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How Online Tutoring Works
How do online tutoring sessions work? Are they as effective as in-person lessons? What are the advantages of such a format? How demanding is their implementation? These are just some of the many questions that can be raised when discussing online tutoring. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most students and parents had little to no experience with them. However, online tutoring is becoming increasingly popular and in demand. Below, we explain how sessions are organized and comment on the standard model and approach.
How to Organize Online Tutoring
When a parent notices that a student has difficulties understanding certain material, it is best to react immediately and seek help in the form of tutoring. A quick reaction reduces the number of ‘gaps in knowledge’ and helps the student catch up more quickly, which usually means fewer tutoring hours are required.
Choosing an Online Tutor and Service
Online tutoring has two main advantages compared to in-person tutoring: availability of tutors in areas where qualified mentors are scarce, and the time saved compared to commuting. Among the many online ads, the best option is to select a service that already has references or rely on a recommendation. Today, established platforms exist such as eMatematika in Croatia and Go Tel in Slovenia. The eMatematika platform functions like an online store for tutoring, where you access the website, choose a tutor with references, place an order, and reserve a session.
Before the Session
Before the first session, parents should share information with the tutor such as current performance, previous experiences, and the topics where help is needed. Online tutoring should be prepared in a distraction-free environment. For math, it is recommended to provide materials during the ordering process or send them to the tutor beforehand via email or apps like WhatsApp. Besides standard equipment such as a computer/laptop with a camera or smartphone and stable internet, students only need a pencil, eraser, paper, and motivation.
Choosing the Application
There are many reliable applications for online tutoring, with the simplest being Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams. They provide excellent sound and video quality and allow screen sharing, which makes communication easier. Both tutor and student can write on the screen as if writing on paper. Eye contact is important so that the tutor can see the student’s reactions and intervene if they notice difficulties. This is particularly important in the first few sessions, when students may feel shy or hesitant to ask questions.
Course of an Online Session
Joining a video call is solved with a single click. The tutor creates a meeting link and sends it to the student, who joins by clicking on it. For example, in a math lesson, the tutor introduces definitions and formulas gradually, followed by tasks. This block-based method ensures better understanding. One of the most used tools on Zoom is the Whiteboard, where both tutor and student can collaborate. Tutors can write on the screen while students ask questions or attempt tasks themselves. If the student has two devices with cameras, the tutor can even see what the student is writing in real time. Tutors often use additional tools such as Geogebra, WeTransfer, WhatsApp, or Google Drive for sharing materials. After the lesson, the tutor may assign homework, which will be checked in the next session.
Advantages of Online Platforms
In practice, students often need urgent help the day before an exam or when they need to improve a grade. In such cases, the availability of a large number of tutors on one platform, such as eMatematika, is a big advantage. If the main tutor is unavailable, another tutor can step in. This flexibility reduces frustration compared to in-person tutoring, where finding a last-minute replacement can be difficult. Online platforms also allow access to tutors with experience in special needs (dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, etc.) and to specialists for competitions or projects.
Who Seeks Online Tutoring
There is a common belief that tutoring is only for weaker students. However, experience from eMatematika shows that even excellent students use tutoring: those preparing for tests, seeking year-long support, or preparing for competitions. Students with learning difficulties, university students preparing for exams, working adults retraining, and even Croatian families abroad also participate. Math tutoring is the most in-demand service, followed by physics and chemistry. For example, math accounts for 56% of all tutoring, physics 17%, and chemistry 13%. Interestingly, in 75–80% of cases, it is mothers who first contact the service.
Choosing Online vs. In-Person Tutoring
Most students still prefer in-person tutoring due to natural communication, habit, and familiarity. However, the trend has been shifting in recent years towards online tutoring, as more tutors advertise both options and digital platforms gain popularity. Reviews show that online sessions can be equally or even more effective than in-person ones, provided the tutor knows the material well, uses effective teaching methods, is available, and uses digital tools skillfully. With generational changes, online tutoring is expected to become the first choice in the future.
Author
Robert Pavlik, founder
