Online Tutors
good tutors...
give you the answers?
help you find the answers for yourself!
know everything about a subject?
know where to find resources!
are always prepared?
can access resources and share them
online easily!
are always patient?
know how to ask good questions to 
get to the point!
are brilliant students?
they know what works to be one!
are comfortable online?
are comfortable learning!
leap.ubc.ca
FAQs
greet the student & introduce yourself
ask their name and student #

record this info.
What do you do when a student messages you?
How do you help a student?
Be prepared for some questions that are very short and easy to answer, and others that are complex and require a lot of time 
•  Apply the concepts covered in the SCL workshop: figure out what they don’t understand by asking pertinent questions
“What steps have taken so far?” “Where did you get stuck?” “Have you reviewed your lecture notes and the textbook for some ideas?”“What strategies might you use to help you answer this question?”
what are some strategies for good tutoring?
• Guide them, step-by-step, towards finding the answer for themselves
• Allow them to interrupt and ask questions along the way
• Make sure they understand before you move along. Don’t go too quickly, and ask the student if they understand, or ask them to explain their understanding 
• Give them constructive criticism and be encouraging!
Time Management
What do you do when you have multiple students
messenging you at the same time?
Tell students that you are currently helping another student
•Tell them what number they are in line 
and their expected wait time
•Tell them you will send them a message when you are ready to help them
•When you have many students, we recommend no more
than 10 minutes for a student
Offer some resources to get them going in the right direction (wiki, leap related links, etc)
• Encourage them to work on the problem given the resources you have provided and message you again when they are stuck.
the challenges
What if the student becomes angry or impatient?
What if the student gets frustrated?
• Try to reassure them. Online tutoring is busy, so encourage them to be patient

• If they’ve gotten stuck on a question, you might want to tell them to type out the steps they’ve taken and where they’ve gotten to before getting stuck, that way when you’re ready to help them, you can just read their responses and jump right in.

•Remember that the student should be prepared to wait, but can also expect the tutor to provide assistance after a reasonable length of time.
•Although it might be tempting, don’t just give students the answer! 

•Online tutoring can be challenging, and even with the aid of tablets and online technology, it may not work for everyone.

•It is normal for students to feel frustrated or to feel like their point isn’t getting across when they are stressed.•Be patient!

•Remember that some of the finer nuances of communication are lost through online interaction

•Provide encouragement and congratulate them when they solve the problem.

•If the student feels that they are encountering too many obstacles, encourage them to try face-to-face options for tutoring (which may be a better match for some)
netiquette
be polite, personable and 
professional
remember the person on the 
other side
text has permanence
research before you react
respect privacy and original ideas
apply what you know