The short answer is a resounding yes.
As the Founder of ThriveTutors and a Qualified Teacher, I have worked across various education systems for many years and in this time, I have had numerous conversations with parents, students, teachers, and tutors, regarding the merits of online tutoring.
In this article, we will explore:
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- What is online tutoring?
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- Tutoring Effectiveness
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- The Benefits of Online Tutoring
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- How online tutoring works at ThriveTutors.
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- How online tutoring programs can fit various budgets.
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- Is online tutoring worth the financial investment?
What is Online Tutoring?
Online tutoring involves matching students and teachers in a virtual learning environment for the purpose of additional learning support for a particular subject. Just like in traditional tutoring, online tutors support students to understand difficult concepts, work on problem-solving skills, and prepare for exams and assessments.
As the founder of ThriveTutors, I have seen first-hand how our qualified teachers have transformed the academic success of Australian students. In a matter of months, I have seen students elevate their understanding, boost their confidence, and achieve grades they previously thought were impossible. I believe that the ability of our teachers to deliver high-quality instruction in an interactive learning environment has been one of the core drivers of student success.
Statistics on Tutoring
According to an article from The Conversation, the learning gap in Numeracy between disadvantaged and advantaged students doubles from Year 3 to Year 9. Studies have found that personalised, one-on-one tutoring can reduce this gap and boost student learning by as much as four months, over the course of one year. One-on-one tutoring works because tutors can focus exclusively on the individual student, identifying their exact needs and working closely with them to get them back on track.
Another study by educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom (1984) found that providing individual tutoring opportunities for children helped improve their performance; for some, performing better than 98% of peers in a traditional classroom environment.
At ThriveTutors, we have a proven record of enabling children of all abilities to excel academically. However, it’s not just improvements to academic skills that can make online tutoring worth it.
The Benefits of Online Tutoring
Convenience for families
With traditional tutoring, parents have had to endure driving their child through after-school traffic to a busy tutoring centre or having a stranger come to their home.
All that inconvenience disappears with online tutoring, as students can learn from the comfort of their own home, without the need for travel. At ThriveTutors, we also have a flexible schedule, which allows parents to choose the times that they would like lessons to occur.
Personalised Attention
Online tutoring removes the barrier of oversized classrooms by offering personalised instruction tailored to each student’s unique learning style and pace.
One-on-one, online tutoring also gives students uninterrupted attention of their teacher for the entire 60-minute lesson. This direct attention ensures that students remain focused and engaged and creates a sense of accountability for students each week.
Engaging Teaching Methods
The third unique benefit of online tutoring is the interactive and digital educational methods students get to experience. Online tutoring provides the ability to utilise a range of digital tools that can elevate concepts in a way that is beyond reach for traditional classrooms.
Let’s consider Senior Biology. In a traditional classroom, students would have to rely on textbooks and diagrams, whereas online tutoring promotes digital exploration, curiosity, and active learning — all of which are key elements in successful education.
Access to High Quality Teachers
Another benefit to online tutoring is that you gain access to a more comprehensive range of qualified teachers, unhindered by geography. At ThriveTutors, you may be located in Brisbane but end up finding the ideal teacher for your child is based in Melbourne.
This opportunity also allows us to match students and teachers beyond academic capabilities to shared interests, hobbies, and complementary teaching-learning styles.
How does Online Tutoring assist academic growth?
The main benefit of online tutoring is the fast rate of academic growth it can create for students. Bloom’s famous research highlights that one-to-one tutoring is the most effective educational instrument, leading to students performing two standard deviations above those in a traditional classroom. Further research, conducted through surveys of our own team of Teachers, indicates that ThriveTutors’ boosts learning outcomes in as little as four weeks.
Qualified, Experienced Teachers lead to increased grades.
Qualified Teachers alongside personalised lesson plans and comprehensive resources, form the foundation for improved grades. When students connect with their teacher in our virtual classrooms, we observe a significant increase in engagement. Our teachers are experts at weaving curriculum elaborations with real-life examples and interactive learning activities, bringing learning to life for our students.
The learning environment is 100% private.
Online tutoring and virtual classrooms enable students to acquire knowledge and confidently progress along their learning curve, at their own pace, with zero distractions. This style of learning provides significantly improved learning outcomes, especially for anxious or shy students who might feel uneasy during face-to-face tutoring lessons.
How does Online Tutoring work at ThriveTutors?
At ThriveTutors, our mission is to connect, inspire and empower every student across Australia. That means providing an online tutoring service that consistently delivers high quality educational outcomes and an exceptional customer service to parents. We understand that choosing the right teacher for your child is a significant decision, which is why we handle all the hard parts for you.
We match you with the right Teacher
At ThriveTutors, we discuss your child’s tutoring needs, goals and their unique strengths, and interests. When we match your child with one of our Teachers, we make sure to consider availability, compatibility and alignment of teaching and active learning styles.
Students engage in a free trial lesson.
Once we have found the right teacher for each student, we then schedule you in for a free trial lesson.We use Whereby and Zoom to ensure that lessons can be easily accessed by all students and this creates a dynamic and engaging learning environment.
Personalised lessons for each student.
At ThriveTutors, we know that every student is unique with different strengths and learning goals. After your trial lesson, our teachers develop personalised learning plans to ensure that each week, the content and learning approach is tailored to the specific needs and goals of each individual learner.
We provide constant communication.
We know how important quality communication is to parents. That is why each parent has direct access to the Thrive Admin team via email or phone from 8am to 7pm daily. We will handle all of the logistics and administration, so you don’t have to. Plus, at the end of each lesson, teachers also leave feedback on student progress.
How we create a safe and secure online tutoring environment.
At ThriveTutors, I have made it a key focus to ensure a safe and comfortable tutoring environment for all of our students, and that starts with the Teachers. When selecting teachers for our platform, we hand-pick the very best of our applications, to ensure that we maintain the highest quality of tutoring.
All tutors at ThriveTutors must be qualified, registered teachers with valid Police Checks and Working with Children Checks. Once their qualifications have been verified, they then engage in a short interview with the Director of ThriveTutors, to learn about our online tutoring process, online student engagement, and effective tutoring pedagogy.
But our commitment doesn’t stop there. We oversee and evaluate the performance of every Teacher, ensuring the quality of learning and the safety of our online environment. We also have a digital management team that works to ensure that all information is kept private and is only accessible to the relevant stakeholders.
How online tutoring can fit various budgets
The cost of online tutoring can vary significantly based on several factors, most importantly the tutor’s level of experience. At ThriveTutors, all of teachers are qualified professionals who have trained for multiple years to provide quality learning and education to students. This level of training and expertise means that our teachers are able to provide a much higher standard of tutoring and are better equipped to engage, support and guide students.
At ThriveTutors, our online tutoring has been designed in a way that not only reflects the value and expertise of our teachers, but also supports various family budgets.
Parents can opt into our Basic Tutoring, which gives them access to one-on-one, 60-minute lessons with a Qualified Teacher. Alternatively, they can join our Elite Tutoring Subscription, which not only provides discounted private tutoring lessons but also provides students with exclusive access to our education hub, unlimited assignment drafting and support and priority communication.
Families with limited budgets can still opt in to our Elite Tutoring Subscription and just use the education hub learning resources and assignment support feature. Without booking a tutoring lesson, students still get access to over $10,000 worth of educational value and the decreased teaching time can be offset by higher levels of independent learning by the student. Our team also speaks with cost-conscious parents who know that starting with a tutoring company is an investment, to provide flexible solutions where necessary.
Explore our Education Hub HERE.
Who is online tutoring best suited to?
Online tutoring is best suited to four categories of students.
- Students who have fallen behind and want to catch up at school. Online tutoring benefits these students by providing a private, personalised learning environment free from distractions.
- Students with busy schedules who cannot travel to in-person tutoring centres. Online tutoring is flexible and convenient because parents can schedule sessions based on their individual schedules.
- Students in remote areas who don’t have access to in-person tutoring. Online tutoring provides access anywhere, anytime and can help these students reap the benefits of education.
- Students completing homeschooling often prefer online tutoring because lessons can be scheduled during the day, and content can be tailored to support homeschooling programs.
Is online tutoring worth the investment?
At ThriveTutors, we strongly believe that online tutoring is an investment in your child’s future. By engaging in weekly tutoring lessons, you are choosing to set your child up for success and provide them with the support and guidance they need to feel confident in their learning.
Online tutoring with qualified teachers typically ranges from $60 to $120 per hour, with each session lasting one hour. Students at ThriveTutors usually begin to see results after 4-6 lessons and experience the full tutoring benefit after a consistent year of tutoring. In just one year, students can get back on track and feel confident approaching their next year of schooling. Whether that is transitioning from Primary to High School, or entering Year 11 and 12, online tutoring is here to prepare your child for success.
Although online tutoring is a financial investment, its benefits are clear.
- Students receive personalised teaching and learning that caters to their exact needs.
- They learn in a one-on-one environment where they feel comfortable, free of distractions, and able to ask questions.
- The rate of learning from tutoring is so great, that students can learn more in one lesson than they might in an entire day at school.
- Online tutoring enables students to boost their confidence and grades in the classroom, improve their chances of academic success and set them up for long-term personal and professional success.
So, if you’re wondering whether online tutoring is worth the investment, consider this: you’re not just helping your child catch up, you’re allowing them to unlock their full academic potential. It’s an investment in your child’s future.
If you want to try online tutoring, contact the ThriveTutors team to unlock your free trial lesson and kickstart your child’s journey to success.
