Online learning Versus Private Tuition In Singapore

There are advantages and disadvantages on both sides, be it online learning or private tuition. Some students may prefer online tuition as it would seem to offer much more convenience and an at-home feeling. Students get to remain within their zone of comfort and hence there are less factors to worry about such as being seated at one place in one position for a long time. Private tuition on the other hand is helpful for students who require a fixed amount of time strictly allocated for them to study effectively under proper guidance because they have problems managing their time.

The debate of “online learning versus private tuition” has been going on for ages ever since the idea of tuition had become famous. In the past decade, the tuition industry has gained significance since the teaching style and education syllabus in Singapore had changed drastically.

What do we mean by online learning?

Learning online may include online tuition, and using online educational platforms in order to supplement school work, as well as to clarify doubts. There are various online learning platforms and a huge example would be YouTube. The benefits of watching educational videos are many and knowing this, professionals have started diving into the area of making videos and uploading them in order to create awareness and advertise themselves.

For example, medical students have lots of difficulties understanding the intricacies of subjects like Anatomy and Physiology that are being taught. As a case in point, a terminology like “Subclavian steal syndrome” in an Anatomy book may have a vague explanation of a few lines that barely show how the retrograde flow of blood occurs. Whereas, on the online platform, there are various detailed explanations with diagrams; or even better, there are animated videos that show the process with much detail.

So, how about Online tuition?

Online tuition is a great idea for students who prefer to not face a tutor every week in a one-to-one session and prefer to be more relaxed. Students exhaust themselves in schools and they need to have a break for themselves. It is necessary for them to relax a little and embrace the comfort of their home a little.

Unfortunately, for school students in Singapore, it has become a rare phenomenon that weekends are their “free time”. Weekends are now dedicated to enrichment classes and supplementary classes in schools as well so students rarely get the time and energy to maintain the self-discipline to dedicate and allocate time for revision.

The benefits of Private Tuition…

PROPER GUIDANCE

Being freighted with an immense amount of school work, tuition work may seem like just another burden; however, that is the best form of assistance that a student can ever get. Teachers in schools are always in a hurry to finish their syllabus within a pre-set deadline that the subject departments come up with, and teaching techniques are so archaic that they fail to keep up with the rapidly changing education system and demands of the corporate landscape.

Private tuition teachers make sure that they keep their lessons engaging and even more importantly, they ensure that it remains relevant. They understand that students have a disparate world of thought and in order to establish a strong relationship, they will make sure an understanding is established.

MOTIVATION

School teachers may sometimes have a pessimistic outlook on under-performing students and coupled with peer pressure and a feeling of helplessness, students will become emotionally mangled. Home tutors give their students the confidence to believe in the possibility of improving and excelling. It does take lots of time and effort for all of it to manifest itself in the form of good results, but tutors understand patience is important. They will teach their students that hard work with consistency is the key to excelling. Aside from all of that, good tutors also choose to imbibe important values that will shape their student into a better human being; a better participant on the team of humanity.

ADVICE BEYOND ACADEMICS

At the level of upper secondary, students are “compelled” to start thinking about their career options and pathways because based on that, they have to make decisions regarding the choice of subject combinations, the decision of whether to enter Polytechnic or Junior College, etc.

Tutors will make the effort to explain the pros and cons of certain academic-related decisions or career-related decisions and ensure that their students are well-informed and mature enough to do what’s best for them in the right way. There is a plethora of choices, especially since in this day and age the Government aims at specialising in every division of the working sector as much as possible.

CONFIDENCE

Often the biggest threat to achievement and the biggest barrier to success is the lack of confidence. When the mind draws a boundary line for itself, it fails to take in any more information beyond that limit that it has set itself. It is crucial to keep an open mindset and understand that everyone has their own pace of learning and it is perfectly all right to be “slow and steady”. Parents may be on the get-go and may not have the time to sit down and explain to their children that it all takes time and effort.

Hence, Private tutors have to do this job and in fact, tutors, in general, handle their students based on the assessment of the level of confidence of their students. That way it will be easier to assist them in a more personalised manner and give them much more refined advice on study techniques that can be used.

In conclusion

Tutors go out of their way to give that extra help if needed and they are always willing to clear their doubts without being judgemental. The debate on online learning and Private tuition is a relatively inconclusive one as it all depends on the students’ level of comfortability and their own personal learning preferences. Nonetheless, the virtue of patience and a positive attitude is the key to achieving excellence no matter which pathway is chosen.