Every choice has its own advantages and disadvantages and as human beings, we get used to weighing out the pros and cons in order to make the right decision. It starts from the very beginning, as simple as making choices regarding academics. Parents want to provide the best and children want to perform well in their exams to secure a place in the favourite school or college.

The education system has evolved to a great extent in an extremely short span of time so parents can no longer guide their children solely based on their schooling experience because everything has transformed into something bigger and better.

This is the prime reason why the tuition industry has had such a boom over the past decade or so as it’s the biggest pillar of support for students across the nation. 

With the advent of technology, even online tuition has risen in prominence and many students are considering that as a possibility as well. However, adapting to these changes is no easy task. Parents and children are unsure as to which choice will yield the better results: Online tuition or private one-to-one tuition?

So, let’s take a look at the benefits and possible downsides of these options and weight them out!

ONLINE TUITION

The biggest advantage, or rather the “selling point” of this option is convenience. The idea of “study from home” is highly appealing to many students for various reasons.

Source: Studenttimes

From a student’s point of view, exhaustion is the enemy to productivity and that exhaustion is created by many factors like, 

• A long day at school
• Extra-curricular activities at school
• Leadership commitments
• School homework
• Travelling back and forth

The exhaustion adversely affects a student’s ability to sit through a tuition session and learning no longer becomes a joy anymore; it becomes an obligation.  With online tuition, the schedule is much more flexible and the student has some time to relax and refresh before a tuition session. 

Moreover, with online tuition, there is no redundant waste of time like travelling to a tuition centre and it happens from the convenience of home. This creates more breathing space for a student, which is absolutely essential for a healthy mind. Even the complicated topics like Relationships Formulas can be easily taught in online classes using interactive methods.

The downsides: 

The stark difference between online tuition and an in-person tutoring is obviously the physical presence of the tutor is present in the former and absent in the latter. This does make a huge difference in the way teaching is the done and in the way learning occurs. 

Without the physical presence of a tutor, in a virtual meeting, a certain amount of distraction can be anticipated. 100% attention may not be devoted on the student’s part and this may result in a rather ineffective tuition session.

This also means that the online tuition teacher needs to take the necessary steps to make sure the tuition session is engaging and to actively involve the student in the interactive lesson in order to keep it effective. 

IN-PERSON TUTORING

This is the most common form of tuition session and it is highly regarded as undeniably, a very special teacher-student bond does get formed. The physical presence of the teacher and interacting with him or her and being taught in person creates trust and a great teacher will be a true inspiration to his or her students. 

Source: Modelex

It creates the opportunity for students to voice out their academic concerns, perhaps even talk about their insecurities as a student and this way, the tutor will be able to empathise with the student and do all he or she can to provide the best.

Not to say that this cannot be done in an online tuition session, but the opportunities are rather bleak because as human beings, we pick up social cues (expressions, intonations, etc.) and respond according to them when we are in the physical presence of others. The virtual teaching may end up sticking with the syllabus and doesn’t necessarily travel further. 

WHICH CHOICE IS BETTER? 

The better choice is always that which will be effective and productive. Some students prefer an online session and some students prefer an in-person interaction. Ultimately, the goal of a tutor at the end of the day is to bring the best out of a student. 

Be it an online tuition teacher or a private tutor, they will do their best to understand their students’ academic needs and they will tailor their teaching to suit the needs accordingly.

Every student is unique in his or her own way when it comes to the pace of learning and learning style. Some may be fast learners and some may pick up concepts and retain them at a slower rate.

The job of a good tuition teacher is to ultimately figure out what the student needs and the appropriate steps will be taken to push them towards success. It’s just a matter of time.