An Analysis of Online Tutoring Options

1
An Analysis of Online Tutoring Options

• Erica Archer
• Missy Flinn Rhodes College
• Megan OBrien
• Natalie Person Rhodes College IIS

2
Project Goals

• To document current online tutoring options for
  mathematics and science
• Websites that would most likely be accessed by
  parents or students in need of help
• To document features of each tutoring option
• Seven of the most popular tutoring websites were
  evaluated extensively

3
Seven Popular Automated Sites

• ALEKS
• Explore Learning
• Aplusstudent
• Ms. Lindquist (only free one)
• Learning Ladders
• Infomath
• e-Tutor

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Features of Tutoring Websites

• Intended audience (K-12, college students,
  special populations)
• Subject areas in math science
• Costs
• Type of tutoring (human, automated, hybrid)
• Instructional features (drill practice, info
  delivery, dialogue, question asking facilities,
  student-centered, curriculum-centered)
• Simulations (interactive vs. animations)
• Technological features (message boards, white
  boards, chat room, email, live video or audio)
• Download or installation requirements
• Assessment (pre- post-tests, quizzes, exams,
  MC, problem-solving)
• Student Access (24/7, limited access)
• Qualifications of human tutors (college students,
  licensed teachers, SMEs)
• Evidence of effectiveness (anecdotes, empirical
  data)
• References (research articles, trade magazines,
  newspaper articles)
• Awards received
• Brokerage site

5
Finding the Tutoring Websites

• Google as primary search engine
• General and specific search terms (e.g., online
  tutoring, math help, math tutoring, algebra help,
  algebra tutoring)
• Included first 50 search results for each search
  term or phrase
• Established sorting criteria

6
Sorting Criteria

• Retained
• automated tutoring programs
• automated online learning systems
• automated problem solvers with explanation or
  automated instruction
• human-to-human websites
• brokerage sites (sites that directed to other
  tutoring options like e-Sylvan)
• Discarded
• Software sellers
• Problem solvers without any instruction
• Homework helpers without any instruction

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Search Results for Search Terms Phrases
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What We Found

• Only 112 total sites were included in analysis
• 44 Human to human sites
• 68 Automated sites
• Most of the discarded sites were
• websites for school tutoring programs
• software sellers
• for-profit homework helpers
• information sites about tutoring or academic help

9
Human Tutoring Options(n 44)

• Majority of sites targeted middle and high school
  students
• 17 were free, 10 were pay-per-question
• 18 sites had real-time dialogue, the others
  relied primarily on asynchronous communication
  (email)
• Only 2 sites assessed students knowledge prior
  to tutoring
• 15 used college grad students, 9 used teachers,
  18 claimed that tutors had advanced degrees

10
Automated Tutoring Options(n 68)

• Majority of sites targeted middle and high school
  students
• 36 were free
• None included animated agents
• 15 claim to include simulations (8 are
  interactive)
• 55 were primarily info delivery or drill
  practice programs
• FAQ was most popular question asking mechanism (n
  12)
• Student knowledge was primarily assessed with
  intermittent quizzes (n 16)
• Only 2 sites assessed students knowledge prior
  to tutoring
• 15 used college grad students, 9 used teachers,
  18 claimed that tutors had advanced degrees

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Conclusions

• Few high quality options for students
• Majority are automated
• A lot of false advertising regarding features of
  sites and learning gains
• Most tutoring options are not free and are
  expensive
• Real-time dialogue, interactive simulations, and
  animated agents are rare in on-line tutoring
  options

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Xiangens Solution

• Create a evaluation website