How to Keep Online Tutoring Sessions Interactive
An effective online tutoring session is more than a tutor talking and a student listening. Students learn through answering questions, solving problems, explaining, practising skills and discussing.
The good news is that interactive online tutoring does not require complicated technology. Changing the format of a session can create more engagement opportunities.
1. Ask Questions
Instead of explaining an entire topic, try asking short questions during the lesson.
For example:
"What do you think happens next?"
"Which method would you use here?"
"Can you explain this in your own words?"
Questions can be used to engage students and test their understanding.
2. Let the Student Practise
Avoid doing every example yourself.
After showing one example, give the student an opportunity to try a similar problem.
Give them guidance if needed, but let them spend time thinking before giving the answer.
This can be a great way to create an active session where the student is not being talked at.
3. Use Relevant Examples
Make sure to use relevant examples wherever possible.
For example:
Mathematics: everyday calculations
Coding: small programming tasks
Languages: everyday conversations
Business: realistic scenarios
Science: practical applications
4. Use Digital Teaching Tools
Depending on the subject of the tutoring, tutors can use a range of different teaching tools.
Digital whiteboards
Shared documents
Diagrams
Screen sharing
Quizzes
Annotated examples
Collaborative exercises
Technology should support the learning objective rather than being the focus of the lesson.
A simple digital whiteboard can sometimes be more useful than using several complicated tools.
5. Ask the Student To Explain
One question to ask students to is explain the topic back to the teacher.
For example:
"Imagining I do not know this topic, how would you explain it to me?"
This can be a great way to tell if the student really understand a topic, or if they have memorised an answer.
It also gives the teacher an opportunity to check their understanding.
6. Vary the Activities
Don't use exactly the same activity for the entire lesson.
A session could include an explanation, questions, example, student practise and a discussion.
Varying activities gives students more ways to participate and can be a good way to keep interest up.
The exact structure should be adjusted to the subject and student.
7. Give the Student A Choice
Wherever practical, give the student a choice about how their activity will be.
For example:
"Would you like to practise another example or review the concept first?"
Giving students small choices can help encourage participation and communication.
8. End With A Review
At the end of a session, you could spend a few minutes asking:
"What was the most important idea today?"
"What do you find tricky?"
"What should we practise next?"
This will help both the tutor and student to remember the main learning points, and can help to plan the next session.
Interactive Tutoring Checklist
Before ending a session, you could ask:
☑ Did the student answer questions?
☑ Did the student practise independently?
☑ Did I check their understanding?
☑ Did I use appropriate visual or digital tools?
☑ Did the student explain something in their own words?
☑ Did we review the main learning points?
If several answers were "no", think about how the next session could give more opportunities for active participation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes online tutoring interactive?
Asking questions, participation, relevant activity, discussion, problem-solving and appropriate digital tools can make online tutoring more interactive.
How can tutors keep students engaged online?
Give students opportunities to speak, solve problems, make decisions, explain concepts and participate in practice rather than listening to the tutor.
Do interactive online lessons require special software?
No. Tutors can create interactive lessons using video calls, shared documents, digital whiteboards, practice worksheets or quizzes.
How often should tutors ask questions?
There is no exact number. Questions should be asked naturally throughout the session to engage students.
Final Thoughts
Interactive online tutoring is about making students active participants in their learning.
Tutors can create more engaging sessions by asking questions, giving practice opportunities, using relevant examples, varying the activities and adapting the lesson.
The objective is not to use as many tools as possible. It is to create opportunities for students to participate.
