Low teacher-to-student ratio, lack of flexibility, and expensive tuition fees are common problems of traditional learning. While the traditional system isn’t going anywhere any time soon, during the pandemic, we’ve seen tremendous growth in the eLearning industry.
We’ve discovered just how effective it can be – nearly 80% of students felt engaged during online classes – and now, we have an abundance of choices when it comes to online education.
As a parent, you want the best for your child. Whether your child is still in high school, preparing for college, or taking their first course, you want to help them boost their learning and improve their grades. But how can you do this?
Two popular ways of doing this are online tutoring and courses. Both are useful. Have their positive sides. And both help improve knowledge levels. But which one is more effective?
Table of Contents
What’s Online Tutoring
Online tutors are basically private tutors that help you with your school work. They’re specialists in their field, and they provide students with a tailored learning experience. Currently, nearly 230,000 online tutors are working in the US alone. Globally, the number is much higher.
Websites like 24HourAnswers offer a wide range of online tutoring services. They have seasoned tutors – a vast majority have PhDs – who are available for single questions as well as full sessions.
Online Tutoring Benefits
Virtual one-on-one sessions have been around for less than two decades. However, we already have studies and data that show the impact online tutoring has had on students.
● Increased Focus
For school-attending children, remaining focused and motivated has been a problem for decades at this point. And the problem seems to be getting worse each year.
Online tutoring, however, helps children remain focused and engaged. A study from 2015 showed that students enrolled in online tutoring reported increased focus and engagement.
● Raised Performance
With focus levels, student grades have been going down in recent years. It makes sense. If the students don’t have the ability to focus in on a specific subject, their grades are going to suffer.
A 2017 study showed that online tutoring could significantly raise performance in assessment scores of students struggling with math. Factors that were found to be responsible include increased confidence and raised interest in the subject.
● Personalized Support
The lack of teachers forced the traditional education system to provide students with standardized lessons. While this form of teaching is effective, it’s undeniable that a good number of students would benefit from more attention and support.
That’s where tutoring can help. During a single session, a tutor can help the student to dive deeper into the subject and ensure they fully understand it. A UK study discovered that these sessions are three times more effective than traditional lectures.
What Are Online Courses?
Online courses, on the other hand, are much more closer to traditional education than tutoring. Obviously, the biggest difference is that these courses are held online instead in a physical classroom.
However, that’s far from the only difference. Online courses are more affordable, flexible, and self-paced than traditional classes. With platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera, students can find courses on varied topics. Some of them even allow you to get certifications from renowned universities.
Surprisingly, online courses are much more popular among 30-year-olds than younger ones. More than 40% of online course users are in their 30s, according to statistics compiled by Find Stack.
Online Courses Benefits
Now, this style of learning has been around for a while. Although, it only started becoming widespread with the growth of the Internet in the late oughts. It gives students opportunities not only to improve their knowledge in a specific field but also to induce new skills.
● Self-paced Schedule
Going to university, college, or even school is all about following schedules. Even if you have the option of listening to the course online, you still have to abide by the lecturer’s schedule.
With an online course, you can learn at your own pace. Since these courses aren’t live, you can watch and listen to the lecture as many times as you want.
● Playback Ability
Flexibility is one of the key selling points of online courses. The ability to pause, rewind, and even skip ahead is something you can’t do with traditional learning.
If the student is trying to understand a single idea or concept, the playback ability of online courses allows them to concentrate on it until they fully understand. That’s one of the main reasons why 40% of student time online is spent on learning platforms.
● Low Costs
For students, money is always a problem. It’s estimated that 4 out of 10 students won’t have enough money to cover college costs. As a result, they are forced to compromise on their education plans.
Online courses offer the perfect solution to this problem. Depending on the program, most of them can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. A lot of them are completely free and might even offer certificates.
Which One is Better?
We’ve come to the central question – for parents and students alike – what is better, online courses or tutoring sessions? While the cop-out answer would be “it depends on your needs,” we’ll try to offer a more comprehensive answer.
Online courses are always welcome for those who want to learn something new or improve their knowledge in a certain field. It’s a cost-effective solution for those with limited budgets.
However, if you really want to learn something specific from an expert on the subject, your attention should go to online tutoring. You will get personalized support with the help of a tutor who can answer all the questions you might have.
The Bottom Line on eLearning
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with group learning. Some students even prefer it to online courses or tutoring sessions.
Being a part of a group gives you access to a variety of perspectives and the support of peers. It’s important to use every opportunity to learn, and eLearning – in one form or another – is the perfect way to do it.