E-learning vs Tuition Centre!

E-learning?

E-Learning, also known as Home-Based Learning is to learn from home with the aid of an online portal that students have access to. Example – Blackboard

Students have to log into their respective accounts and complete any work that is due for the day or week.

E-Learning usually contains materials for students to go through themselves, therefore it is very independent.

These materials are either soft copy materials (eg. worksheets/lecture notes/PowerPoint slides.) or/and video explanation of the lecture/class. It would be followed by a series of quizzes, tests, homework and assignments.

E-Learning usually contains soft copy materials such as PowerPoint slides and/or Word Documents and/or pre-recorded video lectures. Students have to sit through a huge chunk of information by themselves. Powerpoint slides usually contain explanations of theory in words. Video lectures are pre-recorded by teachers and it usually shows them going through PowerPoint slides while talking or just simply lecturing. These materials are hardly interactive for students to think and learn at the same time. The normal attention span of a healthy teenager only lasts for 20 to 48 minutes. 

Attention span can vary due to some factors such as how interested they are, how tired, hungry and what kind of distraction are around them. This also depends on the type of learners they are at nature.

Some students learn best when they can visually see the information whereas some learn better with somebody guiding them.

Students basically learn by themselves with the aid of these videos and online notes.

The only physical thing they have is their textbook and workbook. 

Should they have any questions and doubts, they have to post it on their online forum or email their teachers to have their queries answered. 

Tuition Centre?

Many parents in Singapore prefer sending their children to tuition centers because some big brand named centers has higher tuition fees, leading the parents to think that the more expensive, the better education being offered.

For tuition centres, there’s also registration fees which typically costs between $40 to 80. Some centres also require a security deposit of $80 to $120, which can be refunded upon termination of classes, depending on the centre’s terms and conditions.

Secondly, many parents believe that tuition centers have more students to encourage peer learning. When in fact, studies have found that the higher the number of students in class, the less individual attention will be provided to each child. This could mean that your child might end up having the same problems that he was having in class at school.

he third misconception about tuition centers is that they have qualified teachers. The truth is teaching centers are a lucrative business, however, not everyone who opens an education center is qualified. Hence there are chances that the tuition center may hire someone who is barely qualified. On the other hand, if you decide to hire a private tutor to teach your child at home, you can ask to verify the qualification of the teacher who is going to teach your child.

Which is better?

In terms of cost, e-learning is a cheaper alternative as compared to sending your child to tuition centres.

However, the style of teaching and learning is hugely different when it comes to e-learning and tuition centre.

Parents should take into consideration their learning style of their child, their personality and character and determine which will be the most effective place of learning and style for their own child.