Introduction
There is a dire need for Baltimore City College to introduce regular or online-tutorial services for its students. Based on its goals to quality training, tutorial programs shall play significant role in achieving the postulated goals. Fager (2010) describes tutorial services as an efficient strategy for successful learning (p.19).
Based on the potential benefits tutorial services possess, particularly online tutoring, the services will improve the overall training performance for Baltimore College. Tutorial services not only benefit the students, but also provide tutors with exciting career opportunities.
The College management should therefore develop comprehensive tutorial programs for all levels of its training to cultivate the full benefits of tutorial services. The subsequent discussion underscores the benefits of regular or online tutorial services towards the realization of better results and a happier society.
Benefits of online or regular tutorial services
Tutorial services provide one-on-one training to students. Tutorial services enhance personal contacts between the tutor and the student. Within online environment for instance, the tutor, virtually guides the student on the important concepts of the subject. Although students may not realize this personal contact, Fager (2010) equates the virtual relationship to direct contact (p.20).
One-on-one strategy enables the tutor to capitalize on the weaknesses of the student while the students explore this opportunity to strengthen their weak areas. Consequently, this results into notable improvement on the students’ performance.
Generally, tutorial services provide individual-tailored training to the students. This training strategy focuses on specific needs suitable for effective learning of an individual. Online tutorial services provide good environment for tutors to comprehend the individual needs of their students. As a result, the tutors develop practical and successful training styles for these students.
In any engagement leave alone learning, creating strong relationship contributes largely towards the success of that engagement; therefore, taken in the context of learning environment, tutorials are critical for they allow tutors to develop the said relationship with students. As Lieberman (2004) notes “individual-tailored training improves the learning styles” of students, hence “enhancing their learning” (p.23). Therefore, tutorial services would enhance learning among the college students.
Tutorial services motivate the learners. Since personal contact exists on internet tutoring, tutors provide direct feedback and encouragement to their students.
Lieberman (2004) observes that, “teacher leadership should provide motivation to students in learning” (p.27). Motivation encourages students to continue even whenever confronted with difficulties. It drives them to develop solutions to their problems not only in academics but also in real life issues. Feedback provided by online tutors about the student’s learning motivates the student due to a two-fold reason.
First, online tutors are strangers to these students and therefore any positive comment reveals their unlimited range of skills. Secondly, these tutors present new approach to problem solving and this change in approach motivates students. Educational theorists attribute reduction in rate of school drop out in US to motivation. Therefore, by introducing tutorial services, Baltimore College will significantly reduce the rate of college drop out.
Online and regular tutorial services improve the social skills of the student. The online training programs act as platform for social interaction between the student and the tutor. Interaction enhances social exchange, hence improving the students’ social skills. Improvement in social skills enables students to develop a ‘social responsibility’. Tutors or teachers are responsible individuals within the society (Lieberman, 2004, p.34).
Tutors therefore transfer this responsibility to students during the tutorial sessions. It implies that the learners acquire not only academic training but also social training during the tutorials. Tutorial services therefore promote growth of a responsible society. This has an implication that the Baltimore College community will grow to a responsible society, with less social issues such as students’ rampage and violence.
Tutorial services enhance pride and a sense of accomplishment to the tutors. As Lieberman (2004) asserts, tutor’s major role is to “grow the young in knowledge” (p.42) and tutorial services enhance this role.
In this way, tutors derive satisfaction of helping the other people. As a result, tutorial services encourage these tutors in their work. Encouraged tutors provide good learning atmosphere; hence improving the standards of training within the institution. Online tutorial services enhance the tutor’s mastery of the academic content. In effect, the tutor’s understanding of the subject improves.
High mastery of the content would be important for Baltimore College in two ways. First, the quality of training will upgrade to produce high class graduates for industry and public services. Secondly, the College will attract the interest of many students and therefore increase its enrolment. To the tutors, tutorial services will boost their career experience, subsequently providing a large pool for prospective human resources for the Baltimore College.
Finally, tutorial online services are convenient for students, tutors, lecturers and the college at large. Students will be able to “learn whatever they want in their most comfortable way” (Fager, 2010, p.12). Online tutorials will indeed ease the learning process for these students.
The services will also relief the lecturers the burden of repetitive work. In fact, it will reduce the load per lecturer and hence increase their focus on coverage of new concepts. Conveniently, the college’s prospective human resource will increase due to experience gained by these tutors. The overall students’ performance in the training will increase.
Conclusion
Baltimore College should introduce online tutorial services for its students. The services will enhance one-on-one training to students and individual tailored training. These strategies cater for individual needs of the students, thereby improving their learning. It will also motivate the students and motivation encourages learning and individual initiatives among students.
Tutorial services enhance social interaction between the learner and the tutor. As noted, this results into a responsible society. Responsible society has less social ills such as violence and destruction.
Tutorial services enhance academic mastery and experience among the tutors. The services also develop a feeling of pride and accomplishment among the tutors, thereby boosting their morale to work. Tutorial services are convenient means of learning for students. The online tutorial services are cheap strategies for improving the overall performance of training. In fact, its cost is unbelievably below $20 per hour.
In order for Baltimore College to improve its training among the students, it should introduce online tutorial services. By doing so, the college will enhance a responsible society within its environment and cases of students’ rampage will reduce appreciably. As a result, the Baltimore College will not only become a center for excellent training but also social model for the rest of the society.
References
Fager, J. (2010). Tutoring: Strategies for Successful Learning. Journal of Educational Learning, 6(8), 8-78.
Lieberman, A. (2004). Teacher Leadership. California: Jossey-Bass publishers.