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Common Online Tuition Misconceptions
With the recent events, online tuition has been on the rise again. The concept of online classes, or tuition in this situation, isn’t anything new. It has already been done for quite a while especially for online schools and certifications. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, many parents and students are apprehensive to engage in home tuition and have relied upon online tuition to provide supplementary lessons to their child’s studies. Online tuition is still the same as home tuition. The only difference is that there would be no physical interaction as tuition happens online. Tutors use different means to teach and contact their students such as using Zoom, Skype, and other video calling apps.
Among those that took the most hit from the pandemic is the education sector. Many schools have closed and are only starting to operate again, though still under strictly implemented measures. Because of this, many students may also lag behind their classmates and need the additional assistance of tuition to help them get back on track.
Most parents when they think of education, think of the conventional classrooms. This is why when talking about online tuition, many misconceptions are still rampant about it. Parents think that effective education can only be achieved through physical discussions and lessons. This is also especially true with home tuition. Because tuition will happen online, parents may think it’s not as effective.
What to consider when engaging in online tuition
Before we tackle the myths surrounding online home tuition, let’s first talk about the factors to consider when thinking about engaging in an online tutor. Because of the demand for online tuition, there are also many online tutors in the market. This makes finding the right one more daunting.
1. Budget
Like home tuition, online tuition comes with fees for the time and effort of the tutor. While online tuition may be significantly cheaper than home tuition, parents and students should still consider the budget they can allot for tuition. Additionally, the number of subjects also contributes to the fees. This means that if the child has a tutor for three subjects, they will pay more than students who only have tutors for one subject.
However, never fear. In FamilyTutor, parents who wish to engage in online tuition can talk with our agency with regard to budget. This way parents can be matched with tutors under their budget and escape the trap of overspending for a tutor.
2. Tutor’s qualifications and experience
Because there would be no physical interaction, it’s best to consider the tutor’s credentials, qualifications, and experience before engaging in them. The more the tutor has the experience and ample qualifications, they will be more effective in carrying out online lessons. Their experience pays off as they will know how to handle tuition without physical interaction. It may be a challenge for first-time online students so a more experienced online tutor can make the session easier for them.
3. Tutor’s feedbacks
Additionally, when hiring a tutor, it’s important to consider the feedback or recommendations made by their previous students. This helps the parents and students know how effective and committed the tutor is with tuition. It also helps the parents feel at ease knowing their child is in safe and capable hands.
Myths about online tuition
Now that we’ve tackled what to consider when hiring an online home tutor, let’s now tackle some of the most common misconceptions about online tuition.
1. The child will study on their own
One very common misconception about online tuition is that the quality of tuition decreases by a lot compared to home tuition. This is a very big misconception as to the quality of tuition never actually goes down if parents know they hired from a reputable and trusted home tuition agency with highly qualified and experienced home tutors.
There is not much difference between a home tutor and an online home tutor. They both aim to give the students the best quality education they can through committed work and shared effort with the student and parent. They aim to engage the student in lessons and help them reach their academic goals.
Additional to this myth is the misconception that the child will study the learning materials on their own and the tutor will just hand them over. This isn’t the case. Home tuition, online or otherwise, aims to enrich student’s learning. If they receive the same standard of education in schools, then there may be something missing with the tutor hired. A good and effective home tutor will find new ways and methods to help the child overcome their weaknesses and improve their skills and knowledge.
As such, online tuition is personalized according to the child’s needs and pace. This means that they wouldn’t be handed down learning materials if the tutor knows they are not capable of answering or studying the materials or if the material is not needed in tuition. As mentioned, they will be assisted in studying however, that doesn’t mean they will be left alone. At the end of the day, this myth largely depends on the techniques used by the tutor and whether that will be effective or not. As parents, you can also talk with the home tutor about their teaching methods before you hire them to make sure learning can be retained and maximized.
2. Lack of interaction equals ineffectiveness
While online tuition lacks physical interaction, it doesn’t mean that there is zero interaction. There are plenty of interactions still available in online home tuition such as student to tutor interaction, parent to tutor interaction, or parent-to-tuition agency interaction. There are still many opportunities for interaction to happen in online tuition.
Similarly, students and tutors can communicate with each other outside tuition hours, given they agree with the time. They can get updates from each other with regards to tasks given to the student or questions they have trouble answering. Additionally, parents can also communicate with the tutor or the tuition agency whenever they have some issues or clarifications. The parent can contact the tutor for the child’s progress reports or if they are needing the tutor’s assistance for the child’s benefit. They can still use different means to communicate such as emails, chat messaging, etc.
3. Online tuition has an easier syllabus than home tuition
Another myth about online tuition is that it has a simpler and easier syllabus and lessons than actual home tuition or even school syllabus. The fact is, online tuition isn’t different from the normal home tuition with regard to the syllabus. Home tuition still follows the MOE syllabus, meaning the tutors are familiar and use the same syllabus for their tuition. This also applies to online tutors. The syllabus is exactly the same.
However, the misconception may come with the basis that because online tuition has limited, if not none at all, physical interaction, it can be more challenging to teach students with other skills such as time management. This is why some materials and lessons are more simplified so students can easily grasp the concept. The same is done if the student is preparing for a big exam. The techniques to effectively take an exam are simplified for easier application by the student.
4. You have to be an expert in technology
It would make the tuition easier, yes, but it is not a necessity. In some cases, the student (as they are from the younger generation) may even know more about technology. However, this isn’t necessary to be an expert in order to take online tuition. All the student has to have is a laptop/PC (sometimes even phones or tablets suffice, depending on the situation), a headset with a microphone, and an active internet connection. The tasks they need to know will be how to open their device and log into the platform where tuition will take place.
In addition, online tutors are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the technology aspect of tuition should an issue arise. Tutors are also expected to be organized and prepared before every tuition session so parents and students can be assured that the session is maximized. They also go out of their way to help students who are having trouble with online tuition and make things easier for them. They can teach students how to use the platform within minutes for a smoother tuition session.
Conclusion
These are only some of the most common myths about online home tuition. At the end of the day, any form of tuition only has one main goal and that is to help the student reach academic excellence. Tutors aim to provide the best service they can so students can reach their goals quicker and with more life-long learning along the way. It’s not wrong to invest in your children’s education, especially if it helps them to the path of a brighter and more secure future.
Interested in hiring an online home tutor for your child? Check out FamilyTutor, the best home tuition agency in Singapore. We offer over 200 subjects to students from pre-school and even beyond the university level. With over 8,000 families satisfied with our services, we guarantee you that your sons and daughters will be in good hands!
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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About FamilyTutor!
FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!
If you need an excellent home tutor, feel free to call/WhatsApp us at +65 8777-2168! Our matching service is free!
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