by Aidan Turowski
Daily Lobo
As the end of the semester nears, students needing tutoring for final exams can turn to the Internet.
Web sites such as studyloft.com allow students to connect with professional online tutors for help in school.
"Students are much more open with their deficiencies with online interaction," said Bikram Roy, founder of studyloft.com. "We have had several students comment on how they were nervous asking in class, thinking they had a stupid question, but with studyloft.com, students can discreetly receive the help they need, when they need it."
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Studyloft.com, which began in late October, is a free service through the end of the semester but will begin charging students next spring.
The sessions range from $10 per hour for group sessions and up to $25 per hour for one-on-one help.
Some students had never heard of studyloft.com, and had varying opinions on Internet tutor services.
UNM student Stephen Martinez said he expects the high fees to match the quality of tutoring.
"I guess they'd have to be really well known and credible," Martinez said. "I'm not really keen on joining things off the Internet."
Students who use the service have three options to choose from. Students can have a one-on-one session with an online tutor in a chat room or over the phone. Students can also participate in group discussions, where they work alongside students looking for assistance in the same subject. Students can upload homework assignments and test reviews, where an online tutor will grade their work, or take them through the steps needed to accomplish the assignment.
The UNM Center for Academic Program Support sends students to smarthinking.com for online tutoring. The Web site allows registered UNM students to use similar resources.
Michelle Steiner, program manager of CAPS, said online tutoring is a useful tool.
"Sometimes online tutoring can capture a segment of the student population that can't utilize other tutoring venues," she said in an e-mail.
Tutors at studyloft.com are required to have a graduate-level degree in the subject they are tutoring and must have relevant teaching experience, Roy said.
Although studyloft.com has more than 1,000 subscribers, UNM student Emily Beenan said she is uncomfortable with signing up with an online service that isn't backed by the University.
"I would know those resources might be available, but if I needed help and I went to the site and it said, 'give me your credit card number,' then I just know I wouldn't do it," Beenan said.
Beenan, a graduate student who helps teach language arts at high schools, said she would consider recommending online assistance to her students under the right circumstances.
"Probably the most important thing is the relevancy of information," Beenan said. "I know that curriculums have such a wide range, especially in language arts."
Steiner said she encourages students to use whatever method of tutoring that is most comfortable to them.
"All students approach learning differently," she said.
