so by helping students tackle their weaknesses. We do not use a test preparation curriculum and assign mandatory practice exams. Rather, we teach our students proven strategies to help them think critically and efficiently to score on their standardized exams. But our goal as online tutors goes beyond simply helping our students get higher scores. Our students are more than the grades and score they receive and our intention is to help them make real world connections and apply their subject material beyond the classroom setting. As tutors, we enable our students to think independently to push them towards a brighter future.
While we discussed a few of the most common myths, there is a vast majority of other reasons that skeptics shy away from online learning. It is virtually impossible to bust down every misconception, but we hope that today’s discussion insightful about our online services and all that they encompass.
While we realize that there are some drawbacks to the world of online learning and the experience of education online is not the same as that of face-to-face learning, our platform is growing and expanding with advancing technology. Students are creating their own unique experiences online that may be even better than in-person sessions. Therefore, we strongly encourage everyone to embrace the internet and keep an open perspective about its numerous advantages. We believe that all it takes is a computer screen and some hard work to make a difference on your child’s education, so take a leap of faith and see what happens!