Online tuition has become almost something that is normal to carry out as there are many perks that come with it. With online tuition, students and tutors can communicate without being in person and at the convenience of their home. This gets rid of the travelling time; travel exhaustion and over-saturation of the brain for children as well. Online chemistry tuition, online English tuition and online math tuition are gaining importance these days as those seem to be the main subjects that students mostly struggle with.
Source: Guru Siksha
Many tutors are shifting towards online tuition due to its convenience but they are unsure as to how they can equip themselves and teach their students. It is undeniable that the level of interaction and engagement during online tuition can be a little lesser on the scale as compared to a one-to-one in person private tuition.
So, what are the ways that online tutoring can be carried out in an interactive way and how can the challenges be managed?
EQUIP YOURSELF WITH THE NECESSARY GADGETS
With online tuition, it is obvious that tutors need to have the necessary technology to start their online lessons. This is absolutely essential for tutors to conduct an effective and efficient tuition session. So, what are some of the gadgets that teachers can invest in, in order to carry out their lesson?
- Laptop
- Mike (for audio clarity)
- Whiteboard and markers (If tutor choose to teach by drawing illustrations on the whiteboard)
- Digital textbooks for easy access to content
- Graphic tablet (If tutor choose to go a little high-quality in their teaching style)
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This list may be a little excessive for online tutors who are starting out; so, having a laptop, whiteboard and digital books uploaded in their device is enough to start off. Over time, with more experience and after analysing teaching strengths and weaknesses, online chemistry tutor can choose to expand on their teaching techniques and invest in more quality technological devices to step-up on the quality of tuition sessions.
KEEPING IT INTERACTIVE
It will be absolutely boring if tutors are the only ones talking throughout the entire tuition session. It will be great to arrange some fun exercises which keep students engaged during the lessons. Students may have different learning capabilities, for example, there are,
- Visual learners
- Auditory learners
- Kinaesthetic learners
- Reading and writing learners
It is essential for online english tutor to keep their teaching techniques and strategies as wide of a variety as possible. This way students will have an easier time internalising the information being given to them, and they will be able to recall the content that is stored in their mind during examination.
LECTURE SLIDES
Students can better visualise the content being presented to them when lecture PowerPoint slides are being presented to them with all the high-yield material. This enables students to better absorb the most necessary information and it prevents them from getting distracted by other less-important information. Gold-standard textbooks and school-given lecture notes may have too much information in them and hence students may find it challenging to digest the material.
With concise lecture slides with high-yield material, students will have a better idea and they would have much more clarity with regards to what each concept is all about.
QUIZZES
Multiple-choice questions in quizzes can be used to check students’ progress. Teachers can create quizzes online to test for student’s level of understanding of the topics being taught. Assessment is always important as it acts as a checkpoint for students to assess their own understanding, and it is also a good opportunity for private tutors to assess their students’ strengths and weaknesses.
Source: E-learning Industry
Some sort of quiz, assessment or exam also motivates students to work harder to get good results so this acts as a good driving force for students to commit themselves to study a few hours each day.
PODCASTS
Sometimes it may not be possible to make lecture PowerPoint slides for minor topics as the material may be self-explanatory, the material may not be of much significance or the material may not be testable in examinations to a great extent. Podcasts are great way for tutors to convey the material to their students and the recordings can be listened to by students at their own convenience.
WHITEBOARD ILLUSTRATIONS
One of the most effective way for students to learn subjects is through whiteboard illustrations. This is a traditional method of teaching and the biggest advantage of this is that it gives a “classroom atmosphere” which keeps students rather engaged.
The only hurdle that tutors may run into while conducting such lessons is that they need to set up their recording with clarity and ensure their camera does not autofocus, causing their face or the whiteboard to blur in and out often (this can be distracting and does not allow for an effective tuition session).
Thus, a good way to tackle this challenge and ensure mistakes don’t happen is to double-check the quality of the equipment and the set up before recording. Tutors can seek the help of their family members or anyone around them to set up the recording system before lesson starts.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Tutors need to be able to effectively communicate with their students during tuition sessions, otherwise it cannot be a good give-and-take session. Students may lack interest if the tutor is the only person who is speaking. Thus, tutors can encourage active discussions on some topics during online sessions and also call upon their students to explain concepts that were taught previously. This grabs the attention of students and gathers their involvement during tuition sessions!
BOTTOM LINE
Online tuition is a relatively recent phenomenon and many may not have a complete understanding as to how this takes place. Tutors may struggle to conduct online sessions effectively in the initial stages, but with experience, they will get to know their strengths and weaknesses which enables them to get better with online sessions. It’s all about practice!