How Technology’s Evolution Has Transformed Online Tutoring
Technology's evolution has transformed online tutoring in just a few short years of its existence. Beginning with a type of question and answer system, where the student posed a question online, and a tutor came along later and answered the question, online tutoring has evolved into an online platform where students and tutors can meet in real time for lessons on specific subject matter. As technology continues to advance rapidly, online tutoring continues to improve. In fact, the COVID pandemic and its subsequent shutdowns have forced online tutoring to meet the needs of students learning at home and educators teaching long distance. Let's take a look at how technology advancements have transformed online tutoring in recent years.
Online tutoring can now support live audio and video
Early online tutoring platforms were strictly text or chat-based. Chat-only tutoring has serious limitations. Think about working through complex subjects such as Geometry without being able to show your student a diagram or picture. Even with less complex subjects, student-tutor rapport is difficult to cultivate through an impersonal text box. If the student struggles with typing, then it can be frustrating, if not impossible, to communicate well enough to learn anything. Students of all ages, but especially those in the younger grades, need face-to-face interaction to remain engaged in the lesson.
Modern online tutoring platforms like Pear Deck Tutor (formerly TutorMe) provide tutors and students a better way to interact through live audio and video. Thanks to the ability to communicate face-to-face in real time, students and tutors can communicate clearly and talk through the problems for better understanding. The overall dynamic of live audio and video fosters trust and collaboration, creating a secure learning environment students can feel comfortable in. Because the live video format shows more of who is talking and what is being taught, there is more accountability for tutors, site admins, parents, and students.
Students who are struggling in a certain academic area need a little extra motivation to reach their goals. Live audio and video chat allows tutors to build the student's confidence through the way they teach and interact. A genuine smile and a laugh can do a lot to make a student feel better about their progress!
Online tutoring offers students access to more expert tutors
During the early days of online tutoring, students didn't have many tutors to choose from. Since then, the community of online tutors has grown exponentially. The Pear Deck Tutor network of tutors consists of thousands of verified experts in many subject matters. Our diverse pool of tutors continues to grow and improve, making it easy for students to access high-quality tutoring, no matter what topic they need help understanding, or when they are ready for a tutoring session.
Pear Deck Tutor
only hires a small percentage of the tutors who apply because each tutor must pass a criminal background check, have their level of education verified, and complete a knowledge assessment. This means students, educators, and parents can trust the level of quality they'll receive through one of our on-demand tutoring sessions.
Modern online tutoring provides more opportunities for collaboration
Early online tutoring services had limited learning tools and functionality. They could type messages and maybe upload a file. Most of them were asynchronous, which means a student left a message, and later a tutor would follow up on the message.
Today, online tutoring providers like Pear Deck Tutor offer collaborative learning tools that really increase the amount of ways tutors and students can communicate. The Pear Deck Tutor Lesson Space is an advanced interface loaded with interactive tools, such as:
- Virtual whiteboards
- Drawing tools
- Screen sharing
- Code editors
- Text editors
- Google Docs, Sheets, and Excel integration
- Scientific calculators
- And, of course, live audio and visual chat
Gone are the days of waiting for the right tutor to come along and answer your questions! Today's online learning environment allows for on-demand tutoring that will suit any subject and any learning style.
Current online tutoring platforms are more accessible than ever
Online tutoring providers like Pear Deck Tutor partner with thousands of schools and districts nationwide to give millions of students access to quality academic support. The platform is designed for ease of access, so students can connect with the appropriate tutor in as few clicks as possible. Special accessibility features make Pear Deck Tutor possible for more students. These features include compatibility with screen-reading software, Spanish-speaking tutors, and even the ability to tutor without the audio and visual chat (for camera-shy students). Modern online tutoring meets the needs of the most people possible, so tutoring can be readily available at any time and any place.
Pear Deck Tutor and similar online tutoring platforms are not limited to certain schools, certain computers, or certain time periods. Pear Deck Tutor is accessible 24/7 from any computer with internet access. We partner with schools, and we also provide a place for parents to turn to when they desire private tutoring for their children. It's a great extension to a classroom, and it is a welcome addition to any homework zone inside any home.
High-impact online tutoring is here for you!
Online tutoring has come a long way since its early days of chat-based platforms. Thanks to innovative platforms like Pear Deck Tutor, students and tutors now enjoy a collaborative learning environment that utilizes a number of exciting and useful tools. Overall, student engagement has improved, availability of expert tutors has improved, accessibility has improved, accountability has improved, and student privacy has improved.
We can expect online tutoring platforms to continue to grow and evolve as time leaps forward, meeting the demands and unique needs of students, schools, and districts.
Contact us today to empower all your students with on-demand, online tutoring!
