Education

Ensuring that your child gets a quality education is essential. It can determine the skills and knowledge they have, what grades they get, what colleges they are eligible for, and what jobs he will get in the future. So, many parents opt for private tutoring to ensure better results at school and face the dilemma of online vs. traditional tutoring.

As technology advances, so do private tutoring options, and online tutoring programs exist alongside traditional ones. It’s not a surprise because online education is becoming increasingly popular.

Massive online platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer professional courses that you can do at affordable prices from the comfort of your home. It is even possible to get university degrees from online universities.

However, how effective is online tutoring? Is it better than tradition in-person tutoring? Or does traditional tutoring still yield better results?

Let’s look at online vs. traditional tutoring to find out.

What Is Online Tutoring?

Online tutoring is a virtual teaching practice which uses the Internet, computer, or tablet, as well as other gadgets. The tutor and the student meet online rather than in person. They may use tools such as whiteboards, e-mails, video, and audio to communicate.

Online Tutoring Benefits

1. Convenience and Flexibility

Online tutoring offers a lot more flexibility and convenience than traditional tutoring. There is no need to commute, and it can be done from virtually anywhere as long as your child has access to the Internet.  So, even if you are traveling, your child does not need to skip a tutoring session.

Moreover, online tutoring offers wider tutor and course options. So, you can get access to qualified and experienced tutors and diverse course options that may not be available in your location.

2. Price

Since online tutoring platforms hire distance teachers, they do not need to cover overhead costs. Thus, in many cases, you can expect lower fees. Though it will not always be the case. There are popular online tutoring programs that can cost more than traditional tutoring where you live.

Online Tutoring Weaknesses

1. May Not Be Suitable for Hands-On Skills

While it’s not impossible to teach hands-on skills, it will require more interactive tools and creativity to do so in online tutoring. Younger children who learn best through imitating others or extraverted children may prefer traditional tutoring for hands-on skills.

2. More Susceptibility to Distractions

In traditional tutoring, the tutor has more control over the situation. They can ensure who and what is in the room. Therefore, they can eliminate potential distracters.

It’s different with online tutoring when the teacher is not present in the room. Common distracters include mobile phones, access to the Internet, siblings or other people in the house. Procrastination with assignments can become a problem too if your child lacks the motivation to study or hasn’t established healthy study habits.

What Is Traditional Tutoring

Traditional tutoring is a teaching practice when the tutor and the student meet in person. Depending on the teacher’s preferred teaching approaches and methods, they can use traditional teaching resources such as books and handouts as well as more modern ones.

Traditional Tutoring Benefits

1. In-person Interactions

Humans are social beings, and nothing beats in-person interactions. A good relationship with a private tutor can increase intrinsic motivation and improve performance and results.

In-person communication can be very beneficial with hands-on skills where a teacher can assist and provide more personalized assistance.

It is also beneficial for young learners who thrive on interpersonal communication, learn by imitating adults, and have not yet developed an ability to effectively work by themselves. More extroverted children who are naturally inclined to interact with other people may prefer in-person tutoring as well.

Moreover, if you opt for tutoring or study centers that offer homework help similar to those that we do, your child can interact with other children. Thus, they can make friends with likeminded children who have similar interests and academic goals.

Studies have shown that when children can personally relate to and establish a good relationship with a tutor, they learn more and perform better at school. Curiously, other studies have analyzed and concluded that cheaper online tutoring options from countries like Pakistan and India were not effective.

2. Ability to Respond to Emotions and Body Language

Experienced teachers usually have an understanding of psychology and can understand and adequately respond to children’s emotions, facial expressions, and body language. Skilled tutors will then be able to respond accordingly.

So, if a child is shy, a private tutor can notice that and modify their teaching style accordingly. It is also much easier to notice when a student becomes bored, disinterested, or distracted and act on it.

This can be hard or impossible with online tutoring, especially if it involves a child following a program and referring to a tutor for guidance, clarifications, and assessment only.

It’s also important to keep in mind that not every private tutor will have the skills, experience, or willingness to read emotions and body language and modify it to meet the child’s needs. So, it’s crucial to choose a private tutor carefully.

Traditional Tutoring Weaknesses

1. Commuting

For traditional in-person tutoring to occur, one of the parties needs to travel. It that is the tutor, this will likely mean higher expenses to cover travel costs. It can also limit the amount and nature of teaching aids and materials that a tutor can use since they would need to transport them to your home.

If that is the child who commutes, this would require their parent or another adult to drive or walk them to the location where tutoring takes place, which can be inconvenient, impractical and stressful and limit tutoring times and options.

2. Costs

One of the primary reasons why many people choose not to go for private tutoring is its costs. When it comes to traditional in-person tutoring, it is usually more expensive than some other online options.

This is because it requires covering different expenses such as transportation if you hire a tutor who comes to your home. If you go to a learning center, then their owners would need to cover overhead costs which would include utilities, purchase of new materials, and more.

Online Vs. Traditional Tutoring: Which Should You Choose

None of the options is absolutely perfect, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Therefore, it is vital to assess your child’s needs and preferences.

Make sure to not make all the decisions for your child. Discussing the different options with your child can make them less resistant. This will also help you to choose the option that best meets their needs.

It can also be beneficial to try both online and traditional tutoring so that your child can experience both and make an informed choice base on what works best for them.

Keep in mind that there will be great as well as low-quality online and traditional tutoring providers which can waste your money and not deliver results you want. So, it is also necessary to review and assess various options.

What are your thoughts on online vs. traditional tutoring? Which option do you think is best for your child and why? Feel free to connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tell us about it!

If you live in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and are looking for homework help or STEM classes to help your child get better grades, get in touch with us.