The unprecedented pandemic brought a shift away from the classroom in many parts of the globe. With the unveiling of the lockdown exit plan, coined the COVID roadmap, by Boris Johnson in February, schools have officially commenced their "gradual return" to reality (or as close to reality as we're likely to get for the foreseeable future). However, with safety measures such as mask-wearing for older students and asymptomatic testing sites in place, the debate over whether schools are ready for return is ongoing. With some pleased, uncertainty over this academic year persists amongst many, including the teacher's union that called the return 'reckless'.
With parents and pupils concerned over the inevitable increased risk of transmission in schools, private tutoring and, more specifically online tutoring, is fast becoming the preferred choice of many.
Changes to the private tutoring section
The effects of the pandemic continue to transform the growth of various industries as we move into the second year with the virus, including private tutoring services. Prior to the fateful March 2020, tutoring services were used for a variety of reasons, such as the desire to homeschool a child and for extra help on a particular subject.
With existential concerns around COVID-19 and the unpredictability of schools causing havoc amongst children's educational needs, many families have been introduced to the concept of online tutoring which has seen an explosion of interest over this past year.
Online tutoring has been capitalised on by many private tutoring companies due to the inability to provide face-to-face tutoring, but families are seeing the beneficial learning outcomes of this method over others. Furthering this, the online tutoring market grew at a compound annual growth rate of 18%, whilst the predicted CAGR for 2020-2024 is 14% or over. The big question on many of our minds is whether online tutoring will be as impactful as other teaching methods once all restrictive containment measures are lifted.
Is online tutoring as effective?
In order for the full benefits of online learning to be felt, a concerted effort is needed to provide a structured environment. It goes beyond replicating a physical class through video capabilities, but rather adapting to the modern and effective ways of e-learning. Online tuition is able to offer advantages that face-to-face tutoring would struggle to offer. These include;
Convenience and ease of use; never needing to commute means more time for concentrated learning and added flexibility with lesson scheduling
With technology changing the way we live our lives, the same can be said for the way we learn. Being a modern generation with their love of all things tech, children enjoy interacting with a teacher online
Being able to utilise a range of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote a tailored learning experience - something which is unrealistic in classroom learning environments.
Countless online resources available to choose from; the best ones to use can be tailored to the student depending on their style of learning and the subject being taught
Most importantly, attitudes are changing towards online tuition as it's finally given its chance!
Parents and children alike are becoming more aware of the effectiveness of online tuition, which ultimately has been efficacious in its receptiveness and propitiousness. Whilst this may be the case, this does not mean improvements aren't being made regularly to online tuition methods. E-learning platforms and tutors alike continue to combat common challenges through a number of alterations, such as adding helpful features to popular platforms and adjusting teaching styles when the student/teacher rapport has started.
Although we have yet to see the full outcomes of the pandemic, there is no doubt that online learning technology is here to stay and fast becoming a favourable learning method for students, young and mature! At Threshold Education, our high-quality online tutoring services are kept fun and interactive by our amazing tutors - all specifically selected for their expertise in particular subjects. Make e-learning part of your and your child's ‘new normal’ by getting in touch with us today.