It has been a trend during this pandemic for learning and tuition centres to transition to online classes as a result of constraints and measures taken to fight the spread of COVID-19.
We may then ask, as concerned parents: Are online tuition classes indeed useful and conducive for our children’s learning? Are online classes less effective than regular, in-person classes?
First of all, let us consider how an online lesson could be conducted. Most teachers may use Zoom, but some may also use platforms like Skype and Microsoft Teams. These applications offer screen-sharing functions and other camera and audio systems to teach your children, which is helpful for running through assignments and answering homework-related queries. That brings us to the benefits of online tuition classes:
Screen Sharing
Screen sharing applications can be useful and can even make learning enjoyable for both the tutor and your child. Many screen sharing platforms offer tools which allow for a greater manipulation of documents than if you used normal pen and paper. Highlights, cropping, and notation can be easily achieved with the use of these tools; thus the need for paper and stationery is reduced, which helps to save on both space and the environment.
Recorded Lessons
Different learning centres may have differing policies on the recording of lessons. If the learning centre allows your child’s tutor to record their lessons, this is an added bonus for your child; there is only so much one can write or take note of. With recorded lessons, your child can revisit his or her tutor’s sessions whenever they need to, thus making learning and revising more convenient.
Comfort and Convenience
Online tuition classes not only helps with eliminating travel time and transport costs, but also on reducing unnecessary contact with others (especially during the pandemic). Children will be able to study in the comfort of their own homes with ready access to all their materials. Parents should thus work to ensure that the learning space is conducive for learning, free from distractions and other gadgets so that your child can fully reap the benefits of learning from home.
On the flip side, some parents may be of the opinion that online tuition classes are a poor substitute for the real thing; tutors are not physically there to guide the children, and so the human touch which allows for effective and enjoyable learning would be missing from these online lessons.
Furthermore, online tools for marking and writing on documents may be unwieldy or awkward to use. In addition, if one does not have a stylus pen and tablet or touchscreen, your child may still need to use paper and pen to take notes or to do in-class assignments.
If you are still unsure whether online tuition classes alone are enough to help your child grasp important concepts, why not get him or her assessment books to reinforce their understanding of the topics? CPD’s convenient online store offers a wide range of books for subjects across all the levels—primary, secondary, JC and more! These assessment books will be able to help your child gain confidence in their subjects, and strengthen their foundation and answering techniques.
Ultimately, it is up to you to consider whether the benefits of online tuition outweigh its cons. Which side do you lean towards?