Is Online Tutoring a Worthy Investment?

I've talked about how much I enjoy being a tutor online. But is it a worthy investment from the student's perspective?

As of right now the largest portion of the client base connects through Live Homework Help. Many public libraries pay for the service then allow students to log in through their website. Off the top of my head its available throughout Alabama, Brooklyn, and San Diego. Some school districts like Richardson ISD in Dallas, Texas offer students up to 300 free minutes for the semester.

These services are obviously a great deal. From my experience the students love it. They log in when they are stuck on a homework problem, studying for a test, or even just to clarify concepts.

The one thing I strongly suggest is checking your local library for the free service. If you have access to the free service, there is no question. It's worth it! As a tutor, I'm probably biased. As a tutor, I hear tons of positive feedback from the students. Here is a little bit of background on the service itself...

Who are the tutors?
Tutors are teachers, professionals, college students or graduates that have mastered the subjects that they tutor. They have demonstrated strong content knowledge, passed background check, and the tutor.com certification process. Every session they conduct is recorded and monitored. They receive frequent feedback and suggestions for making each session high quality.

I'm one example of a tutor. I tutor high school / college intro math and physics. I have a mechanical engineering degree from a ranked Midwest university. I currently work in research and development in addition to tutoring and blogging. Another tutor you might know is PF blogger, Paid Twice. I believe she tutors math and chemistry. I'm not sure what her day job is but she has a Ph.D. in genetics and she writes a great blog.

How does it work?
Students and tutors work together in a real time virtual classroom. (This section is taken from the tutor.com website.)

Classroom Features:

• Instant messaging: communicate with your tutor through online chat
• Interactive whiteboard: draw problems on a shared whiteboard
• Shared web browsing: browse the web together
• File sharing: send your papers and other files to a tutor for review

Why do students prefer online tutors?
From my experience as a tutor I can say that this service not only helps the students learn concepts but it greatly increases their confidence in their ability to do so. Large classrooms with ever increasing curriculum loads just don't offer as much one-on-one help as some students need. Many parents don't have enough time and/or content knowledge to make up for this. If your child really needs more help outside of the classroom, how does Tutor.com compare to in person tutoring?

They can log in to get help right when they need it. There is no need to worry about fitting in a tutor around your busy schedule. No need for tutors to fit you in around their busy schedule. There are hundreds of tutors available online at any given time. Internet communication is intuitive for todays student so the virtual classroom works great for them. Students can get encouragement and help without asking in front of a whole classroom. As a bonus, every tip and example that the tutors provide can be saved or printed for later reference.

Is it worth paying for?
It depends. I like to hope this type of service could be widely available free to all one day. If your child needs the extra help, but your public library does not offer the free service, buying minutes directly is expensive. Its roughly the same cost as paying an in-person tutor (~$30/hr) but offers much more flexibility. At the very least, its worth a try. Use the promotional code ACISR50M to get 50 minutes for $1 if you're interested in trying it out.

I'd really like to hear feedback from parents on this.
Would you pay for online tutoring?