Three Considerations for Institutions Before Signing with a Tutoring Company

Leah Simpson, Executive Director of Online Learning, KCTCS

Online tutoring has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years due to its ability to provide students with a convenient and flexible solution for academic support. Unlike many college and university tutoring centers, online tutoring has a greater capacity to adapt to the student’s schedule. As the number of online students has grown in the past three years, many institutions have explored partnerships with tutoring companies to meet the needs of their students. However, for staff and faculty who are working at a campus tutoring center, a partnership with an online tutoring company might be interpreted as a threat.Aside from common considerations like budget and compatibility with other education technology, there are other considerations that could impact your institution’s culture and satisfaction with the resources.Here are three things tothink about as you evaluate a tutoring partnership.

Student access to the tutoring service

One key consideration is the availability of the service. Should the service be offered exclusively to online students oralso available to face-to-face students?While the initial focus may be on online students with limited access to on-campus resources, providing access to face-to-face students can promote inclusivity and equity across the institution. If an institution chooses to make online tutoring available to on-campus students, it should also consider the parameters of that service. For instance, should the service only be available at times when the on-campus option is closed? Should on-campus students be asked to pay a fee for online service, or have a limited number of tutoring hours available to them each semester? On-campus student access to the service will impact both the cost of tutoring and the use of on-campus tutoring centers.Will online tutoring replace or enhance the work of the on-campus tutors? Consider how this service will impact the culture of trust and care at your institution.

“If an institution chooses to make online tutoring available to on-campus students, it should also consider the parameters of that service.”

The qualifications of the tutors

Another important consideration is the qualifications of the tutors who will be providing the service. The company should have as rigorous a process for selecting tutors in your institution. Ideally, tutors will have a strong background in their subject area and in teaching. Be sure to inquire about the selection process and the training process for tutors. Faculty and tutoring staff at your institution must participate in training and development for their work annually;online tutors should have these same requirements.This will help to ensure that their service is high-quality and the equivalent of the on-campus service.

The flexibility of the tutoring service

A final recommendation is to examine the variety of options and partnerships provided by the company.  Is the service flexible enough to allow students to learn in their preferred format (e.g., one-on-one, group student sessions, scheduled sessions, and unscheduled sessions)? Is the service flexible enough to allow your institution’s tutors to participate, as well? Are you restricted to using the company’s hired tutors, or can your employees offer online tutoring, as well?If staff or faculty feel threatened by the online tutoring service, including flexible offerings in your evaluation; all this will help you balance the technical and human aspects of the online tutoring service.

By taking the time to carefully consider these factors, institutions can be confident that they are making the best decision for their students when they contract with a tutoring company.