Should We Add an Online Tutoring Component?

Things to Consider

Tim Vick

Academic Resource Center Director

Macon State College

Macon, Georgia

Online Tutoring

• First, let’s look at:– What it is.– What it isn’t.– Pros– Cons

Online Tutoring

• What it is (or should be):– Online tutoring is part pastoral, part technical,

part pedagogical, and all hard work.1

– Just like converting a course to a distance learning model, online tutoring should mirror the climate of the F2F session as closely as possible given the technological constraints.

1 Teaching Online, Nicky Hockly and Gavin Dudeney, 15 June 2005, found online 1/3/08 at http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/etutor.shtml

Online Tutoring

• What it isn’t (or shouldn’t be)– A replacement for F2F tutoring for those who

are more comfortable in that environment– An answering or proofreading/editing service – A replacement for going to class!

Online Tutoring

• Pros– Convenience for students

• Especially those who may be hesitant to use F2F tutoring

– Convenience for tutors– Benefits for tutors

Online Tutoring

• Cons– High cost of implementation (based on

platform)– Technological hurdles– Paradigm shift– More training

Online Tutoring

• Next, Let’s look at how we can make it work– Do we have institutional support?– What model do we want to use?– Do we have funding?– Can we train tutors to work in the online

environment?– Are our students ready for this?

Online Tutoring

• Do we have institutional support?– Consider all stakeholders– Administration, faculty, tutoring staff, students

Online Tutoring

• What model do we want to use?– Synchronous/asynchronous – Home-grown system– Commercial system

Online Tutoring

• What model do we want to use? (continued)

– Phone chat– IM Chat– Email Sessions– Collaboration with other institutions

Online Tutoring

• Do we have the necessary funding?

Online Tutoring

• Can we train tutors to work in the online environment?

Online Tutoring

• Are our students ready for this?

Online Tutoring

• Conclusion– Check the Internet– Make an informed decision

Discussion Board

• Please go to the Discussion Board and answer the prompt that will cover both Jim Valkenburg’s module and mine.

• Thank you.