What are the benefits of online tuition and will it work for your child? Many are understandably sceptical at first. There were certainly questions I had to answer before launching whole-hearted into online tutoring. My biggest concern was whether I could establish the necessary rapport required to fully engage and impart my enthusiasm and knowledge for Biology to my tutees.

My reservations were wholly unjustified, not least of all because we’re raising the online generation, where everything online is second nature! This was confirmed within the first few minutes of delivering my first on-line session using Zoom. It was immediately clear that all was well, this was indeed the way forward and I’ve grown to truly love tutoring online. 

For me, online tutoring has the huge benefit of all my resources being available at the click of a button, including electronic textbooks (as my artistic skills really do have a lot to be desired for!), an interactive whiteboard, the ability to share my screen including powerpoints and my extensive topic by topic past exam question packs.

What are the benefits of online tuition to the tutee?

Firstly, it means selecting a tutor from a wider range of professionals and opting for the most experienced within your price range, rather than being limited to one tutor, probably based close to home. It also means no travelling time for parents or tutees so that time can now be allocated to other more productive activities. In this busy age, parents & tutees have so many extracurricular commitments that saving time/money on transportation is a win/win situation for all involved. Gone are the days of parents sitting in their freezing cold car, outside a tutor’s house, reading a book or phoning a friend (or more likely these days, online scanning Facebook!), just to kill the one hour waiting time. 

Secondly, the tuition can be from the comfort of your own home leading to more conducive learning in your own environment with all your notes and books to hand. It also means if either of you feel under the weather, you won’t pass pathogens on to one another! Also tutoring sessions can still be maintained if you are away for the weekend, on holiday, or poor weather is limiting travel. Online tuition is the perfect solution to maintaining continuity throughout the academic year. 

Thirdly, and in my opinion the greatest benefit of all, is the ability to record online tutoring sessions for future reference. This allows students to revisit the topics at a later date for consolidation and revision purposes. 

What are your thoughts about online tuition, I’d love to know?!

Nicky Tweedle, Tweedle’s Biology Tuition, 10/9/2019