Online Tutoring vs. In-Person Tutoring: What are the Benefits?

Online vs In-person Tutoring: What’s the Difference?

Online and face-to-face tutoring are basically different ways of delivering lessons to students. Let’s take a look at the primary differences between the two:

Online Tutoring

Online tutoring involves utilising the benefits of video conferencing to connect tutors and students remotely. Teaching can be carried out via presentations, messaging apps, interactive online games, videos, and more.

Face-to-face Tutoring

In-person tutoring means a tutor sits down face-to-face with a student. This can be done in any environment that facilitates learning such as a school, the tutor or student’s home, or the local library (to list a few examples).

Tuition (whether online or in-person) isn’t just for school students. Tutoring can be taken up by people from all walks of life; whether you’re looking for online tutoring for university students, hoping to skill up at work, or aiming to get into a particular school, tutoring is for everyone.

How much can you charge as a tutor?

Most tutors are hired and paid for privately. As such, the fees aren’t always cheap. Depending on the subject, typical tuition rates are around £20-£20 per hour, whether online or in-person.

The good news is that paying for private tutoring is easier than ever. With digital wallets and online payments widely used, tutors can now accept payments with ease. What’s more, many tutors are happy to discuss alternative payment options with their students to help spread the cost.

So, if the thought of £20-£30 per hour makes your eyes water, it’s worth discussing alternate options with your tutor to see if you can work out a payment plan that is agreeable to both parties.

Now, let’s take a closer look at online and in-person tutoring and discuss the benefits of each.

The Benefits of Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is becoming increasingly popular among UK students and when you take a look at the benefits you’ll understand why.

Convenient

One of the major benefits of online tutors and their services is the convenience they offer. With online tutoring via , there is no need to commute to attend a tutoring session in-person. All you need is a computer and the ability to video chat with your tutor. This can save a lot of time (and cost) and also means you’re able to learn in a comfortable, familiar environment where you feel relaxed and able to absorb information more easily.

Accessible

Unfortunately, tutoring isn’t always accessible to those who need it. For example, many adults are looking for tutoring but are unable to attend in-person as their working hours clash with the tutor’s schedule. What’s more, some students need the extra support but cannot afford the commute and therefore are unable to attend in-person sessions. Online tutoring is breaking down learning barriers and making it accessible to everyone. All you need is a computer and if you don’t have a computer, the library is an excellent free resource where you can use a computer for free. Online tutoring has opened up learning opportunities for people from all walks of life.

Flexible

Another significant benefit of remote tutoring is the flexibility it offers. Whether you’re in school, working, caring for children or relatives, or are busy in other ways, it can be hard to find tutoring services that fit your schedule.

Remote tutoring lets you select a tutor who fits your schedule requirements. So, whether you’re looking for tutoring outside of work hours, on your lunch break, or on the weekends, you’re bound to find someone who fits the bill.

Cost-effective

While the upfront cost of remote tutoring may not look any different from in-person tutoring (depending on the provider), it is more cost-effective.

This is because it eliminates the need for commuting and the consequent travel expenses. Depending on the amount of tutoring you’re signing up for, these savings can be quite significant in the long run.

The Benefits of Face-to-face

Tutoring Whether you had help back in school or your parents tutored you on the weekends, it’s fair to say we’re all familiar with the concept of face-to-face tutoring.

So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits.

Personal Connection

One of the most important benefits of face-to-face learning is the opportunity to establish a personal connection between students and tutors. Face-to-face communication is so important. It helps establish more long-lasting relationships and allows students to feel more comfortable and connected with their tutor.

Accommodate Learning Styles

Everyone learns differently. In fact, there are seven different learning styles that most people fall into:

1. Visual

2. Aural

3. Kinesthetic

4. Social

5. Logical

6. Verbal

7. Solitary

The great benefit of face-to-face tutoring is that it can accommodate all learning styles.

So, if a student needs teaching aids or visual demonstrations (for example), the tutor can provide this. Face-to-face tutoring accommodates all kinds of learning styles and helps students understand what they’re being taught and retain the information for longer.

Improved Focus

While we have adjusted to remote and hybrid working (for the most part), it’s fair to say that working from home does have its distractions. And the same can be said for learning from home, too.

Face-to-face tutoring offers the benefit of improved focus. This is because it requires the student to travel to a designated learning location, establish a healthy routine, and maximise study time. For many people this provides a much-needed break from the distractions at home and allows for learning to occur in a structured environment.

Social Interaction

For many people, the draw of in-person tutoring is the social interaction it offers. Studying can be an isolating experience for many students and it’s easy to feel disconnected from other people. In-person learning offers the chance to interact socially with someone else and receive face-to-face tutoring support. It keeps you accountable, lets you externally process information, and offers up someone who can serve as a mentor throughout your learning journey.

How Do I Choose the Right Tutoring Method for Me?

You may be asking yourself that very question. And we hope that by highlighting the benefits of both online and in-person tutoring, we have provided you with some guidance.

We recommend making a list of what’s important to you. For example:

Do you need a designated workspace?

Do you want social interaction?

Are you willing to commute?

By asking yourself these questions (and more), you can start building an idea of what your tutoring needs look like and make your decision more easily.

Finally, it’s important to seek out highly qualified and experienced online tutors who can provide the support you need. Therefore, you should always seek out reputable in-person and virtual tutors with an excellent track record and numerous positive reviews from their past and existing students.

Final Words

Tutoring is a valuable tool allowing individuals to further their education at any age or stage of life. We hope this article has helped highlight the benefits of online and in-person tutoring and supported you in finding the right fit for your needs.

If you would like to find out more or start your learning journey today, GESS talks shares some of the latest trends, topics, and themes in education to help further your learning goals.