Technology has totally revolutionized the way we do things, from banking to shopping and even learning.
Today, students don’t need pens and paper since they can use writing software. There’s no more need for physical books because of PDFs and e-books. More and more parents and students are opting for online learning instead of traditional classes. These changes make us wonder will online tutoring replace teachers in the future.
The truth is, education technology still has a long way to go before it can totally replace traditional classes and eliminate the need for teachers. However, we’re already seeing massive adoption of online tutoring, especially amid this COVID-19 crisis.
Keep in mind, students today live online, so it only makes sense for them to desire online learning methods. Furthermore, some teachers are already embracing modern technological innovations and opting for remote tutoring jobs.
Here, we will explain why online tutoring will replace teachers in the future by looking at the benefits of online tutoring over traditional teaching methods. But first, let’s define online tutoring.
What Is Online Tutoring?
Online tutoring or remote tutoring refers to the process by which tutors, teachers, or other experts impact knowledge to students via the internet. It often involves the use of digital, interactive tools that allow one-on-one sessions between a tutor and student.
Over the years, online tutoring has gained immense popularity, primarily because of the increased adoption of PCs and the proliferation of internet access around the world. However, the recent surge in adoption results from the need for education amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although online tutoring and traditional physical tutoring share lots of similarities, remote tutoring allows the educator to better focus on a student’s specific needs. It also offers tutors and teachers maximum flexibility since they can interact with their students in real-time, whether from home after cooking a healthy meal or at the café while drinking coffee.
Online tutoring is convenient and effective. Tutors can personalize the classes based on the student’s needs even if a student is struggling to understand information because of a disability.
Types of Online Tutoring
- Synchronous Tutoring: It’s remote tutoring where the student and tutor must be online at the same time. It involves the real-time exchange of ideas between the student and educator. Through tutoring websites or e-learning software, communication between both parties is made possible. Parents or students looking for top online tutoring websites can visit EduReviewer. Through tutoring sites, educators can teach, send tasks, assist students with homework, and even leave feedback.
- Synchronous Tutoring: Here, the educator sends students emails with tasks for the day. Once the students complete the assignments, they submit them online. Both parties don’t need to be online at the same time to make use of the tutoring services.
Benefits of Online Tutoring
Effectiveness
Research comparing the effectiveness of online tutoring to that of traditional class teaching is still mixed and limited. While most students prefer online learning, their academic performance does not vary significantly from their counterparts taught by teachers at school.
Although Edu tech can boost student engagement and contribute to in-depth discussion, students at one point might feel disconnected from the experience, especially if they lack technical expertise.
In traditional classes, teachers depend on an established curriculum. So they don’t spend lots of time tailoring courses for students. As a result, they can concentrate on their teaching job. The immediate interaction with the students means they can easily clarify concepts for them.
The downside to traditional teaching is lessons can get interrupted by stubborn students, and a teacher might subconsciously display favoritism to certain class participants.
Online tutors or teachers can use various software to create tasks and track the submission of assignments. So it reduces their workload and allows them to stay ahead of the curve in the industry.
In traditional teaching settings, students benefit from interaction in class. The presence of educators and other students satisfies their desire for reassurance. Also, the strict schedule and routine they must adhere to motivate them to develop good routines. On the downside, traditional classroom learning entails commuting, which is costly and time-consuming.
Online learning provides learners a sense of control and flexibility. They don’t have to stick to a schedule. Students can select what and when to learn as well as focus on their weakest points.
Since most students already have laptops, smartphones, and tablets, online learning is just a click away.
On the downside, learning online requires a lot of discipline since it’s self-paced. Also, with online tutoring, there’s a lack of dynamic energy of learning associated with traditional classrooms.
Student Can Learn Nearly Everything Online
Online tutors teach a variety of subjects like Maths, Biology, Physics, and English. Students can even learn unconventional subjects, including music and graphic design.
However, there are certain subjects’ tutors cannot teach properly online. Such as healthcare-related studies, which usually require contact with patients for in-depth understanding.
Physical Education, Dance, Drama, and Pottery classes also require the physical presence of an educator who can analyze the learner’s performance.
So, unless there’s a way to overcome this challenge, online tutoring will not completely replace teachers in the future.
Personalized Approach
Unlike traditional classroom learning, online tutoring makes engaging students much easier. Tutors can assess learners and provide them with all the material they require.
In case of difficulty or disability, an educator can evaluate the student’s ability and create a customized learning plan that best meets his or her learning needs.
Through interactive tutoring platforms, students can access and review the lessons. Also, they can view any recorded sessions as many times as possible until they understand the concept at hand.
In online learning, students don’t have to settle for just any online resource. Personalized online tutoring presents learners with an exceptional opportunity for personal growth and professional learning compared to traditional classroom teaching.
Remote learning allows students to select sessions that match their needs and busy schedule.
Online Learning Is Interactive and Innovative
In a traditional classroom, teachers are always on their toes, trying to engage students at every moment. But because of many reasons- including being bored and zoning out- learners don’t always oblige.
Lack of engagement also affects the learners. Since they can’t hit the pause on a lesson and rewind to where they lost their concentration, they end up losing a lot.
Let’s not forget the student’s attention span is also a problem in a traditional classroom setting. While some can concentrate for 30 minutes, others can’t even manage 15 minutes. The worst part, it’s hard to adjust a learner’s attention span in a real-time environment.
Today students are products of the digital age and most of them flourish in a virtual landscape. Remote tutoring is engaging and can hold the student’s attention. Online tutoring helps to improve the student’s cognitive ability via powerful interactive tools.
Most students learn through visuals and enjoy playing games and interact online. Tutors can create lesson plans and offer interactive help that integrates these technologies naturally.
Instead of using textbooks, workbooks, and worksheets, online educators use virtual tools availed by tutoring platforms. This results in an enriching, user-friendly environment that students can prosper.
24/7 Availability
Remote tutoring services don’t get affected by geography and time. As long as a student has a laptop or a tablet, he or she can learn from anywhere and anytime.
So, a learner doesn’t have to wait till the lesson to learn how to solve a certain math problem, rather they can find help in solving the problem anytime.
Sometimes students might have a hard time keeping up with a teacher or private tutor, but online tutoring allows them to learn at their own pace. As a result, they can gain a deeper understanding of various concepts.
No Compromises
Online tutoring offers the same possibilities as being taught by a teacher. Through the webcam, a tutor can see when a student struggles to solve a problem or question and display enthusiasm and encouragement when required.
The best part is parents don’t have to compromise the skill set of a tutor or whether a student gets along with him or her. Remote tutoring grants parents the opportunity to find the perfect tutors for their kids and make sure they will always avail themselves for the sessions.
Bottom Line
Online tutoring has completely changed the way students learn today. It’s more extensive in terms of resources and students get to enjoy interactive and engaging lessons.
It provides the tutor a way to analyze a student’s ability and craft lesson plans and assignments that best suits the learning needs of the student.
Most scholars say remote tutoring can improve learning than conventional teaching and it’s inspirational and highly effective.
Although it might take some time, online tutoring will at one point take over the education sector. That’s true considering the huge traction it has gained over the recent few years.