This may sound a little overdue now.
But, we think it's fair to convey our sincerest admiration and congratulations to all the students and educators (or even parents) that survived the 2020 and 2021 academic years. We can finally see the light now. You guys are the real MVPs!
As we reflect back, the transition from physical lessons to 100% online lessons is certainly not a clear-cut scenario.
They can differ greatly depending on various circumstances such as the subjects that are taught, overall student engagement, teaching equipment, online learning resources, consistent access to a stable Internet connection and many more.
In fact, online tutoring was the only option back then to ensure that students and teachers could have a "normal" experience when physical learning completely stopped.
It was perceived as a desperate measure, a way to cope or what we call a plan B to deal with any contingencies due to the pandemic.
Now, online tutoring is very seen as something that is inseparable from today's learning experience. It is automatically seen as an inclusive option due to its massive growth and acceptance.
In this article, we will review the advantages and disadvantages of online tutoring as well as discuss the best way to maximise online tutoring.
Advantage 1: Flexibility & Easy Accessibility
The most obvious reason why online tutoring is still a favourite among educators and students is that you are not bound by geographical limitations.
There's no need to travel and commute from one place or another, and learning can take place at your very own home, or your favourite cafe now, for that matter.
What you do need is your mobile device (laptop, pad, phone) and a stable Wi-Fi connection to kickstart your first online lesson.
In terms of accessibility, you can easily find an online tutor through various tutoring platforms and also through recommendations on social media.
With just a few clicks, you are able to find an online tutor that matches your desired subject, learning level, area of specialisation, preferred years of tutoring experience, maximum budget (hourly rates) and so forth.
Not only that, communication with the selected tutor can be done conveniently through text, in which the details of payments/subscription plans are clearly stated from the very start.
There are many online tutoring platforms that you can refer to before you make the final decision in terms of which online tutor to hire.
It's important to note that almost all online tutoring platforms have user-friendly navigation with a wide selection of tutors' profiles. You can take your time to compare and review the basic information of the tutor.
Some online tutoring platforms even offer a wide range of subjects and even include tutors from all over the globe, so you should make the best out of every opportunity to pick the best online tutor!
Whether you are a student or an aspiring online tutor, you might want to look into the tools and necessary types of equipment that you need to prepare for your online lessons.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
Advantage 2: Effective Time Management & Cost-Effective In The Long Run
If we are honest, the last thing we want to do after coming back from school or work is to leave our home again.
When you opt for online tutoring, you can easily plan your online lessons around your schedule.
Think about it.
Instead of pondering about the time that you need to "waste" when you are stuck in a jam (imagine the rush hour at KL!) or the time you need to "burn the midnight oil" on a last-minute basis, you can save lots of time and energy to be at ease.
You can shower, take your meals, and do a little bit of housekeeping before your online lesson begin. Also, you get to minimise the risk of being late for your lessons.
Bonus point: You can even attend your online lessons in your favourite pyjamas and it's totally fine. Your online tutor wouldn't mind at all.
When it comes to talks on money and expenses, you not only get to save on transportation (whether it's your own vehicle or public transportation) but also other administration fees (for instance, additional charges by tuition centres/ learning institutions).
For online tutoring, students will only be charged their tuition fee and perhaps some minor expenses for their learning materials, that's it!
Looking at another crucial angle of this matter, you would realise that the actual hourly rates for online tutoring are more affordable than face-to-face tutoring. It is certainly a worthwhile investment in the long run.
Discover if online tutoring is the right choice for you, as a student or potential online tutor.
Disadvantage 1: Easily Distracted & Lack of Accountability
Now, it's time to flip to the other side of the coin.
Online tutoring undeniably has its challenges and limitations.
The first disadvantage is that learners can be easily distracted at home throughout the learning process due to the lack of accountability and face-to-face monitoring in real time.
Technically, learners can even switch off their videos and do whatever they want while their tutor is teaching (ahem, does this sound familiar?)
Furthermore, it is also common for individuals to check messages from their phones or even open multiple tabs that are totally unrelated to what they are learning on their mobile devices. The online tutors also cannot really see what's actually going on too. This could also apply to both parties.
When your tutor is on the other side of the screen, it's easy to assume that we don't have to focus 100% because we can record and replay the lessons whenever we want.
This convenience can easily lead us to be complacent and take this feature of modern technology for granted.
Having said that, this is truly a double-edged sword that one needs to be mindful of.
Photo by Maxim Ilyahov on Unsplash
Disadvantage 2: Delayed Response & Dependent On Tutor's Availability (Time Differences)
Another disadvantage of online tutoring is the lack of immediate interaction and response during the lessons.
If the Internet connection is unstable on any one side, it can cause lots of inconvenience and disruption throughout the learning process.
This will cause a delay when it comes to relaying important information when it comes to the lessons or clarifying the answers during the Q and A session. Then a series of awkward questions will follow:
"Can you hear me?"
"Can you see me?"
"Sigh, the screen is "frozen" again."
As a result of this, the lesson might even go longer than the agreed time. This could be a complicated case if you are taking online lessons from a tutor that has a different time zone.
For instance, if you are taking a language lesson from a European online tutor, it might be very difficult to schedule a last-minute lesson, should unexpected circumstances occur.
Again, it's one way to look at the flexibility of online lessons. With online tutoring, you can learn from anybody all across the globe, provided that the lesson takes place at an agreed time that both the learners and educators are comfortable with.
How To Have The Best of Both Worlds With Online Tutoring With Superprof
We have looked at the pros and cons of online tutoring. You should have an idea of what to expect from this learning experience should you choose to carry on with it.
The truth is, an effective online tutoring experience is very much dependent on the tutoring platform that you select.
Let us introduce to you, a one-stop solution to have the best online learning journey, which is none other than Superprof!
It's very easy to find the perfect online tutor at Superprof. In terms of quality and quantity, you will not be disappointed!
Follow these four tips to get started:
Tip 1: Choose from a variety of subjects that are offered
Superprof offers a dynamic and comprehensive list of subjects for educators and learners.
The categories of lessons that are offered include:
- Arts and hobbies
- Professional development
- Computer sciences
- Languages
- Music
- Health and wellbeing
- Academic tutoring
- Sports
In other words, the sky is the limit. You can use Superprof to find an online tutor for your violin lessons, your Chemistry lessons, your French lessons or even painting lessons.
Image by senivpetro on Freepik
Tip 2: Come out with detailed preferences (maximum budget, learning level etc) during the filtering process
Once you have decided which subject to learn, it's best to set the maximum budget of your hourly rate so that the system can direct you to the selection of online tutors that offer their lessons within that range.
For example, you can indicate the maximum budget of your hourly rate (RM50 an hour) through the filtering tabs on the Superprof homepage. If you are looking for an intermediate or advanced learning level for your online lessons, you can also indicate that through the filtering tabs too.
Tip 3: Browse through the tutors' profiles and basic information
Next, you can start comparing and reviewing the online tutors' profiles. Remember to check the tutor's qualifications, tutoring experience, tutoring methodology and even past reviews before you contact them via the messaging feature.
Tip 4: Finalise the details of online lessons and payment details
When you contact the desired tutor via the messaging feature, you can finalise the details of the lessons in terms of the schedule, area of specialisation and also payment methods before your first online lesson.
Learning online with Superprof is totally hassle-free!
What are you waiting for? Head to the Superprof Malaysia homepage to have the best of both worlds in terms of quality and learning versatility! You got this!
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