Online Tuition Amidst Covid-19

Getting Ready for Transition

New measures like the suspension of centre-based tuition and enrichment classes have been put into place to stem the spread of COVID-19, as reported on 24 March 2020. This announcement might come as a shock to many but not for us. During this pandemic, we have advised parents and students to adhere to Leave of Absence (LOA) or Stay Home Notice (SHN) if they have gone on a holiday before the announcement was made. At Habitat, our team also took steps to understand more about the online tutoring platform and how we can achieve in delivering effective tuition lessons before this announcement came. With the best interest at heart for our students, we have decided to bring our lessons online where students can continue to learn at the comfort of their home. 

Our key focus is to make this transition seamless for both parents and students. In addition, we do not compromise on the quality of the lessons delivered. Initially, some parents were concerned but most of them adapted to the change quickly. With the technological tools we have, the Habitat team is proud to say that our first week of online teaching was a huge success. Many students also commented that the entire session provided was exactly the same as what they had experienced during their usual sessions. However, they also mentioned that they wished they were back at class physically and they miss laughing together in class.

Online Tuition vs Classroom Tuition

The advantage going digital by having classes online is that students do not have to spend time travelling, thereby limiting the chances of contacting a person that may have been infected. Other advantages of having online classes with Habitat include:

• Equally beneficial tuition with the same qualified and vetted tutors during the regular tuition hours.
• Geographic limitations are eliminated, and students on LOA and SHN can now attend online classes too.
• Students are more IT savvy and can adapt quickly to new changes.
• Students are familiar with using online means to learn as schools have been preparing them for home-based learning.

As much as online tuition may be effective, some may feel that there are several limitations arising due to online tuition. 

• Questions involving a ‘step-by-step’ approach may be slightly challenging to present if the questions require long and detailed explanations.
• Students with the lack of motivation tend to miss out on tuition, yet at the same time, it might be difficult to catch their attention for they might be toggling between other sites.
• Online tuition is done with the trust that students are actually learning.
• Close communication between parents, teachers and students may be compromised.

What we do at Habitat:

• We are known to have a small class size individual coaching. Keeping to the same class size during the online sessions, we assure that the students are not being compromised.
• All tuition sessions are conducted live, so students can always ask questions during their tuition session.
• We communicate with our parents on a regular basis and update the progress of our students.
• Ensure our students have their notes and worksheets before each lesson.
• Homework will be marked and returned to students in e-copy with explanations. 

Summing it Up

All in all, having online tuition is not exactly a bad thing. With technological advancements, tutors are able to deliver effective tutoring despite the limitations that may arise along the way. No doubt that some parents are concerned how their child can benefit from online tuition, many parents are very receptive to going digital during this pandemic. With the use of online tools, Habitat can quickly send out the relevant resources and “meet” the students during their tuition sessions. For parents who prefer to have any hard copies printed and collated, we appreciate their time taken to pop by Habitat to collect them. 

We are all affected by COVID-19 pandemic but we have to remain strong to fight this together. We may not be able to defeat this virus for now but let’s all do our part to keep our loved ones safe. Lastly, we thank all Habitat parents and students for their support and cooperation during this period. Let’s stay safe and healthy!