How To Choose The Right Approach: Online Tutoring vs In-Person Tutoring

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There is an ongoing debate that we are sure you have heard about. Is online tutoring better than in-person or conventional tutoring?

Is online learning impersonal and therefore less effective? Is in-person tutoring too expensive? Let’s compare and contrast. Online tutoring vs In-person tutoring? Where to start?

The online learning industry is booming, set to reach $325 billion by 2025. Alongside this, 77% of academic leaders believe that online learning is equally effective, if not more effective than conventional learning. 87% of students also felt that their online learning experience was better or the same as their traditional experience. 

Despite this, some still believe that online learning does foster a connection between student and teacher, which is vital for academic achievement. They also claim that online tutoring is a boring method of teaching that does not prevent procrastination.

If you are here to find out why the online tutoring industry is growing exponentially and which approach is the winner in the battle of online tutoring vs in-person tutoring – you are in the right place. Let’s get to it!

#1 Flexibility as your biggest ally

Online tutoring allows you as the student to organize your time in the way that best suits you. You can take part in classes whenever and wherever you wish. You can also choose which subjects to study and how long to spend on learning. If you work full time and only have 15 minutes to participate in online tutoring classes, this is sufficient time to learn something new online. 

There are no teachers monitoring your attendance, pushing you to revise or do your homework. Whilst some would argue that this can be a hindrance to learning, we argue that it allows learners to gain skills such as self-motivation, ambition, organisation skills and time management. These are all great skills to gain for personal and career development. 

Online tutoring vs In-Person Tutoring

With new e-learning trends such as microlearning being introduced into online teaching methods, classes tend to last around 15-30 minutes. This means that learners can even use advancing technologies such as the 5G network to learn on-the-go on their mobile devices. This could allow for the optimisation of the time we spend on our commute to work. 

#2 You can learn anything

There is no curriculum to tell you what you can and cannot learn. With online learning, you can choose from a wide range of subjects to learn from which are not offered in schools or by conventional tutors. You can learn tarot card reading, yoga and meditation, watercolor painting, fashion illustration and even astronomy. There are no limits when it comes to online tutoring. 

If you arrange your timetable effectively, you can learn about anything and everything that you wish. 

#3 Online learning is cheaper

There are no facility costs to pay, resources to provide, heating bills, cooling bills, large teacher salaries, and expenses to pay with online learning. The only thing which requires payment is the rate decided by the teacher. It can also save you money on external costs. For instance, if you need to pay for childcare whilst attending your in-person tutoring session. 

Many online classes are uploaded for free on online learning platforms or at a very low price, meaning it is a highly cost effective way to learn. 

Online tutoring vs In-Person Tutoring

#4 You can gain a greater range of skills

With online learning, alongside the knowledge that you gain from the class itself you can gain a wide range of additional skills. Here are some examples:

  • Technological skills – By using new online learning platforms you can learn to use particular online tools, video features and other elements of technology that can benefit your career. This allows you to upgrade your skills to the ever-changing job market.
  • Communication skills – You will need to communicate with people from several different cultures, backgrounds and ethnicities. You will need to know how to ask for help and initiate discussions with your teachers. This is a skill which is widely sought after in the workplace.
  • Organizational skills – You will be arranging your own learning timetable, fitting in your classes into your day alongside other commitments. 
  • Determination –  Online learning allows you to create your own goals and hold yourself accountable when you do not manage to hit them. You will need to stay motivated and keep attending classes as there is nobody to push you to do so.

These skills are all highly beneficial for employment as well as personal development. Why not boost your career progression?

#5 Larger choice of teachers

Online learning platforms have a designated section under each class for comments and reviews. That allows you to check the quality of the class before you purchase it. You can also try out classes from a variety of different teachers and then choose the one whose teaching methods you prefer. 

With traditional, in-person tutoring you are often allocated a teacher or can only choose one tutor. This means that if the teachers method of teaching does not best suit your needs, you may be stuck with them for a considerable amount of time. This is not the case with online tutoring. You are free to choose from a wide range of teachers to strengthen your learning experience. 

infodepot tutoring

#6 Personalization for the win

On a few online learning platforms such as InfoDepot, you can participate in a new way of learning known as live tutoring calls. These are online classes conducted over the phone or by video in real-time. This allows teachers to support their students directly by providing the opportunity for them to ask questions, initiate discussions and let the teacher know about areas of the subject that challenge or interest them the most. 

This also means that teachers can monitor student progress and personalize further lessons. For instance, if a student enjoys algebra but finds trigonometry difficult, the teacher can start by tackling any trigonometry issue. In addition, a teacher then can reward the student with some new algebra questions or information. 

Personalization is a growing e-learning trend which increases student satisfaction, academic performance and retention rates. Personalization is not often possible for conventional learning as classes often include a large number of students and curriculum learning content to include.

#7 Online learning is a fun way to gain knowledge

Yes, you guessed it. There is another learning trend involved here. 

Gamification, as you may be able to guess, is the inclusion of games in the learning process. Quiz applications such as Kahoot!, interactive learning games or even virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) activities may appear in your online class. 

This allows students to learn the content in several formats, increasing chances of retention and allowing them to remain engaged in the class. Gamification promotes active learning. That refers to the learning approach in which students are engaging with the content actively rather than passively absorbing information regurgitated by the teacher. It can also be a fun way to gain knowledge, sounds much better than answering questions from a textbook!

Online tutoring vs In-Person Tutoring

#8 Allows for independent learning

Online teachers frequently offer materials such as worksheets, tutorials, images, book chapters and articles alongside their classes in order to facilitate learning and spark curiosity.

Students can also search for their own resources to ensure a deeper understanding of the content presented to them in the online class. Online learning teaches students to evaluate resources in terms of reliability, quality and adequacy. This can translate into their learning.

They are also learning about topics that interest them and that they are motivated to learn, unlike in traditional in-person tutoring where the learning of particular subjects is often allocated to them. This means that students are more likely to engage with materials and conduct extra research in order to gain new knowledge. 

Online tutoring vs In-person tutoring … and the winner is?

Online learning is often regarded as a poor replacement for in-person learning. A necessity when unprecedented times arise, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies, research and the opinions of students as well as educators have shown that it is likely to become the future. 

Online tutoring is an extremely effective way of learning. It allows students to create connections for the future and meet new people from all walks of life. It helps them to gain technical skills and learn about subjects which would never be taught in schools. At the end, who wouldn’t want to learn how to make their own clothes?

Alongside this, it offers a large variety of benefits for students. Increased retention rates, improved skills, better student satisfaction, supportive teachers and never-ending e-learning trends are just a few of them. So, in the battle of online tutoring vs in-person tutoring – the winner is online tutoring!

Take charge of your learning experience today by choosing online tutoring and be your own motivator. Your future self will thank you for it! 

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