Tutoring in an Online Environment Deborah Hardwick, Manager Online Tutoring Program Houston Community College

Working Online is Different Many believe that tutoring online is just like working face-to-face with students, but that isnt true!

What is a Tutor? View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the WebThesaurusEncyclopediaAll Referencethe Web Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source tu·tor ˈ tu tər, ˈ tyu-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[too-ter, tyoo-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source Pronunciation Key Show Spelled PronunciationPronunciation KeyShow IPA Pronunciation –noun 1.a person employed to instruct another in some branch or branches of learning, esp. a private instructor. 2.a teacher of academic rank lower than instructor in some American universities and colleges. 3.a teacher without institutional connection who assists students in preparing for examinations. 4.(esp. at Oxford and Cambridge) a university officer, usually a fellow, responsible for teaching and supervising a number of undergraduates. 5.the guardian of a boy or girl below the age of puberty or majority. –verb (used with object) 6.to act as a tutor to; teach or instruct, esp. privately. 7.to have the guardianship, instruction, or care of. 8.to instruct underhandedly; coach: to tutor a witness before he testifies. 9.Archaic. a.to train, school, or discipline. b.to admonish or reprove. –verb (used without object) 10.to act as a tutor or private instructor. 11.to study privately with a tutor. [Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L tūtor protector, equiv. to tū- (var. s. of tuérī to guard; see tutelage) + - tor -tor ]tutelage-tor Related forms tu·tor·less, adjective tu·tor·ship, noun and at HCC – to tutorize! Synonyms 6. See teach.teach.

Two Types of Tutors Teachers Out-of-class conferences conferences Phone conferences Non-teachers (at least, not that students teacher) Private, paid tutors Peer tutors College-hired face-to-face tutors Online (or distance) tutors

Three Types of Online Tutoring Small group – This can be done in chat rooms. Large group – This is also done in chat rooms or through message boards. Individual – this is the most common form and can be synchronous or asynchronous.

Online Tutoring Platforms Ask-a-Tutor – some schools use a phone system. – a schools internal system may be used. IM (Instant messaging) – this is useful for short questions but impractical for longer ones or papers. Tutoring Platform – this is an integrated system with multiple modes of contact.

Why We Need Multiple Methods Not all students learn the same way. Not all students are comfortable asking for help. Getting tutoring help still carries a stigma in many students eyes. Our students often have complex lives.

How Is Online Tutoring Different? In a traditional face-to-face setting, tutors get many cues from conversation with students. Immediate clarification can be asked for and given. Online, tutors need to be more intuitive and read the students submission much more carefully in order to provide not only overt help, but also covert help.

Lets Look at Similarities and Differences Before we can get into HOW to tutor online, we need to start with what you already know from f-2-f tutoring. Then, we can move into the virtual realm!

Significant Differences between Online and F-2-F Tutoring Online tutoring entails No visual feedback Communication delays Mastery of technological tools More work in written communication (typing takes longer than talking) Often incomplete information about assignments

Significant Similarities in All Types of Tutoring For the student, both face-to-face and online tutoring require engagement, initiative, assertiveness, and self-direction. demand a commitment to growth, and that commitment involves time and energy.

In face-to-face and online environments, tutors must address individual learning needs. help students minimize learning gaps. address academic anxiety and fears.

Tutors Roles: Online and F-2-F Tutors Must Never undermine the teachers role. second-guess the teachers judgment. take sides in a debate about grades. do a students work.

Online Tutors Must Be Role Models If you are tutoring in a synchronous platform (phone, chat room, IM), you MUST be there when you are scheduled. In whatever format, use correct English. Students may use text-slang – tutors never should. Humor can be cutting – it must be used sparingly and cautiously.

If you want students to take tutoring seriously, you must treat it seriously. Be respectful, professional, and humane.

Online Tutoring Challenges Communication – there are no visual cues, and the time lag in asynchronous online tutoring can lead to frustration for students and tutors. This is directly related to the lack of immediate feedback. Tutors dont know if they have hit the mark, if students understand what they said, or if there are related questions. Please post suggestions for dealing with this problem through the Communication thread in REPLY.

More Challenges Establishing boundaries Because students may be sitting in their underwear (and tutors may, too!) it is easy to forget that this is a professional relationship. Students may confuse their tutor(s) with other friends who on a regular basis, adding personal notes and comments that are inappropriate.

On a Related Note... When does the work cease to be the students and become the tutors? This is a crucial issue. Program managers must set guidelines for how often a piece of work can be reviewed and how much work can be done. Remember that teachers have to grade student work, not tutor work. Please respond to this question in the Whose Work Is It? REPLY thread.

Unreasonable Student Expectations Just as some students expect f-2-f tutors to do the work, they also may expect it of online tutors. They may submit a list of physics problems from the text without even trying to solve them. They may send a teachers assignment and ask the tutor what they should do / write / answer. Please make suggestions to solve this problem though the Unreasonable Expectations REPLY thread.

Scheduling and Time Management Whether you are working in a synchronous or asynchronous environment, timeliness and punctuality are important, not only for the reputation of the tutoring program, but as a model for students. Know your programs turn-around times and always strive to beat them.

Online Tutoring Advantages Online environments can increase the comfort zone for tutors and students. In an online environment, students usually can be trained to (Ask questions) include the prompts (Ask questions) (Identify concerns) pinpoint particular problems (Identify concerns) Online platforms limit or eliminate rambling, making the time use more efficient. Asynchronous tutoring allows tutors time for reflection and carefully constructed answers.

Tutors Role in Tutoring: Tutors must always lead students to answers, not give them answers. find something praiseworthy in any work students do. be honest yet optimistic with students. keep students confidences except when there is a perceived danger to self or others. tutor the student, not the subject.

Students Role in Tutoring: Students must always understand what tutors can and cant do, especially that tutors will not do their work for them. the time constraints of tutoring availability. how to prepare for the tutoring session. that tutoring is not a substitute for studying.

Good tutoring leads students to answers rather than giving them. usually makes students work harder, as they cannot con tutors into doing just one more problem... Online Tutoring usually makes students work harder, as they cannot con tutors into doing just one more problem...

In summary... Online, or distance, tutoring is here to stay. It is new, so what we do in the next couple of years will determine the path it will take. Those of us working in the field now are developing best practices, and those who follow can learn from the work of all who have gone before.

Contact Information Deborah Hardwick, Manager, Online Tutoring Services (best way) (leave a message)