This fall semester, a new program called eTutoring has been added to Otterbein University’s variety of academic tutoring resources.
The online program assists students in a range of subjects. More than 31 colleges and universities in Ohio are members of the eTutoring community.
Two tutors will be involved on each of the 31 college campuses, and the tutors of the subjects might be undergraduate students, graduate students or faculty members.
Ellen Kasulis, the senior instructor in the Academic Support Center, said that eTutoring adds another source of assistance that might be particularly attractive to nontraditional students; students who cannot make it to campus so easily; and students who need assistance after hours, when academic services are no longer available.
Kasulis said that the tutors are selected by their universities and trained by the eTutoring Collaborative personnel during the
summer months.
This new program offers a variety of online resources, including an online writing lab as well as eChat, where students can have an online chat with tutors about a specific subject they are struggling in.
The online writing lab allows students to submit a draft of their paper to a tutor and receive feedback within 24 to 48 hours.
Jenna Barnett, one of the tutors for Otterbein, said that the writing lab is a big advantage.
“Students can submit their papers anytime and receive help, while in the Writing Center and (the Center for Student Involvement), we are only open for so many hours for students,” she said.
Another advantage is live tutoring via eChat, which allows students to meet with a tutor during one-on-one sessions and have an interactive, virtual environment.
One more advantage of eTutoring is “offline questions,” which allows students to leave specific questions for an eTutor and receive a response within 48 hours, but usually sooner.
Kasulis said that one of the disadvantages of eTutoring is that the number of subjects available are limited.
“In the future, the eTutoring Collaborative hopes to increase offerings depending on demand,” she said.
Barnett said that another disadvantage is that the website is still a work in progress and that it might sometimes be a little confusing at first to maneuver.
“Also, with any technology, there is no face-to-face communication between tutor and student,” Barnett said. “So students might not understand the response the tutor gives and may have to wait for a reply rather than getting one instantly from a face-to-face tutoring session.”
Adam Brown, senior athletic training major, said, “I hadn’t heard of eTutoring … but for my major specifically, I probably wouldn’t use it because it’s easier to find an upperclassman or a professor. But I might use it for something more universal like an INST class or math or language class.”
Interested students should go to the Academic Support Center’s website for information on how to access eTutoring as well as other support services.
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