Introduction
As a student or parent of a student, it can be difficult to decide whether in-person instruction or online tutoring will best suit your needs. There are benefits and drawbacks of both forms of learning. Your decision will ultimately come down to personality, learning styles and budget. If you’re debating online tutoring vs. classroom teaching, our guide will help you to decide what’s right for you.
Understanding Online Tutoring
Online tutoring is computer-based, using modern video communication platforms like Zoom or Google Meet. This form of tutoring is often one-on-one, although it’s possible for tutors to engage with multiple students at once. Online tutoring often follows the same structure as in-person tutoring sessions, but can take advantage of computer- and web-based learning tools, instructional games and other software to enhance a student’s experience and understanding.
Benefits of Online Tutoring
One of the greatest benefits of online tutoring is flexibility, both for the teacher and the student. You can learn from anywhere with an internet connection, which is important for students who have a challenging schedule or who travel a lot. Time saved on the commuting alone can be a major plus for busy families. Online tutoring also can be great for introverted students, who will prefer one-on-one attention to classroom-style teaching. The individual attention also means that the tutor can tailor their teaching style and curriculum to your needs and interests, making the learning more engaging.
Challenges of Online Tutoring
While many students find that online tutoring is as effective as in-person tutoring for learning a subject (and studies back up that claim), finding a distraction-free environment to learn in can be a challenge. Especially for younger learners, interruptions from family members, pets and background noise can be overwhelming and cause them to lose focus on their lessons. On the tutor’s side, it can be more difficult to keep their student engaged, and to read their body language and reactions in comparison to teaching in-person. Add the possibility of technical problems with internet connection issues, software updates or audio problems, and a tutoring session can turn into a perfect storm. Finally, for extroverted students, they may thrive in a classroom setting for its opportunities to interact with others and learn as a team. When you’ve deciding between online tutoring vs. classroom teaching for yourself or your child, this should be a major consideration – do they need social time, or are they more shy and reserved?
Understanding Classroom Teaching
In a classroom setting, whether at school or after an after-school tutoring service, students are taught as a group, and expected to keep up with the pace the teacher sets. This is fine for the majority of students. But if you or your child is struggling to follow along in class, additional classroom-based learning might be frustrating and demotivating. Teachers can have 30 or more students in a class, so individual attention is not likely. However, there are benefits to classroom teaching, which we’ll detail below.
Advantages of Classroom Teaching
As mentioned, the socialization benefits of in-person, classroom-based teaching are critical for development in childhood and through the teen years. Interacting with peers builds social skills, and participating in group projects teaches important soft skills like negotiation, decision making and empathy. The opportunities for hands-on learning in the classroom environment can also be important for students whose learning style is more tactile or experimental.
Drawbacks of Classroom Teaching
In addition to limited personal attention from teachers, classroom teaching is usually not flexible in terms of scheduling. If you’re able to commit to the same time and place each week this will not keep you from in-person learning, but those with busy schedules may find online learning to be better suited to their needs. Working with an online tutoring service (like TutorLyft!) also means that you have access to a number of different tutors with different teaching styles and methods, so you can meet with several until you find the right fit. In a school or classroom setting, you’re limited to the teaching styles and expertise of the teacher assigned to your class.
Choosing the Right Teaching Method
Now that you’ve considered some of the drawbacks of each style, it’s also important to note that budget can play a role in your decision. Online tutoring is often more cost-effective than in-person tutoring, which can be especially important if you’re looking for tutoring in multiple subjects. Especially if you live in a large city, in-person tutoring costs can be much higher than in the rest of the country. Finding a tutor online means that you can shop around for the best rates, and find a tutor who matches your learning style and budget. You can also look for both online and in-person tutoring with TutorLyft, and compare rates between tutors based on their location and expertise.
Before you look for a tutor, be sure to reflect on your learning style (or your child’s learning style) and consider the impact in-person or online tutoring will have on their learning outcomes. Also think about your goals for tutoring — are you looking for occasional help with tests or essays, or are you hoping to develop a longer-term relationship with the tutor, and schedule weekly sessions? Finally, asking the right questions when you interview a tutor will help you decide about the level of experience and education they will need to teach your subject effectively, and whether they have the right skills and personality to match your learning style.
Conclusion
Whether you choose classroom-based learning or online tutoring, taking the time to consider the pros and cons is key to making an informed decision. Online tutoring is becoming more popular and accessible than ever, but the benefits of in-person learning are also notable. Mixing the two styles with a combination of classroom learning and after-school online tutoring can also give students the best of both worlds, including the individual attention they need to succeed.
If you’d like to explore more about online tutoring, check out our tutor profiles, or click over to our For Parents section to learn more about the advantages of one-to-one tutoring. You can also hear about the powerful impact of online tutoring from our founder, Omar Andani.
