Category Archive: Maths
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Why it’s impossible to tutor your own kids
Leave a CommentIn the middle of a cost-of-living crisis – and coming so soon after the covid pandemic which dented most people’s finances in one way or another – it’s only natural for families to be looking at cutting costs and trying to tighten the purse strings a bit.
It’s why many parents may be experiencing a particular dilemma right now. It’s clear that your child could do with some extra help with their schoolwork – especially to prepare them for their exams. A private tutor would certainly help – but what about the expense?
I know… I’ve got A Levels in those subjects… Why don’t I do the tutoring myself?
The downside of the DIY approach
The first reason why you shouldn’t tutor your own kids yourself is to do with the downside of the DIY approach…
Now, of course, you might be reading this blog right now and consider yourself to be a DIY whizz – and if that’s the case, we salute you!
However, back in the real world, many of us mere mortals have looked at a slightly botched DIY job that we have just completed in the home and tasted the sour taste of the downside of the DIY approach ourselves.
You see, that’s why the professionals exist!
Yes, you might have saved some money – but the job has ended up taking you longer, caused you untold stress, and doesn’t look as good as it would’ve done if you’d employed the services of a professional.
Well, the same is true of tutoring.
Most tutors are either undergraduates who are still in – or have recently gone through – the education system and the exams that your child is facing right now; or they are qualified teachers who have years of experience in the classroom and of exams.
The ‘insider knowledge’ that a tutor can bring to the table is one of the main reasons why you should not tutor your own kids but leave it to the professionals instead.
A parent is too close to their own children to tutor them
The second main reason why it’s impossible to tutor your own kids is that the close relationship between a parent and child can create a very challenging educational environment.
Teaching your own children brings a lot of emotional weight with it. And it works both ways too. Although nobody knows their kids better than their parents, it’s still likely that a child – when they get things wrong – will take comments from parents as personal criticisms and slights; even though all the parent is trying to do is to help them get right what they got wrong.
In a nutshell, it just throws too many complications into the mix. And that is never a recipe for success.
The bottom line is this: even if you are a trained teacher, you may find it challenging to teach your own children.
Don’t Do it Yourself: Call on the Professionals
A parent can do a lot to support a child who is struggling academically, but seeking external help is often the best thing to do.
A private tutor is a fresh face and brings a fresh pair of eyes to the situation. They will know the academic content that your child is struggling with inside-out, and intuitively know how best to support them.
Call on the professionals now and talk to the TutorRight team today!
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The Benefits Of Online Tuition
Leave a CommentOne of the positives to come out of the covid pandemic is that the whole world now knows more about the benefits of online working and online learning.
The technology was already there, of course, but it took a desperate situation to emerge to really force people into having to use it. But its legacy is a positive one. In the workplace, it has opened people’s eyes to the benefits of home and hybrid working. So much so, that it has been genuinely transformational to people’s lives.
Similarly, within education, online learning has the power to be equally game-changing. During the pandemic, schools were pretty much thrown headfirst into the deep end into the idea of online lessons. Naturally, as a result, its results and success were variable in schools across the country – but the potential benefits for the future are already clear and are beginning to be explored.
In some schools, teachers have begun to record lessons or to create specific online content that students can access in their own time. This could be especially useful for students who have missed lessons through illness, etcetera. Furthermore, ‘Snow Days’ will probably now become a thing of the past and be consigned to history…
And when it comes to private tuition, there are several benefits to doing it online rather than face-to-face.
Online tutoring gives you more flexibility
The most obvious benefit of online tuition is the flexibility it offers. There is no need to factor in travel time. As most face-to-face tuition takes place after school, rush hour traffic can be a significant factor. Re-scheduling, when it’s needed, becomes a lot easier when tuition takes place online.
Without the need for travelling, it’s easier (for tutors and students) to find time for lessons. This can be particularly useful in the run-up to exams where extra sessions might be needed.
Technology is great for learning
Online tutoring makes it easier to share documents, files, videos, and links that could be useful for learning. Online storage clouds mean that potentially vast amounts of resources can be shared during or after lessons between a tutor and a student – without the need to print reams of paper – and who’s got a photocopier in their living room anyway?
Not only that, using online whiteboards and the array of online tools that are available can really help to engage students, particularly those who are visual learners.
Furthermore, without really knowing it, online tuition will help to build students’ IT skills. Communicating through chat platforms and video conferencing tools will be a permanent fixture of the future workplace. Developing confidence with such tools will help students in the job market in years to come.
A more relaxed environment
Online tuition is a little bit different from face-to-face tuition and very different from traditional learning in the classroom. The change in pace and style can be a real advantage for students and can be great for those who lack confidence.
At the end of the day, online tuition is not for everyone. Certainly, it can be harder to build a rapport between tutor and student online than if the learning was face-to face. Equally though, there are plenty of benefits and advantages to online tuition – and it is the perfect option for many students.
If you want to find out more about online tuition, get in touch with the TutorRight team.
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Why are GCSEs important?
Leave a CommentWith the GCSE exam season now well underway for another year, it’s worth taking a moment to think about why GCSEs are important.
GCSEs are essentially the centrepiece of the UK’s education system. They’ve been around for a long time too. First introduced in 1987 – replacing O-Levels – they have taken various forms, from 100% coursework to virtually no coursework at all. The latest major change involved changing the grading system from A*-G to 9-1.
Ironically, the latest version of GCSEs – introduced in 2017 actually have more in common with the old O-Level exams than their predecessor GCSEs. O-Levels were the first public examinations introduced in the UK after the Second World War.
The principle of standardised tests taken at the age of 16 at the end of two years of study has changed little in decades. There are many arguments around whether they are the best way to assess students’ ability.
As an aside, Finland repeatedly comes out on top when global school education systems are ranked. In Finland, there are no standardised tests at all for any year group – except for one single test called the National Matriculation Exam. This can be taken at the end of high school, but it is entirely voluntary. Children don’t even start school until the age of seven!
Despite all this, there seems little chance of our well-established system changing in the UK.
So, what are the implications of doing well or doing poorly in GCSEs?
GCSEs are seen as the benchmark – both for students and schools. Students often need 5 passes at GCSE (Grade 4 or above, including English and Maths) to progress to sixth form or college – especially if students want to study Level 3 qualifications, such as A-Levels or T-Levels.
And just as young people are judged by how they do against these measurements, so are schools. The number of pupils that get 5 GCSE passes including English and Maths is one of the key measurements that determines School League Tables.
GCSEs can also affect the subjects you are able to study in further education. For example, most schools and colleges will require a student to have studied a subject at GCSE before being allowed to study it at A Level. Often, they will also set a minimum grade you need to get at GCSE for that subject. This is mostly true for traditional academic subjects.
However, it’s also worth knowing that there are many A-Level subjects that either don’t have a GCSE – or at least most schools don’t offer these subjects. If this is the case, colleges normally look at performance in Maths and English GCSEs.
Universities and other higher education providers also look at GCSE grades. Again, it is typical that they set a minimum requirement for Maths and English GCSE grades – and for the subject a student wants to go on to study.
Final thoughts
There’s no point trying to ignore it – GCSEs are important. But failure in them is never the end of the world. There are always opportunities to retake GCSEs and there are now a wealth of other options at further education level and beyond. There is a big wide world out there that doesn’t necessarily revolve around GCSEs.
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Is university the right choice for me?
Leave a CommentOne of the most difficult questions that young people must get their heads around these days is definitely: Is university the right choice for me?
In many ways, it used to be so straightforward…
If you had the academic ability, you would follow the traditional route: you left school and went to college or sixth form; from there you went on to university and then you started your career.
Simple.
But times change and there are now many more potential routes open to school leavers.
So, which way should you turn?
Why go to university?
The first part of figuring out the answer to the question of whether university is the right choice for you is to think carefully about why you are thinking of going in the first place.
University is still by far the most popular choice for school and college leavers. And with so much of a focus on higher education, it can feel like it’s the only route open to you.
However, it really, really isn’t.
And if you’re thinking of going to university simply because that’s what everybody else seems to be doing or because most of your friends are, think again!
What other options are there?
Well, the most obvious alternative to university is an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships provide on-the-job training in a wide range of highly skilled job roles. From engineering to agriculture – and pretty much everything in-between – there’s a very good chance that there’s something out there for you.
You’ll come out of it with a foundation degree or higher but the main difference between apprenticeships and uni is that you’ll get real training in the workplace alongside your studying – and you get paid for it too.
Some industries and sectors also offer school leaver training programmes. These are sometimes designed by big companies looking to train up new recruits. Again, you can study – either for a degree or specific professional qualifications that are directly related to the area of work.
If all this appeals to you, it could well be a better choice for you than going to university.
Good reasons to go to university
However, you shouldn’t feel like we are trying to talk you out of going to university. There are several good reasons why it still could be the best option for you.
For example, if you already know what career path you want to take, university could be the right track. Lawyers, doctors and teachers and similar jobs typically require you to have a degree. So, university is the logical next step to take from school or college.
Statistically, university tends to lead to higher-paid jobs. This comes down to the difference between ‘professional’ jobs – the ones that typically follow on from university – and ‘non-professional’ jobs. As a rough guide, professionals tend to start on around £7,000 more per year than non-professionals.
In fact, the earnings gap over a lifetime can be as much as £321,000!
Passion for a subject
Another good reason to go to university could be if you have a real passion in a subject. If you love a subject and learning in general, you’ll love university!
You can plan for your future career at the same time as well, of course. Many graduates get involved in volunteering or take on an internship, or another kind of work experience placement.
However, it’s worth remembering that there’s no guarantee of a job once you’ve finished your degree. This is especially true if you haven’t really thought about what you’d like to do after the course has finished when you choose your degree subject.
Many sectors still offer ‘graduate level’ jobs for university places but the competition for places is extremely competitive.
Is the student debt worth it?
You’ve probably heard about student debt. If you go to university, you’ll be taking on a lot of debt because students take out loans to pay for tuition fees and living costs, such as rent.
As most universities charge in the region of £9,000 a year for tuition fees. That means that over a 3-year course, you’re looking at around £27k for the tuition fees alone.
In 2021/22 the average student debt in England after finishing a degree was £45,150.
You shouldn’t necessarily let this put you off though. You are given plenty of time to pay off your loans and the amount you pay is determined by the amount you earn after you have left university.
But it does mean that just drifting through a degree course without knowing what you want to do at the end of it probably isn’t particularly wise!
Final tips
At the end of the day, only you can answer the question: Is university the right choice for me?
Whether your answer is Yes, Maybe, or Definitely Not, it really doesn’t matter as long as you have made the right decision for you.
The question needs to be given a lot of thought.
Consider where you are aiming to get to and whether a degree will help you get there.
Think carefully about whether you really want to study for another 3 years and if you need to take on the student debt.
Most of all, weigh up all the pros and cons of all the different options open to you.
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How To Motivate Your Teenager
Leave a CommentDo you struggle to motivate your teenager?
Don’t worry if you do – you’re not alone!
After all, parenting isn’t easy – and it can get particularly difficult during the teenage years.
So, how do you get them motivated? How do you get them to pay attention and try harder at school? How do you get them to put more effort into homework and revision?
And just how do you get them to care about their futures as much as you do?
Well, if we had all the answers, we probably wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing now. We’d be sitting on a beach, sipping cocktails, counting the millions we’d earned from solving the problems of millions of parents the world over…
So, no, we haven’t got a water-tight, fool-proof set of genius answers – unfortunately.
But we have got a few great tips that we know work well…
Rewards and Sanctions
The go-to approach for many parents and teachers is some sort of system of rewards and punishments. Indeed, this is the cornerstone of most school behaviour policies.
The thing is – although the carrot and stick approach seems like a simple way to motivate teenagers – research shows that rewards and punishments don’t usually lead to long-term motivation.
It can have limited, short-term success and – for example – if your teen is currently in Year 11 and approaching their GCSEs, it might just be the thing to give them an incentive for ‘a final push’ before their exams.
However, on the flip side, use them too much and you run the risk of teaching your teenager that they only do something if there’s a reward at the end of it. The reward becomes an expectation.
And that’s a dangerous message to send out when all is said and done!
And, ideally, you want to motivate your teenager from Day 1 of Year 10 rather than just the last few weeks of Year 11. You want to instil in them a love of learning and taking on challenges.
It must come from them.
So, often a different approach is needed.
Inner Motivation is the Key
The secret to motivating your teenager is to fuel their self-motivation. The trick is to develop self-discipline.
The problem with micromanaging your teenager is it soon feels like nagging; the downside of giving pep talks is that they can quickly turn into lectures.
The problem comes with the territory. Most teenagers follow strict rules and schedules. To them, it can often feel like they have little control over their day-to-day routines. This all comes at a time in their lives when they are discovering their personality and developing their individuality.
Their desire for more autonomy and independence is only natural. When they don’t feel as if they are getting this, the result is that many teenagers feel powerless, frustrated, and unmotivated.
Want to know the secret to how to motivate your teenager? Give your teen autonomy
One great way of respecting your teen’s autonomy is to set rules, consequences, and routines together. Another way is to encourage open dialogue and communication. Talk to them and listen to what they have to say – even if it really isn’t what you want to hear!
Creating a positive environment in the home helps teenagers to feel understood rather than judged or criticised. Lack of confidence is often at the root of a lack of motivation. If your teenager is lacking either confidence or motivation in a particular subject, a tutor can be a great help. Get in touch with the TutorRight team to find out more.
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How to Make a Revision Schedule
Leave a Comment“How do I make a revision timetable?” It’s probably one of the most asked questions that students ask teachers and tutors. The bottom line is that there is no single right way to do it. Ultimately, if it works for you, it’s right!
However, there are some basic principles and top tips to follow. If you stick to these, you will be well on the way to creating your perfect revision schedule.
How to Make a Revision Schedule: Guiding Principles to Follow
There are a few guiding principles to bear in mind. Firstly, most of your effort should be focused on the topics/questions that carry the most marks and the topics that you are least confident with.
Secondly, you should measure your progress based on topic coverage, rather than how much time you have spent revising. Finally, be prepared to adapt your revision timetable according to the rate at which you can confidently understand and memorise information.
If you can, go Digital
It’s a really good idea to use Google Calendar. Not only is it available on both Android and iOS but it also means that your revision schedule will always be with you. After all, your smartphone is always with you, right?
The other (even more important) reason is the flexibility it gives you. You can make changes quickly and easily. Although a revision schedule is there to be followed, it isn’t set in stone. It’s likely that you will need to make adjustments to it from time to time. If you use Google Calendar, changes and updates can be made cleanly.
How much time have you got?
You need to figure out how much time you actually have to revise. There is a need to strike a balance between being ambitious and being realistic. You can’t revise every hour of the day. And, even if you feel you need to, it wouldn’t do you any good anyway – you would just burn yourself out.
You need to factor in all your normal commitments and day-to-day activities. Importantly, make sure that you include time for rest, relaxation, and free time. In the weeks and months running up to your exams, you might spend less time on these things – but you should never do away with them completely!
Prioritise by Subject or Topic
You need to decide which subjects you currently feel the most and least confident about. Other factors to consider are where your exams sit on your exam timetable and what your current grades look like. The key to prioritising is being honest about where you’re at right now.
On that note, don’t avoid the topics you are least confident about and find most difficult. In fact, these are exactly the ones you should be prioritising!
Revise a little, a lot
There’s a temptation to say you are going to spend 10 hours revising a certain topic so that you’ll know it inside out. The reality is that such a revision marathon will probably be a waste of time.
It’s much more effective to revise a little, a lot. 30-minute bursts are the best. Of course, momentum is a great thing. Just because you have allocated a 30-minute time slot, it doesn’t mean that you must stop the moment you reach the 30-minute mark. If you have built some momentum up, keep going for a bit longer! Don’t take a break just because your timetable says so – take one when you need it.
Finally, if at first, you don’t succeed, don’t give up!
There are bound to be times when things go wrong: topics you can’t master, sessions you might miss… there will be setbacks – but don’t let these set you back too much.
And remember, a private tutor can really help you make sense of it all. Get in touch if you think you could do with some help. It’s what we’re here for!
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Becoming a Senior Leader in Education
Leave a CommentShould I apply for a senior leadership position in a school?
It’s a question that many teachers working in schools ask themselves at some point. The correct answer to the above question will depend on the individual, of course – but if it is a question that has come into your head recently, you’ll want to make sure that you get the answer to it right. So, let’s look at some of the pros and cons of becoming a senior leader in education.
Becoming a senior leader: an opportunity to make a difference
It’s kind of why you became a teacher in the first place, isn’t it? The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and young people is one of the privileges of the profession.
And the opportunity to make a difference needs to be at the forefront of your mind when you are considering whether to try to become a senior leader or not.
Let me explain… as a ‘classroom teacher,’ you make a difference for the pupils you teach. Your classroom is your kingdom, and it is between those four walls that the magic is made.
The thing is that the impact you can have on pupils is limited to those four walls.
When you are a middle leader, such as a Head of Department, you now have an opportunity to have an impact on a wider cohort of young people – and the step up again to senior leadership will take your responsibility and potential impact on a whole-school level.
If you want to become a senior leader, you need to demonstrate that you have had an impact at a whole-school level. Taking on a whole-school project or initiative is an excellent way to do this. Getting more involved on a departmental basis is also a great idea. You need to show that you have an interest in departmental and whole-school issues.
Is a role as a Senior Leader in Education what you really want?
Perhaps most importantly you need to be sure that senior leadership is the right move for you. Yes, the desire to have a greater impact across the whole school is a big attraction – but do you know what the role will entail?
Generally, the people who move into middle leadership and then senior leadership do so, initially, because they are some of the most promising and best classroom teachers in a school. Promotion seems like a natural step. But the further up the management ladder you go, the less time you will spend teaching in the classroom.
The prospect of teaching kids is why we all entered the profession and what we all really love. You’ll be doing a lot less of it when you become a senior leader.
Also, bear in mind that the best classroom practitioners don’t always make the best leaders and managers. In fact, there are quite different skill sets needed.
Apply for the right position for you
Once you have decided that senior leadership is the right move for you, you shouldn’t just apply for any role as a senior leader in education that you see. Look carefully at the job description and what the role would involve. Make sure that it matches both your interests and your skills.
Once you’ve got there – what can you expect?
Senior leadership can be very tough and there’s always a lot of pressure – but it’s also incredibly rewarding. It really feels like you are shaping the direction a school is moving in – because you really are! That is a real privilege.
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GCSE Grades Explained: A guide for parents and students
Leave a CommentIn England GCSEs are now graded using a numerical system running from 9-1, rather than A* to G – a system that had been in place since GCSE Grades replaced the old ‘O’ Levels in the late 80s. This has caused – for parents and students alike – a fair amount of confusion. Many ask questions, such as: What do these numbers mean? What is a Grade 9 equivalent to? What is a pass at GCSE?
But, have no fear… TutorRight are here to answer all these questions and more with our handy guide ‘GCSE Grades Explained: A guide for parents and students’.
So, without further ado, let’s get explaining…
When and why were GCSE grades changed?
Before we get started, it makes sense first to explain when and why the GCSE grades were changed.
The new numerical grading was introduced as part of a wider curriculum overhaul carried out by the Conservative government in 2014 by the then-Education Secretary, Michael Gove. It was perceived that too much emphasis had been placed on GCSE coursework. The reformed examination system sought to make the GCSEs more challenging and to make almost all subjects assessed by final exams taken after two years of study. This replaced the old model of assessment which favoured regular assessments through a series of modules.
It was argued that the new numerical scale recognised “more clearly the achievements of high-attaining students.” This is because the additional grades created allow for greater differentiation. Essentially, students can now gain ‘higher’ levels of each grade, instead of simply a standard grade. All exams now contain more extended writing, essay-style questions. It was also explained that the move to numbered grades would make it clear to employers that students had taken the more challenging GCSE.
The new reformed GCSEs were introduced gradually between 2017 and 2019, beginning with English and Maths. By 2020, all GCSEs had adopted the new number graded system.
What are the new grades?
The highest grade is now 9, with 1 being the lowest. The U grade, meaning “ungraded”, remains the same.
The number scale is not directly equivalent to the old letter one. However, the two scales do meet in certain places:
- the bottom of the new grade 7 is equivalent with the bottom of the old grade A;
- the bottom of the new grade 4 is equivalent with the bottom of the old grade C;
- the bottom of new grade 1 is equivalent with the bottom of the old grade G;
- three of the new number grades – 9, 8 and 7 – correspond to the two previous top old grades of A* and A.
What do pupils need to pass their exams?
A grade 4 is a standard pass and a 5 is a ‘strong’ pass. Technically, a student who gets all grade 4s has passed all their exams. However, school league tables are based on the percentage of pupils who achieve a grade 5 or above in English and Maths. Also, bear in mind that many sixth forms and colleges will ask for 5s in certain subjects as an entry requirement – although this varies, and most schools and colleges are quite flexible.
What is a GCSE Point Score?
You may have also heard about something called a ‘GCSE Point Score’. Again, like league tables, these are more of a concern for school leaders than individual students, as they are measurements the government uses to judge schools by. However, just so you know, your GCSE Point Score is basically your average grade over all your GCSEs. So, if you took 10 GCSEs and achieved a Grade 8, 5 Grade 7s; 2 Grade 6s, and 2 Grade 5s, your average point score would be 6.5. With a Grade 5 being a ‘strong’ pass, any point score above 5 would be considered strong.
Finally – in old money – a Grade 7 is the equivalent of a Grade A. A Grade 6 is just above an old Grade B. Grade 5 is between a B and a C; and Grade 4 is equivalent to a Grade C.
Get in touch if you’d like a tutor to help your child reach their GCSE potential.
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Maths Tutors in Warrington
Leave a CommentOne of – if not the – most frequently asked questions we get here at TutorRight is ‘Have you got Maths tutors in Warrington?’. The good news is that our answer is definitely, ‘Yes!’
It’s the time of year when most Year 11 students sit a set of mock exams for their forthcoming GCSEs. Mocks have always been important, because they are the best opportunity for students to experience a taste of their ‘real’ exams. No amount of practice papers completed in class or at home can really prepare a young person for what it feels like to be in the sports hall with the rest of a year group, sat in rows, completing exams next June.
The results that students get in their practice exams provide invaluable information for teachers too. It gives them a clear sign of how their students are doing at that moment in time. There is no better way to inform future teaching.
Mock exams can be something of a traumatic experience for many students though. Not only are they nerve-wracking, there’s also the small matter of what to do if results are disappointing.
Don’t panic! It’s what the mocks are there for!
Of course, in an ideal world, every student would do brilliantly at every exam they sit. Yet – sadly – we all know the world isn’t like that!
If results aren’t as good as you’d like them to be, the best piece of advice is quite simple: Do.Not.Panic.
Remember that mock exams, although important, are not that important in the grand scheme of things. Put it this way, once you have done your final GCSE exams, nobody is ever going to ask you, ‘How did you do in your mocks?’
Similarly, although setting out to do badly in your mocks isn’t advisable, it’s important to remember two things:
- If you do have a stinker in a mock exam, you probably won’t make the same mistakes again!
- Nobody ever got better at something by getting everything right anyway!
A clear snapshot of where you’re at right now
Ultimately, your mock results provide you with a clear snapshot of where you’re at right now.
It’s often the point at which we get called upon too. The results state how far off you are from where you need to be. It’s no surprise that many parents and young people start asking for maths tutors in Warrington. We certainly notice a spike in interest and enquiries around the time that students have had mock exams.
Maths tutors in Warrington available today
We have local tutors who specialise in Maths, from primary level right through to degree level. As professionals, mathematicians, and educators, our Maths tutors in Warrington will instinctively know how to plot your child’s Maths learning journey over the next few months so that they end up where they want to be… Destination Success!
Our tutors get called on for GCSE exam preparation more than anything else. But remember we have specialists who will tutor students at any stage or age.
Would you like to join the TutorRight team?
As we’ve already mentioned, as the mock results roll in at schools around the area, we see a big increase in enquiries for Maths tutors in Warrington.
We’re always on the lookout for new tutors to join the team! Simply complete our quick Tutor Registration Form to get the ball rolling. You will always be in complete control of how many students you take on. We will treat you professionally and pay competitively.
Get in touch
If you think your son or daughter would benefit from some extra support in their Maths, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch if you’d like to arrange a Maths tutor in Warrington today!
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Is online learning the future of education?
Leave a CommentIn some ways, education has changed very little in literally decades. Predominantly, lessons are still led by a teacher standing at the front of a class of pupils sat at desks. Blackboards may have been replaced by interactive whiteboards – but you could argue that changes to the way things are done in school over the years have been more to do with technology rather than pedagogy.
Indeed, anybody who sat the old ‘O’ levels back in the 70s and 80s might be forgiven for thinking that they’d travelled back in a time machine if they saw the current GCSEs – such is their similarity to those old-school exams.
Hell, we even teach kids grammar again these days too!
Well, yes, very little had changed… that was… until covid struck. The pandemic changed so many things for so many people. And education was not left unaffected. In fact, the extraordinary events of the last couple of years have even called into question what the notion of ‘normal’ learning is, to some extent.
After all, it’s now apparent that learners don’t necessarily need to be physically present in the classroom for a lesson to take place anymore.
The wealth of new technologies that are readily available means that it is now possible to receive an education wherever and whenever you want, if you have access to a digital device.
Most people – certainly not many teachers – had even heard of the likes of Zoom or Teams before lockdown. Now, for many, video calls and meetings have become a part of the new normal – a hybrid work routine.
Online learning: a revolution in education?
So, have we entered a new era? Is online learning at the forefront of a revolution in education? Well, distance learning had been growing in popularity even before Zoom lessons were forced upon everybody during lockdown. More than 30% of higher education students take at least one distance learning course. Although the experience that university students had of online lectures and seminars during lockdown was not particularly positive, online learning is still likely to play an important part in the education of the future.
Online learning provides flexibility and greater choice
One of the major advantages of online education is that it allows the teacher and the student to set their own pace of learning. It becomes possible to set a schedule that suits everyone. Online learning is also a great way to learn new skills – or to refresh existing ones.
There is now an online distance learning course for virtually any skill and topic. Increasingly, universities are offering online versions of many of their existing programmes and courses. Away from full-time education, online learning has become the convenient way to gain acatc certificate or qualification to advance your career, in several sectors.
A virtual classroom can be created anywhere where there is a decent internet connection. It means that the teacher and students need no longer have to travel to the same place. As well as reducing travelling costs, online learning modules are re-usable – again and again.
Will online learning become a part of mainstream education?
Post-pandemic, the world of business is unlikely to ever quite be the same again now that companies have experience of using Teams or Zoom as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.
But could the same transformational impact occur in mainstream education? Could a GCSE Maths lesson on Zoom for 30 students replace a conventional classroom lesson? Probably not, at least anytime soon. However, there are many potential opportunities for schools to incorporate online learning into their normal everyday offer. Some already are doing so – with revision sessions and catch-up sessions the obvious starting point.
Schools were forced into the online route. But now the dust has settled on covid, teachers are being creative and looking for exciting ways to explore the potential of online learning.
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