Live online tuition (synchronous e-learning) involves interacting in real time with a live teacher. We have found that nearly all companies in the UK who claim to be offering live online maths or physics tuition are either at the very early stages of experimentation or provide no more than an instant messaging service, an online telephone call or even just e-mail. Clearly the ability for the tutor to engage and teach mathematics or physics using these methods is very restricted.

There is a more advanced form of live online tuition which involves the use of Web conferencing technology. When using this method the student will see the tutor live via a web cam and they can talk with each other using a telephone system across the Internet. This technology also allows the student and tutor to share an online whiteboard in real time which means they can see what each other are writing instantly. However, connecting a student to a tutor in an online classroom so they can both admire a blank sheet of digital paper does not necessarily imply learning is about to take place.

In our opinion to offer a credible form of live online learning requires not only the latest web conferencing technology but also an integrated library of the highest quality learning resources such as worksheets and past exam papers, which are specifically chosen to fit the students exam board curriculum. At the end of the day however the single most important factor in delivering an effective learning experience, be it online or face to face, is the quality and experience of the teacher.

Whilst this technology may seem relatively new within the UK, it is an effective form of learning that is well-established in other countries such as the US. There is in fact a great deal of live online tuition occurring in the UK, however it tends to be in the one-too-many format and is offered by the Open University and a small number of Local Education Authorities who provide virtual schooling for excluded and home schooled pupils.

There are also many companies in India who provide this service by leveraging from the pool of well educated yet low paid local graduate community. The two largest live online education companies in the world are Tutor.com in the US (not available in the UK) and Tutorvista.com from India. They have between them delivered over 10 million online lessons!

Tutorvista.com is a company that has received over 35 million USD of investment and offers a very low cost and technically credible live online service. Their curriculum is geared specifically for the US market however and many students we know to have tried the system have found the communication barriers got in the way of learning. However with unlimited tutoring at 99USD a month some families have found this to be a useful service.

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