If you’re thinking about taking up online learning for the first time, you’re bound to have a lot of questions. One that gets asked a lot is how the experience of working with an online tutor differs from working with one in person on campus. The short answer is that it depends on the institution, but there are some common experiences that can help you figure out what to expect. These are the major ones.
Online tutors can have a lot more students
Depending on the focus of your learning institution, you may find that your class is a lot larger than what you would expect in person, which reduces costs but can mean that the experience feels less personal and it’s harder to get one-to-one time with your tutor. Some places make up for this by having multiple supporting tutors for each course whose role is to work directly with the students. If you find yourself in this situation, it’s a good idea to find one you click with as early as possible and ask to be in their groups going forward.
Online tutors communicate differently
This might sound obvious, but working with somebody online is different from working with someone in person in all sorts of ways. Body language doesn’t come into communication as much, and if you’re in a group, you’ll have to know how the platform works in order to be able to get the tutor’s attention. Some people find this frustrating, but for others it makes learning easier because there are fewer distractions and you’re less likely to feel that you’re under pressure.
Online tutors often specialize more
One of the great things about online learning is that because tutors can be based anywhere, it’s possible for learning institutions to recruit more widely and bring in the very best people for the job. Wilkes University health services covers a wide variety of specific subjects on its courses and is able to make use of expert tutors in each, rather than having to rely on just one or two people to cover everything. This improves the overall quality of teaching and means that students get better answers to their difficult questions and better support if they’re interested in specializing.
Online tutors are available at odd hours
Another advantage of online courses using multiple tutors and tutors based in different locations is that there is often somebody available regardless of the time of day or night. This means that if your only chance to study is after you get home from the late shift or early in the morning before your kids wake up, you can still get help with subject areas that you’re struggling to understand. You won’t have to wait until the right hour or day to fit around a busy campus tutor’s schedule.
These differences mean that while it may not suit everyone, online tuition is by far the best option for some students. It can provide access to expert, supportive tuition that’s available just when you need it.
