The first few times I did tutoring online were completely by chance: one student’s family moved away and she wanted to continue SAT tutoring. When I realized how well virtual tutoring worked (in some cases, even better than in-person tutoring), I decided to make the switch and work with all of my students online.

Over the years I’ve noticed that some parents are completely comfortable with the idea of virtual tutoring, while others many parents aren’t sure how it works. Having done both in-person and online tutoring for a number of years, I wanted to share how online tutoring works and discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

Check out this infographic for a comparison of virtual and in-person tutoring. Credit to Kristin Craig.

Online/Virtual Tutoring: How it Works

Online tutoring can be done using a number of different modalities and technologies, including one or more of the following: video call (FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook messenger video, etc.), online chat (text chatting, such as Gchat in Google, or Facebook messenger, etc.), email, online whiteboard applications, Google Documents, phone, text, photos, and many more.

I generally connect with students using Google Hangouts, which is a free video call function that allows for screen sharing. Anyone with a gmail account can use Hangouts, and there is even a Hangouts phone app.

Both during and between tutoring sessions, students and I may exchange photos of work and texts/emails with questions and explanations. Since Google Hangouts allows for screen sharing, if students are working on something on their computer (an essay, for example) they can share their screen with me so we can look at the work together. If we are using another video call application that doesn’t have screen sharing capabilities, students will just email me their documents.

For math (or science that involves equations and math operations), students will either send me photos of their work or email me documents if the work is available in digital form. We then talk through the steps and show each other on the camera (by writing on whiteboards or even notebooks with marker). We can also write in the Gchat chat box as needed.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual Tutoring

Advantages:

• Convenience. All that’s needed is a computer or tablet with an internet connection.

• Efficiency. Student/tutor doesn’t spend time/resources getting to and from tutoring sessions.

• Students gain familiarity/expertise in working with technologies that are increasingly used in the workplace.

• Independence and ownership. Students are responsible for knowing what they need to work on and sending photos or links for any work to the tutor prior to the tutoring session.

• Students/tutor are connected in real time and use technology to share and edit documents, work through problems, and review steps in real time just as they would do in person.

• For math/science, students work independently while talking through their problem solving steps (instead of the tutor watching and intervening, as with in-person tutoring). Explaining/verbalizing their processes helps students become better problem solvers.

Disadvantages:

• Students and tutor may never meet in person. Some people may feel that the relationship is “less personal.”

• Some students who have major issues with organization may benefit more from in-person, hands on guidance to improve their organizational skills.

• Temporary internet or technology failures may require rescheduling of tutoring. (However, this can be compared to cancellations of in-person tutoring for illness, bad weather, transportation issues, or other causes.)

• Possibility of distraction. Just like in-person, in-home tutoring, parents need to set aside a quiet place for students to do virtual tutoring.

• Access to technology. Although many students have access to computers or tablets at home, lack of these resources makes virtual tutoring more difficult. (One solution is for students to stay after school and use their schools’ computer or technology labs for virtual tutoring.)

Please let me know your thoughts on virtual or in-person tutoring in the comments below!