online tutoring

My initial reaction to online tutoring was "wow that's a good way to get involved considering how much technology impacts college students." Think about it. Many college students prefer online classes to meeting in person. I am not one of these people but i know many students really like taking their classes online. An online tutoring option is a good idea.

However, i think that it would not be beneficial for me as a client or a tutor. As a whole, students spend way too much time in front of the computer anyway, and some face to face interaction in a writing center helps break up the norm. I think that personality is very important and it is much harder to show your personality online. Also, you hear frequently that nonverbal communication is very important and i feel that it is crucial in a tutoring situation. So basically my assessment is that it is a good option to have because some people's personalities would probably be more comfortable in this situation.

Carlson and Williams make a good point when they say "the premises for online tutoring are noble - to improve access to campus writing centers and to narrow distances between students and tutors. Time constraints, proximity, and introverted personalities often keep students from attending tutoring sessions" (285). Time management is very important in a student's life and often times a person's schedule will not conform to our operational hours, 9-6.

After class i decided that i kind of like online tutoring, although it is not something i would want to do everyday because i hate reading from a screen. I like the idea of being able to sit and think about something for a little bit without them staring at me. There seems to be a little less pressure in an online environment. I still conclude that there will be a bigger communication barrier online. I also think it is important to first build a very strong writing center before a successful OWI can be build.