A number of universities and secondary schools throughout the United States have started offering online courses. With schools increasingly working with virtual providers, personalized one-on-one tutoring is gaining increased acceptance as a cost-effective way to get educational help at home. When we talk about Internet-based learning, we are referring to a variety of tools and applications that take advantage of the now nearly universal access to the Internet.  These include whiteboards, Skype, Google Docs, YouTube and others. In addition to the presence of several tutoring applications available in the marketplace, more advanced and sophisticated tools are also being introduced to enhance the user experiences in Internet-based learning.

Instant Online Tutoring

Since the Internet has become affordable for many, ordering the services of an online tutor has become an easy task. Amid rapid growth in service providers offering customized online tutoring, students can use a credit card to connect with a live tutor—sometimes in less than a minute. Such 24/7, no-appointment-needed services can be especially helpful to students with tight budgets or busy schedules, or those in remote areas. However, there are significant advantages to sessions scheduled in advance, as such scheduling gives tutors sufficient time for preparing the lessons. These scheduled sessions are most needed in the case of longer-term tutoring projects. However, what might be termed “instant” online tutoring can be helpful for someone who seeks immediate help for very specific questions or exam prep.

Planned Online Tutoring

From the above, it can be argued that planned online tutoring is the best program for most elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as for college students and those of whatever age who are learning another language. In such online tutoring programs, prices typically range from about $24 to $45 per hour. These prices are usually less than what many skilled tutors charge for in-person sessions in a student’s home. Since no travel is involved in the online tutoring programs, they present students with more flexibility in scheduling sessions—which can be a real advantage if the student just needs a few quick questions on a homework assignment, or to prep for a quiz.

Additionally, online tutoring firms have advantages of economies of scale: they can gather large groups of highly qualified tutors to work with students around the world, providing their clients with resources that would otherwise be available only to those living in the largest cities.