OhioLINK eTutoring has launched a new platform that offers college students convenient access to tutors who can provide assistance with a wide variety of academic subjects.
The service, which is free to undergraduate students enrolled in 20 participating colleges and universities in the state of Ohio, is supported by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. It has served more than 30,000 college students since 2010.
OhioLINK eTutoring has now partnered with TutorOcean, a global tutoring marketplace and supplemental learning platform, to provide expanded services and features.
“The new platform is user-friendly and offers a lot of options for the students,” said Karen Boyd, former coordinator of OhioLINK eTutoring.
Students can book one-on-one appointments during times convenient to their schedules, such as evenings and weekends. The service complements the daytime, weekday business hours offered by higher education academic centers, Boyd noted.
The new platform will allow students to connect with tutors in a range of subjects, including algebra, anatomy and physiology, astronomy, calculus, chemistry, computer science, math, physics and statistics.
For tutors, TutorOcean offers features such as virtual classrooms with built-in whiteboards, collaborative teaching tools, instant messaging and live video capabilities, according to the company.
OhioLINK eTutoring’s tutors are affiliated with one of the 20 participating Ohio colleges or universities. They may be current instructors or students or retired professionals. Each tutor undergoes rigorous program training before working with students.
In addition to providing one-on-one mentoring, tutors also give guidance on writing assignments in a variety of subjects. Students upload the documents, and the tutors review and provide feedback on common issues such as organization, structure, grammar, mechanics and citing sources.
The writing reviews have been a popular feature of the eTutoring program, particularly among College Credit Plus students. The College Credit Plus program, offered through the Ohio Department of Higher Education, allows high school students to earn college credits through Ohio colleges or universities, at no extra cost.
Boyd expects that the new one-on-one tutoring appointments will increase the number of students signing up for face-to-face virtual support, which previously was offered through general drop-in hours with tutors.
OhioLINK also anticipates that students will find the new platform to be a user-friendly interface through which they can communicate easily with their tutors.
“TutorOcean gives us a modern platform with functions and features that students today are used to using and are seeking,” said Judy Cobb, associate director of operations and platforms at OhioLINK.
While the TutorOcean partnership is new, OhioLINK eTutoring has successfully served colleges and universities and their students for more than a decade. OhioLINK maintains connections to campuses through collaboration with campus coordinators, who often work in the college or university’s academic success center or library.
Students at the University of Toledo use the eTutoring program for writing help and to access tutoring on academic subjects not covered by the on-campus support center, said Julie Radwanski, academic services coordinator for the university’s Learning Enhancement Center. Students also turn to eTutoring for its flexible evening and weekend hours.
“As a learning center, the Learning Enhancement Center’s mission is to provide all University of Toledo students with accessible, professional, academic support services that enhance success and retention. OhioLINK eTutoring’s efforts complement this mission by providing an additional support service that is accessible to our students and aids in their success,” Radwanski said.
Jeff Graffius, library and student resource director for Washington State College of Ohio, also noted how OhioLINK eTutoring complements his institution’s on-campus services.
“We want to meet students’ needs however and wherever we can. eTutoring gives us additional flexibility to help our students succeed by offering additional subject areas, tutors and more scheduling options,” Graffius said.
For the 2021-2022 academic year, the 20 institutions participating in OhioLINK eTutoring are: Aultman College, Belmont College, Bowling Green State University, Central State University, Cincinnati State, Cleveland State University, Edison State Community College, Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Lorain County Community College, Lourdes University, Marion Technical College, Northwest State Community College, Owens Community College, Rhodes State College, Tiffin University, University of Akron, University of Toledo, Ursuline College and Washington State College of Ohio.
OhioLINK will evaluate its capacity to add new institutions to the program in subsequent academic years.
Visit the OhioLINK eTutoring online for more information about the program.
Read TutorOcean's announcement.
